MTFCA Forum

The pad was doubled at the few inches near the end. Rivets held the two layers together during use. Here's a reproduction replacement image.
https://www.modeltford.com/item/3823L.aspx jb

Edsel graduated from high school (College prep school) in 1911, at age 18. Given the detail in his drawing dated 1910, I suggest this was likely a ‘first draft’ for a class project, more of a concept car than a working drawing. I’m glad it survived. Edsel graduated from Yale in 1915, at age 22, marr...

Rob: Thanks for the post, and like Kieth, I can't wait for 'the book' to come out. Not trying to hijack your thread, but here is a short article on the Cape May-Atlantic City Ventnor Beach races: https://racersreunion.com/jon-clifton/blog/176/beach-racing-in-atlantic-city-nj And a short note plus ph...

David and Dave

Thanks, looking forward to seeing it. jb

Sorry for intruding, here's a pic from e-bay if that helps. I do see other 'hits' on my search engine for this heater, fwiw jb
https://www.ebay.com/itm/187570748708

Has the video of the 2026 clinic technical presentations been posted? If so, will someone please post the link? Thanks, jb

I've suggested a comparison too but it's more an academic question than anything now that Strobospark is no more. Personally, I have never had a coil that I rebuilt and carefully set up on Strobospark fail any of the ECCT criteria, but again, it's 'academic' at this point in time. And don't forget '...

Maybe off topic but very interesting,,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moreland_ ... ck_Company
Edit: Sorry, just discovered the' This was trucking' thread on Off-topic, I don't know how to move this, my bad, jb

Art:
Congratulations! That has to be a tremendously rewarding project, one that meets the Steve Jelf definition of 'rocket surgery'. Best to you, jb

Marshall: Connecting with Ron P is always helpful for electrical systems advice. He has helped me tremendously over the years and I'm grateful for his assistance and advice. I encourage you to pursue brush plate insulator replacement if you are game, your fortune says you are! I did this successfull...

Puzzling result for sure. Any chance mag stator coil ring is open/shorted? And have you minimized magnet to stator gap by pushing flywheel fully to front of engine? 36VDC from batteries should do that when you 'flash charge' the magneto. Seems likely to me there's a faut somewhere in the mag ring co...

Copy of text from FB: Summarized by AI from the post below Model T Ford Club of Facebook · Rob Rutledge · 12h · Hey T owners, Rob Rutledge, movie car guy. I put cars and people in TV shows, films and commercials. I have a large event for SxSW (south by southwest) that is occurring in Austin Texas du...

David: Smarter and more experienced folks than me may know all this. I did a search and found this paper where they measured the firing voltage of identical plugs with different gaps under varying compression ratios using air (no fuel, just air). The data is limited but interesting to me. The resear...

Ed: Some years ago Don Booth posted a lot of information, pictures, sketches, etc on top restorations and upholstery of the '26-'27 improved Fords. I know those are different from the '25, but similar materials and methods definitely apply. Best, jb

Foundry # on part rarely matched stock # assigned by Ford. Parts catalogs sometimes list both numbers, fwiw, jb

My Coupe was made in May, '26 and has the three hole version. Best, jb

Lucas:

Is the magneto functional? My guess is removing that washer will result in it working less well. At least check the endplay in the crankshaft before completing the work. Good luck, jb

Mounting kit reproduction is available.

https://www.modeltford.com/item/6504X.aspx

Here's a short blurb on Gilsonite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphaltite

From Lang's

https://www.modeltford.com/item/3325RIVB.aspx o/s 0.265" Diam

https://www.modeltford.com/item/3325RIV.aspx std 0.250" Diam

Sean: Are both bushings fully seated in the pully? (Bushing flange undersides tight against both ends of pulley) If so, you need to remove some flange material from one or both hub bushings. Part number 3974B in this assembly drawing: https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/app.php/gallery/image/1124 Does the ...

It appears to me that power from the magneto goes to the diode, thru the bulbs and is available as DC at the terminal marked 'Batt' partially hidden under the bulb. Magneto powered battery charger.

Steve is an inspiration to all of us, young and old, I wish him all the best. From the Web: Winfield Rest Haven 1611 Ritchie Street Winfield, Kansas 67156 11/13 edit: Steve shared his phone number in a post below, 11/17 edit: Steve's address: "My apartment is at:1320 Ann Street, Apt. 5, Winfield, KS...

