MTFCA Forum

Is the TW still available? I see a website but couldn't find one in Langs or Snyders.

You also ought to share your problem with the "reputable engine rebuilder." He may have some responsibility here.

Eric, Snyders may have sold the "Best" but I don't think they made it. I will admit some ignorance of it's history. If you look at the picture of your "S" cap you can see the beginnings of plastic being pushed up over the contacts and on the face of the brush. Look back at my picture of a Tip-Top wi...

"S" caps were sold by Snyders, before my time. That said, they still turn up on cars and at swap meets. They are made of a softer plastic and stand a little taller than they should. I've seen a couple with grooves cut into them by a fan belt as a result. The interior surfaces of the cap wear quickly...

Sounds like you did everything right. It certainly is a mystery. One thing I do to the brush is round the leading edge of the brush slightly thinking that it will reduce brush and cap wear as it spins. Does it make a difference? No idea.

The rain gutters for wood firewalls were not available until 1919...I have a 1917 but installed one anyway. They show up now and then at swap meets. Below is a Vowell drawing showing the arrangement. The arrow points at the gutter. Originally they used felt to seal between the body and firewall. Any...

People love or hate New Day timers. It usually comes down to original versus reproduction and if the latter, the quality of the reproduction. There were a number of attempts to reproduce the New Day in the past and they all pretty much missed the mark, until Tip-Top came out with theirs. If you buy ...

I've been using New Days exclusively for the 12000 miles I've put on the car. I use timers made by Tip Top Timers of Spokane Valley, WA exclusively. I've never seen wear like you've experienced and typically get around 5-6K on a brush - longer on the cap. I wonder what else might be going on here? I...

I installed floating safety hubs. Sure, you have to trim a little off the axle tube but I think it's worth it. It transfers some of the weight off the axle and has the added advantage that if your axle should break, the wheel stays on the car. I also replaced my axles when I installed the safety hub...

Put the battery on the charger and make sure it is fully charged before you go. Check the obvious things such as oil level, coolant, tire pressure, etc. Have you lubed the differential and drive shaft lately? How about the rear outside hyatt bearings? Wouldn't hurt to check the level in the rear dif...

A couple of questions to help the rest of us who might know of available cars. 1-open or enclosed? 2- Two or four passenger? 3- camping or motels? (on your journey) A common cross country choice is a roadster pickup where the rear tonneau has been replaced with a PU bed or enclosed box. You could al...

Joshua - for what you're planning I would avoid the early cars. 1920 and newer would probably best suit your needs. They have a starter, generator and electrical system which became available as an option in 1919. The radiator is a little bigger than the brass cars and one in good shape or a reprodu...

I have disc brakes and love them. They do provide better stopping for my 1917 than the transmission brake. Being hydraulic, discs don't require adjustment like the Rocky Mountain and AC brakes. They work in reverse, wet or dry. Before I got the discs I had experience in hill country where I was not ...

John has the answer I believe. I've seen this many times. My 1917's camshaft is that way. I put a small mark on the end of the camshaft showing the correct alignment to reduce the risk of installing it 180°

i am very familiar with this problem. In 2019-2021 my newly rebuilt engine & transmission suffered a series of such failures beginning within a couple of months of getting it back on the road after a 30 year sleep. The rebuilder was very aware of the importance of adequate clearance between the pin ...

Other threads on this forum have been asking where to get WOSP 12 volt starters. Snyders shows "out of stock" and the other WOSP dealers likewise. I decided to go to the source, Neil Tuckett of England's Tuckett Brothers, who originally designed the starter along with WOSP. Here is his reply: "I hav...

I think I know this car. It was restored and formerly owned by Dave Crompton Sr. who is not only a Model T'er but one of the "go-to" guys for the restoration of WWII German Kubelwagens and Schwimminwgens - the German version of our Jeeps, the latter amphibious. He even owns a WWII German Hetzer Tank...

Welcome. All clubs in Michigan are associated with the MTFCI - two, Piquette and Northern Michigan T's are affiliated with the MTFCA as well. Looking at the chapter listings I found this in your area: Model T Flivver's Roger Hoheneder N 2705 River Dr. Wallace, MI 49893 A great Wisconsin club (althou...

I'd like some recommendations. Looking for some lightweight folding chairs that are compact enough to be carried in or on a touring car at events. I want something sturdy, rated to 300 lbs (I weigh 280) with armrests and a seat wide enough not to to pinch my ......you know. Some of the hunting chair...

The MTFCI has Model T Flivver's c/o Roger Hoheneder N 2705 River Dr. Wallace, MI 49893 Not real close but a great MTFCA Wisconsin Club Dairyland Tin Lizzies c/o Pete Humphrey West Bend, WI 53095-8744 (google them) Note: All Michigan clubs are affiliated with the MTFCI, two are jointly associated wit...

Dan is sure right about that - such an original car may have babbitt thrust washers in the differential which should be replaced with bronze. If the babbitt ones fail, you could be left with no power, no brakes and a chewed-up rear end. While in there a modern pinion bearing would be a good idea, as...

The WOSP starter for Model T's was designed by the Tuckett Brothers in the UK. Checking their website they are out of stock as well. I sent Neil an email asking if there are plans for future production and will report back if he replies. FWIW - a clever person could do something similar over here if...

I've not had a knee replaced but have had discussions with my doctor about it. He told me that they've been getting the best outcomes with "Mako" robot assisted replacements. Smaller incisions, quicker recovery, the ability to customize knee replacements to each patient’s anatomy for a more natural ...

I've had others suggest putting something in the tank and mechanically cleaning it. One fellow I know ties the tank to a tractor tire and drives it for awhile. I thought of doing something along that line but not knowing the clearance around the baffle I was reluctant to do so. It's one thing to put...

I'm surprised you can still get one. I wonder what else uses that size?

Brent, I'm sure you are correct....the most likely culprit is the preparation. I followed the instructions as best I could but could see only a small area of the cleaned tank through the filler hole. Opening the tank as you describe sounds like the best approach....it certainly gives you the access ...

I recently had to replace my original 1916 round gas tank. the left end had been cut open by a previous owner and poorly repaired. When it started to leak last year I attempted a repair with JB Weld's Tank weld. It held a year but I pulled on a loose end last week and it pulled right off. Due to tim...

It's a miracle! My wife was doing the laundry today and came to me with a little nut in her hand. "Is this important? I found it in the lint filter of the dryer." I feel pretty dumb but pretty lucky too. I must have put it in my pants pocket at some point and forgotten it. Taking Eric's comments to ...

Good point Erik. Thanks all for the info.

I'm putting my car back together after removing the steering wheel, firewall and etc. in anticipation of some engine work that has been postponed until winter. I went to connect the commutator rod and when I tried to connect the swivel end, I couldn't find the nut. No big deal, right? I went thru my...

Look at other cars going down the road.....I seldom see one that doesn't have a little wiggle to it. i/8th inch is nothing to worry about.

While I loved the Holley G that came with my '17 I learned it had some drawbacks. When compared to a NH, the NH actually produces more power. Add to that the Scott Conger Full-flow valve and most of the problems you described are eliminated. FWIW, we did a side by side dyno test of a Holley G and a ...

Gee! When I posted my question I didn't think I'd create such a "Flap"

The illustration from drobnock shows what I believe is a rim liner, which is much thinner material and fitted tightly against the rim. The flaps I've used are pretty thick and don't extend much into the gap between the beads. Regardless, the tubes show no wear marks after thousands of miles. Hey, to...

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I like flaps... my current rims are a little rough on the inside which seems pretty normal. I ordered the latest flaps for a pair of brand-new rims along with new T-Drivers, Blockley tubes and balance beads......The new rims, tubes, flaps and tires will replace a set whose tires still have some trea...

Neal,
That was a good suggestion. They have them in stock so I went ahead and ordered them. Thanks!

I ordered two 23 x 4.5 inch flaps from Universal /Coker recently for my 30 x 3.5 inch tires and was told that they would not be available for probably six months or more. Does anyone know of someone who has flaps available or expects to get them sooner?