My father talked about his father (my grandpop) using kerosene as engine coolant during winter in central Wisconsin. Pop said 'it smelled a little and was kinda hard on the hoses'. jb

The surviving originals from my '26 were hard maple. jb

Mike: In my experience that internal horn switch cylinder with contacts and mounting supports all molded together is difficult to find. I don't believe anyone is making that part at the moment. It took me over a year to find a usable original on the Forum classifieds. That said, I'd suggest placing ...

Chainlink fence/hinge fittings?

That nickel thing never appealed to me for reasons others have stated. There's something about hammering a rigid, coldworked slug of metal into a hole in a 100+ year old casting to make it watertight that seems just plain wrong. jb

Jeff: Rather than excluding guests, why not recruit them to join MTFCA?

And IIRC, people reading the forum but not logged in are 'guests', I don't think a guest is necessarily a non MTFCA member. Respectfully, jb

Morse code?

This one failed near a mounting bolt, similar to the first. Is this the same bolt location on the flywheel for both failures? Not suggesting mounting bolt stress could cause this, but both failures seem to be similar location relative to mounting bolts. I agree with others that something is faulty w...

Thanks, everyone, you validated my understanding about how this works. Apparently, nobody at VF fact checks technical articles? And maybe those who spot an error like this one don't speak up because they already know what they're doing. I know I'd be ticked if I followed that bogus information and d...

Another excellent edition of Vintage Ford arrived yesterday. On pages 40-41 the author describes how to make a three-inch-long extension for torquing head bolts near the firewall. He concludes the article by saying "No, the added 3" does not change the amount of torque applied." No explanation is gi...

Will: As in Engine Torque delivered to each rear wheel? As in rear Hub nut Torque to secure wheel to axle?

Morgan: I mixed dry graphite powder with primer and brush painted the leaf to leaf contact surfaces on both sides. Assembled it and painted it all black.

And at least one car is riding on wood spoke wheels?

Middle 4 look like door sill plates

And the flange on the brass nut is flat against the gasket and the gasket flat against the outside of the bowl? Threads in the carb body clear to allow brass flange fitting to compress bowl and gasket against carb body? And you're certain bowl drain valve is not weeping when closed? If yes to all, I...

Is the bottom of the bowl seated tightly against the carb body? that needs to be tight to achieve a permanent seal.

Brent:
There should be an 'Auction Preview' button on the right of the screen just below the info you posted. This morning there were 18 pics there on two pages. It's a clunky webpage in my opinion, but at least there's a few images if you have the time to find them. jb

Vernon: Looks correct. The 'gap' on my '26 is slightly less than 1/2" at the pillars and 7/16" at the center, you're good to go!

There's a reprint of a 'Tinkerin Tips' article on Model T fuel systems and fuel starvation in the current Vintage Ford (May-June 2025) pp38-41. A DIY exhaust gas fuel pressurization system is described along with a parts list. Just fyi, jb

Ford Service Manual reprint is available from MTFCA Museum: https://mtfca.square.site/product/model-t-ford-service/39?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false It's a reprint and while information is good, pictures are not as crisp as in the original. Vendors offer it for sale as well Cimorelli has pdf down...

Andrew:
The Sturgeon Mill is the real deal, thanks for posting and sorry for momentary thread drift, jb
https://www.sturgeonsmill.com/the-sawmill/

Weren't the early cutouts mounted to the frame rail for a short time?

Michael: As Steve suggests, Briggs & Stratton made locks and switches for a number of manufacturers. If the #42 lock is in your Model T it's likely a replacement. To my knowledge, those Briggs lock cylinders fit the Model T, at least some do, I found one at Hershey that fit my '26. As for the keys, ...

"Does the ocean ever freeze? Noooo!"
Brilliant!! Just use ocean water for coolant, plenty of it and more being made every day, YMMV-drive careful. jb

I made one from an original Ford timer by turning a block of maple to a moderate press fit in the case with original contact ring removed, and bored a hole to fit camshaft. Used it once with good result, fwiw. jb

Based on personal experience that strut is important and should be installed. Installed correctly, it maintains box shape and coil contact. Don't make it too tight (or too loose).

What a cool piece of history, the $10 unit from 1918 would have an inflated value of $228 today. Congratulations, you got a good deal, Scott!

Kurt: It's a straightforward fix and you have received good info. I found it necessary to carefully fit each terminal bolt in the polymer before drawing them tight with the porcelain insulators in place. The plastic is much harder than the original wood. And I recall setting the Stainless-Steel pop ...