My take is this.... If I was one of those guys who wanted to do everything, master all the necessary skills to maintain a Model T, I might try to re-spoke my own wheels. I am not one of those guys. In my opinion, sometimes it's just better to let an expert do it. I've never been disappointed by the ...

I'm sure this question has been asked many times before, thanks for your patience. My friend has a 1922 Model T. Is it possible to convert the steering to 5-1? If so, what must be changed?

I have a friend with a pacemaker - he has no trouble driving his T but was warned against using an arc welder.

Pure artistry, congrats! Any plans to produce a 12 volt version?

Talking about mileage - I got 11000 on a set of 30 x 3.5 Universal T Drivers on my rear wheels and currently 12000 miles on the fronts. The fronts look good for at least another couple thousand miles or so. When it became time to replace the rears I decided to stick with T Drivers so all would match...

Thanks for your comments. I have to scale back my driving this summer due to medical reasons so this is what I think I'll do. Inject epoxy into the cracks, at the same time giving the wheel a very thorough inspection. When the season ends, the wheel is off to Stutzman's for rebuild.

I have 30 x 3.5 demountable wheels. Two have been rebuilt by Stutzman and two are original. One of the original wheels has a single spoke that has a crack. In fact, there is a crack on both sides which may go all the way thru....I don't know. The spoke is otherwise very solid and the other spokes ar...

Is it only shaky when moving? Perhaps the tires/wheels are out of balance. I have a stock engine but it's pretty smooth. I balanced the tires with balance beads and they roll smoothly down the road.

I just cancelled a room at the Baymount by Wyndam if you're looking for a room. 6/11

That's really something Mark..... you see your work everywhere I bet!

Score one for Jerry! What a find!

The bottom photo shows the profile of the clincher tire, flap and tube in a clincher rim. If the stem were pictured it would be like the drawing with the flat of the bridge washer against the flap and the "Wings" bent towards the rim. I should point out that I've re-used flaps and tubes (Blockleys) ...

I use them - otherwise when you tighten the valve stem you can actually pull the tube down into the gap between the beads of a clincher tire. Like Dan says, it adds strength.

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Not to change the subject too much but I am appalled at the number of online news articles posted by reputable organizations the read like they were written by a 5th grader.

You did a wonderful job with that coin....very professional looking. Maybe I should say better than professional. Our sheriff's department made a commemorative coin to honor our volunteer units.....if you notice, the AERO unit was misspelled AREO. A nice ($$) idea that fell flat. Doesn't anyone ever...

Flame me if you want, but I disagree that there is never a need to grind some relief in the bead of a clincher tire. IF you are using tubes with rubber valve stems it's possible that damage from contact can occur. In my case it wan Hancock Tubes in Universal T-Drivers. I had two rubber-stemmed tires...

If you want a flag that can survive regular exposure to higher speeds you should go with a marine flag....unfortunately, they are seldom available in the size you want. The suggestions you got of reinforcing the edges will help. Getting nylon rather than cotton also helps. I have flags on magnetic b...

Unfortunately such events are becoming more common. Major floods in areas that haven't seen them in the memory of anyone living. The times they are a changing and not for the better. Prepare, stay safe, help your neighbors. It's all that you can do.

Your friends in the US are thinking of you.

I agree that you probably have a coil issue. With the car running, short out each plug and see what happens. If the rpm doesn't change when you short one out the problem is likely with the coil connected to it. Cleaning the coil contacts is a good spring task. Also, if you don't have a couple of spa...

One of the things that sent me to Noah Stutzman was the cost of spokes. The added cost to have him put it together seemed minimal to me. The biggest extra cost was shipping, although a couple of times we were able to get wheels delivered or picked up which saved us some $$. A friend of mine enjoys v...

I give you credit for trying to do this on your own. Me, I chose to send my wheels to Noah Stutzman who has probably done thousands of similar wheels. I was very happy with his work and the price. I've heard others complain about what you're experiencing and I think Allan and Jim are right on the mo...

I don't use a hot air pipe here in Michigan - 12000 miles, no problem. If you have ice forming on your intake manifold, a hot air pipe might be helpful. Does it surge at low RPM or only when at higher power settings? Do you have an inline fuel filter (bad idea with gravity feed)? What is your fuel l...

My goal with my car was to have a car safe for extensive touring. If I wanted a car only for shows, I might take a different approach. I am very happy with floating hubs and hydraulic disc brakes. No adjustment required, pedal feels just like normal car brakes. I believe strongly in an independent b...

Wayne, I agree. The other photo I have shows the top sockets much more clearly and they are definitely oval. Other than such clues I have no idea of it's serial number or build date. Nothing about it exists in family records except the two photos.

I had to share this. I thought only one photo of my family's first car, a 1917 touring, existed. The late Rich Eagle turned it into a beautiful painting that I cherish. Recently I found another, mixed among some of my grandfather's legal documents. it shows my 10 year old father sitting on the runni...

I've had really good luck with Rustoleum Black Automotive paint. If you want to pinstripe, you might try a Beugler pinstriping tool
One shot lettering paint https://www.beugler.com/

The movement in your spokes scares me. Use of shims and the like are just bandaid fixes. If the spokes are truly loose, you need new spokes. For the price difference, I prefer to have my wheels re-spoked by a professional and send mine to Noah Stuzman in Ohio. If you're going to do your own spokes y...

It is such a marvel just how far technology has come in a mere 100 years.

In case anyone wonders where my information is coming from, I did some extensive research for a presentation I gave last year at the Piquette Museum. I'm drawing from that. You can occasionally come across good, original New Day caps. They can be identified by the small square hole visible on each c...

A better name would be "worst" timer. The cap plastic is so soft it quickly wears out. Replace it with a original or recent production New Day. DO NOT replace it with the infamous "S" cap - they also wear quickly and sit a little "proud" causing the fan belt to cut a groove into the outside. Best-lo...

I bought mine - never heard the free part. Then again, my car was already 100 years old. Rather than attach it to the radiator I attached it to a piece of aluminum with a couple of pop-rivets and made it into a license plate topper.

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Yes,this is not a good place to voice politics. After this I will really try to stifle myself. $500,000 is a lot of money to us but to the federal government it is pocket change. Folks who love what Piquette stands for were working hard to come up a match and had great plans for it. Maybe a museum a...

The Piquette folks are working really hard to preserve the birthplace if the Model T and they have much work ahead of them. I am appalled that the challenge grant was cancelled, particularly since the reasons for cancellation are so lame. I do not believe politics should play a role in such things b...

I'm pretty sure that Blockley required me to use paypal. However, I believe my paypal linked to a credit card.

You are correct - we'll have to see how things shake out. I suspect some countries will dig their heels in while others will cave. Nonetheless, I suspect higher prices are in our future.

A little history on avoiding import duties..... I was helping a friend order a set of Blockley Tires and tubes so we split the order to stay under the $800 cap. I thought I was smart, waited until the first order shipped before putting in the second. Somehow when they arrived in the US they got comb...

Amongst the flurry of tariff announcements that will surely effect the cost of many of the goods we use, one slipped by that will effect any of us planning to buy Blockley tires in the near future. I've helped a few folks order tires and by being careful to keep the order total below $800 they would...

I miss Rich - he was certainly one of the good guys. I hope his family does well from the auction and that his collection ends in good hands.

RE: DON'T DO IT. If I use a power tool, I turn the screws on part way, not even to the point the head contacts the cover - finish with a T-handle. I'm careful not to overdo it, turning them no tighter than I would using a screw driver. Sometimes I just use the T handle. I have a 1/8th inch thick sil...

I was a bad boy. First I used longer slot-head screws but then I got tired of dropping my screwdriver when it slipped out of the slots and replaced the slot-head screws with socket head (allen). Now I use my battery powered wrench driver with an extension to spin them off and start them back on. Wor...

Had another chat - the fellow in Florida started his business in Argentina 19 years ago and while he still has a presence there, he moved to Florida a while back and has expanded his business to the US. He admitted to being new to making Model T rims and wheels, having concentrated on wheels and rim...