Kurt: Contact info for a number of Model T service and parts suppliers is given on the MTFCA Home page under 'Resources'

This is Ron Patterson's contact info from that link:

Ron Patterson
1118 Jennings Avenue
Petoskey, MI 49770

Phone: 231-348-5085

Model T Ford Ignition Coils rebuilt and tested.

I made these from a scrap piece of plastic deck board, thinking they would absorb less water/moisture and contribute less to rust on underside of running boards. FWIW, jb

Physics experiment testing effects of modern day gravity on nearly century-old iron, gravity worked. It was a bungled attempt to raise a model T to a second floor loft of a theatre for use as a prop. The idea was to use two forklifts to raise trailer with T to the stage door and roll the T into the ...

Hi Steve: McMaster Carr may have something for you. I don't remember the diameter and length specs for the cushion spring point retainer, these brass semi-tubular rivets might be too large, hope this helps you, good luck, jb https://www.mcmaster.com/products/rivets/material~brass-1/rivet-type~hollow/

RB Blocks- https//www.modeltford.com/item/4822B.aspx price slightly higher than original 4/twenty cents.

For '26-'27, front fender flange mounts to running board flange, no blocks

Ron:
Thanks for sharing. Do you by chance have a copy of the "Huff, Ford and the Flywheel Magneto" (Vol 31, #2 Mar-Apr 1996 VF) which is referenced in your article, that you could share? Thanks, best regards, jb

Stephen: Some (most?) vintage growlers are wired with two wire non-polarized 120 VAC plugs. The continuity test for armature-commutator shorts on these growlers uses a resistor in series with a test probe along with a light or meter connected in series to one of the120VAC power leads. The other 120 ...

Your model appears to include Saturdays and Sundays as 'full' production days, which is incorrect. The book 'Ford Methods and Ford Shops' indicates Highland Park assembly workers worked two 8hr shifts M-F and 4 hrs on weekends, 44 hr per week each shift. And of course, there were a few holidays each...

Ford literature for 1927 (Available on Cimorelli.com) states that the coupe and all closed cars for that year were offered 'in three pleasing colors, Grey, Maroon, and Green'. That inverted '27 coupe shown above was gray. And as Norman states, the exact color match will be a challenge. jb

The people who run the place and the students who go there also deserve a lot of credit for the success of the program. jb

John: Beautiful photo, reminds me of a Richard Eagle (RIP) painting.

Windshield frame and interior window trim were all black based on everything I've read, jb

Classtique offers them, scroll to bottom of page,
https://www.classtiqueupholstery.com/im ... en_Car.pdf
Good Luck, jb

I think it's fairly common to have the bulb fail, especially if you use a hammer to 'adjust' the current with the coil in the unit. Fortunately replacing the bulb is a simple repair.

Re: Fs horn button Karl: E-mail sent 03/8/25. Thanks, jb

Karl: E-mail sent 03/8/25. Thanks, jb

Classy video, good story. Thanks for sharing. jb

You will burn out the ballcap bearing and wear out the clutch plates for lack of oil. Engine flywheel splashes oil to lubricate the transmission, without engine turning there's no splash. Ford repair handbook tells you about this and recommends removing sparkplugs and then tow slowly while in high g...

Chris and Jeff: Thanks for your hard work. Sincerely, jb

Amazon has many choices, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Erwachte-Super-Thin-6-Piece-Including-Rolling/dp/B09H7VMQ8W?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.v1OgkouH2ePyS-9TpIWuR5djpsPOQX-tkXvKjfBPEYitB41aloE3Bta5oygmNVlg2BAYdW78ZEUJFWMHxSvIODHyDrFqmAQ05rWZ6A0gt_wS641TgveDcEqkyG8HP6YNuWltf3YjkssZi5BxpmVncmNJ760WbiwbNb...

William:
The 'Links to more model T sites' is broken/compromised. Six of the seven links are broken, the last one, Drive a model T.com, is an Indonesian Gambling link. FWIW, jb

All very interesting, thanks for sharing. Here's some technical data on B23. Interesting also that the yield strengths drop by roughly 50% when the temperature warms form 60 degrees F to 212 degrees F. https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/1 ... B23-20.pdf jb

Mr Smith notes: " The current article in the Vintage Ford is not needed, especially since the author couldn't get the mans name correct!" Is the issue with the spelling of Ruckstell's first name Glover as 'Grover'? FWIW, the VF article, pp 19-21 is the same as the information printed on pg 2 in the ...

Yes, the Vintage Ford is first class. No wasted space, richly illustrated, broad spectrum of subject matter. I appreciated the 'reprinted' articles and liked seeing a cover photo that related to a feature story. A very professional publication in my view, thanks, VF. jb

Untape your dashboard sensor from the water outlet place it in a container with your moto meter and pour in some hot/boiling water and compare readings. That should allow you to 'calibrate' the motometer against the sensor set-up, however neither may be 'correct'. If you have an accurate thermometer...

Thanks, David. I appreciate that and look forward to viewing the seminars. jb

Will Flatland T's be posting videos of the 2025 clinic presentations as they have for the past? I hope so! jb

This is something I saved from a long-ago post (9/22/22 save date). I don't have the original source, but here it is FYI. Best. jb starting with parts that would balance above and below crank shaft axis: 94.0 Complete 1926 Flywheel and Transmission Assembly 52.0 Flywheel/Starter Ring and Magnets Ass...

Yes, thanks to the Forum Admin's.

I would add Mike Bender's excellent videos to the must watch list. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9Cs_ ... uRQ/videos

And check the bushing in the frame bracket that supports the end of the "steering gear post" near the pitman arm. jb

Andre: That is first class work, thanks for sharing. Best to you for 2025! jb

Steve, Austin:

Your words indicate wisdom well beyond your years. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and good wishes for the new year, and years to come. Sincerely, jb

Frank: Vinegar-Acetic acid like all acids will react with limestone (ie, 'dissolve' Calcium Carbonite). The more concentrated the acid the faster the reaction, but that reactionalso involves the brass parts, unfortunately. I mention CLR because I've had good results using it, but vinegar, citric aci...

Charlie: The spent, dried carbide residue is calcium carbonate-Limestone. Acidic cleaners like CLR will eventually dissolve the carbonate but acid and antique brass also react so be vigilant. The reason the residue is soft and easier to remove right after use is the spent carbide material undergoes ...

This is the best article I have found on this topic, courtesy of Ron Patterson. jb

https://www.fordmodelt.net/downloads/Mo ... nition.pdf

Congratulations, Vern! Thanks for sharing this most excellent Model T adventure. jb

Moose Lake Fire-453 lives lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloquet_f ... le%20River.

The five McPherson videos (over 4 hrs of content) are posted on Mike Bender's Model T Tips webpage. jb

https://www.youtube.com/@modelt-tips6985/featured

Also check for wear on the pedal ramp and cam, it reads to me like previously the floor stopped the pedal from going 'over center' on the cam and with the pedal straightening it may now be 'over center'. As far as linkage re-adjustment, someone will soon chime in with a post and picture of 'adjustin...

You can check the suspicious ammeter by connecting it in series with a known good ammeter. And of course, the magnitude of the reading should be the same when reversing polarity. FWIW, jb

The link doesn't work for me two. jb

Ron: Will you please post a link to the coil article you mention? But if I'm the only one needing it, you can email to jab35(at)cornell(dot)edu thanks, jb

I admire all aspects of Jeff's work, especially the zinc castings. After reading the article on ignition switches in the Vintage Ford, I do wish someone would do the same with the switch castings, using the original Ford/Briggs specs. Just wishing. Thanks, Jeff

Richard Eagle obituary, a tribute to a wonderful person, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/po ... d=56261048

Josh:

Restoration Supply lists both red and black "hand-wrapped radiator hose", by the foot. Red sizes 1/2" to 2-1/2" ID
https://restorationstuff.com/ Log in with a name and email address and open the catalog pdf, see pg 15.

Best of luck, jb

Vern: (Sorry for mis-stating your name, I fixed that) Your diagram agrees closely with measurements of that part on my '26 coupe. I measure a stud center to screw hole center of 1-3/16", but not implying yours is 'wrong'. That dimension is important, b/c when windshield arms are folded up, fully clo...

Re: 26 Coupe Windshield woes Hi Vern: "5/16-18 stud...how long?" 1.25 inches

Hi Vern: "5/16-18 stud...how long?"

1.25 inches

Steve:
I believe they still rent scooters at Hershey. jb

Hello Vern. I have followed your 'resurrection' of your Coupe for several years, thanks for sharing all the info. I took several pictures and made some measurements. I'll gladly send you the photos if you like. The bracket is 1/8" steel and the stud is 5/16-18 steel 1-1/4" long. The fasteners are ov...

Glad it all worked out. jb

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