A common problem. You could try lapping the valve with a fine abrasive (rubbing compound, etc. - google it) - it didn't work for me so I bought a new petcock. An alternative is to remove the valve and replace it with a brass pipe plug. Not original but it does the job. Normal procedure calls for tur...

I've been talking to the guy in Florida about his rims. He says they're all made in the USA, at his facility. He apparently makes them for a lot of brands, not just Model T's. He invites anyone visiting Florida to call and stop in to look at his operation. I may order a rim just to check them out. I...

It's certainly not the world I was born into. Younger folks often show little interest in "doing." They get all the stimulation they need from a computer or phone screen. I get it, technology is wonderful...indeed, I use it - there is just more to life than watching it go by. BTW - in my last decade...

I weighed a Hartford and a Blockley tube - the Blockley weighed almost 1.5 pounds more and the rubber seemed to be a much higher quality. The Blockleys have brass stems that are attached in an exemplary manner. I would never consider cutting them off just to mount a "proper" stem cut from an old tub...

Last fall I replaced two of my tires with new Universal T Drivers. The tread was worn although they still had a little life in them. The tires had accumulated 12000 miles, the tubes between 9-10,000. The tubes (Blockley) showed no wear or damage and were re-used as were the flaps. Others may have ha...

I'm also a flap person - one flat in 12000 miles due to a metal tack in the road. I agree that duct tape is a bad idea - I've had to clean the remains of tape out of rims I've bought and its a real mess. Whether you use flaps or not, you need to protect the tube if you have anything other than a nic...

Maybe I should pay attention better. If you're going for spoked wheels, you may be OK with rims from Australia. They are a totally different animal. In my case, the quality was top notch - the fit was the issue (wouldn't slide on far enough to contact the back flange of the felloe.) Allan can give y...

Look at it this way....there will never be an easier time to replace the shaft. The cost is modest and they are available. Don't forget the drive shaft bushing up by the universal or the universal itself.

The 30 x 3.5 inch clincher rims I ordered over a year ago did not properly fit my Ford or Hayes rims....to the point that I am unable to use them. After one unsuccessful attempt by the firm to "make it right" I've been ghosted by them. If you want to know more, email me. My advice, find a nice set o...

There is a big difference between being prepared and moving to a compound in a remote area and surrounding it with booby traps. The Mormons keep a year's supply of emergency rations in their homes "just in case." I don't store that much but having some staples on hand makes sense. In Michigan we don...

Like I said, 12000 miles on a set of four Universal T-Drivers --- actually, they still show some tread but I decided to replace them because I do a lot of touring. If you aren't getting that kind of miles from similar tires is it possible that being a little off-balance played a role? True, out of b...

If you drive a lot you don't want smooth tires. If you just trailer it to the occasional show, smooth - even white, are fine. I got 12000 miles on a set of Universal T Drivers....I don't think anyone can claim that with smooth tires. There was a reason tires quickly evolved from smooth to treaded.

6 Ounces - I've driven 12000 miles with balancing beads and they've worked very well. They just address tire balance, not any of the other issues that can lead to death wobble or front end wiggle. I would question whether a couple of extra ounces per tire would cause a problem... as you speed up the...

Fasteners will loosen on anything that moves. There isn't a single structural fastener on an airplane that doesn't have a self-locking nut, cotter pin or safety wire securing it. Henry used what was available and cheap back in the day.

Trolls is correct! We live below the bridge. We stayed at one of the host hotels for the Tunnel of Trees and as I recall it was under $100. Of course, that was after Labor Day. During peak tourist season you can expect to pay a lot more. I think Brian and crew did a good job getting the price down. ...

Don’t get too worked up over disc brakes, they’re great! If you drive conservatively you’ll only notice that you stop with a gentle pressure on the brake pedal, similar to brakes in a modern car. I’ve briefly locked my brakes twice in thousands of miles of driving, both times on loose surfaces. Keep...

For those folks concerned about crossing the Mackinac Bridge - a group of us went both directions as part of Tunnel of Trees tour last fall. The Model T's handled it well and it was just like driving any road except the view was spectacular! The straits area is one of my favorite parts of Michigan. ...

Nothing wrong with adding a starter during rebuild.......You do what you must.....

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