MTFCA Forum

Allan

I use an old time Kero gun. It has a screw-on 1 1/2 pint pot but when I have a longer job, I just fit a hose to the pick-up and drop the other end directly into the solvent drum.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I helped a mate get his starter motor back into operation. It had gotten slower and slower over time, until it just stopped. The armature was seized in the potmetal bush on the brushplate end. A new bronze bush, some correction to a slightly bent shaft, a cleanup and undercutting of the armature and...

Allan

Rich, if the belt runs off to the front, it usually means the fan shaft is pointing down hill a bit. If you take the fan off, hold just the arm in a vice at about the angle it sits in the car, a big crescent wrench can be used to bend the end up a tad. Refit and test run to check the results. Hope t...

Allan

What does the emblem on the radiator of the 13 model in photo 3 and 12 represent?

Allan from down under.

Allan

If you think back to the old water bags that used to hang at railway stations, the hose was hung up at the top. To get your cupful, you had to lower the side hose until the end was below the level of the water in the bag. Then it would flow. As long as the the pourer end was above the water level th...

Allan

Tim, if you stick a brass bush/rod in the hole, that will act as a heat sink when you weld and may save some anguish. There's not much metal there to take a lot of heat. I there anything to stop you adding a strip of metal on the inside of the felloe at that point? That will strengthen it and give y...

Allan

I congratulate Larry on his striving to accurately reproduce parts to the Ford specs. Too often near enough is taken to be good enough, and the result is an ill fitting, easily picked replica. The Canadians went about making theirs a little differently, and easily than Larry's. There is no front rid...

Allan

Mike, if you look down the throat you will see a nut around a slotted bolt end. That is where the adjustments are made to the sound. I made a tool by welding the appropriate sized socket wrench to a piece of steel tube and use a screwdriver shaft with a T welded to it to screw the thread. If you get...

Allan

The first switch shown is a replacement. It only needs the hole large enough for the thread to go through. The ody of the switch then sits in the engine compartment. Your replacement is correct. The hole has to accommodate the switch body. If you find a piece you know is chromed, hold it up to your ...

Allan

Seroriously, you should park the car on even ground to best illustrate the problem. Then a more reliable set of suggestions may be possible. At least have it on a flat floor when making any corrections. That way the hood bows will be better aligned. Any wracking in the frame will be magnified by the...

Allan

Jim, the adjustable bearing set-up replaces the sleeve on the driveshaft, the driveshaft bearing and the thrust bearing, ie, the whole bearing/spool assembly. While the adjustment is not absolutely necessary, it will help when setting the gear mesh, so the only downside is the extra cost. If you can...

Allan

Michael, do you mean the splash panel which goes between the engine and the frame rail? If so, you need to specify left or right and RHD or LHD.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Any livestock carrier worth his salt will confine whatever load he has to standing room only. This is of benefit to the animals as much as it is to the transporter. When we were showing sheep, the rams went on first, a division lashed forward to keep them restrained, and ewes loaded next. Often, the...

Allan

Oily Bill, I can't let you get away with it! You are a naughty fellow. A quarter horse is not 1/4 the size of a normal horse. It is a horse developed for special races over 1/4 mile, drag racing for horses if you like.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I know they are called E timers and I timers, but I consider these as pieces of electronic wizardry that are substitutes for a real timer. I have an E timer on my roadster. I like the way it performs and does away with the need for operating the advance/retard lever during operation. I really like t...

Allan

The more I look the more questions I have. The bent up radius rods will help to keep the drawbar square with the axle. However with the drawbar fixed to the axle, what happens where the drawbar crosses under the front cross member of the bed? As the axle is free to move up and down with road conditi...

Allan

I was interested in the discussion because when I tow my tourer over long distances on my open trailer, I fold the top, take it off the car and carry it in the tow vehicle. That means the straps at the back are detachable. Normally on our colonial built bodies the strap is tacked at the back and car...

Allan

On second look, the bed is in an even more precarious position. The whole bed can also sway on the spring shackles. It really is a great conversation piece, but scarily impractical in use. That said, someone got some use out of it. What is the registration situation for vintage trailers? I have not ...

Allan

Cattle wold be a top heavy load in that crate. Even a few sheep, standing/swaying would make for a real handful sitting so high on a transverse spring. It is great to see such survivors in such good condition, but I would be leary about hauling much of value. I am still looking for a donor T frame r...

Allan

That thicker repop hubcap has been a lifesaver. On a tour once, we visited a lookout over a mine site. Coming down the steep, narrow access track, one car suffered a fracture of a rear hub flange, effectively allowing the spokes, felloe, rim and tyre to freewheel on the hub. That meant no brakes, ju...

Allan

When bending the arm to centre the bolt on the cam, it will pay to twist it a bit also, so the bolt meets the cam squarely. Otherwise it will tend to thrust to the side of the cam.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The forward folding top windscreen is usually associated with 1913 models. The headlights look like Brown lights, fitted with full reflectors and globes.
But the cation does not lie. The car has 1914 tags.

Allan from down under.

Allan

That front fender had me thinking it was earlier than 1920 too, once the photos of the 1920 model were posted. Wallace has picked up on the details to support this. They are similar to late teens Dodge fenders in their construction and profile.

Allan from down under.

Allan

It looks like the huge, tiling, fatman ype steering wheel was a red herring when trying to identify the car.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Ignatio, your second last photo of the assembled wheel shows the nuts on the 6 bolts. These bolts need to protrude through the nuts for some thread to show. Then the exposed end of the bolt is peined over to lock the nut so it can't back off. Your bolts are too short to do this. Either you have used...

Allan

That steering wheel would have been huge, suggesting it was a truck, but the curved frame rails to lower the frame over the rear axle are counterintuitive. The location of the fuel tank and filler also suggest a car, but it would have been a whopper!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Someone near to me read the post heading, and queried whether there were there other than stupid men!!!!

Allan from down under.

Allan

The bows are the foundation of the top. They need to be right. I use thin laths of timber to set them. Two hold the back bow in place. Tack them to the inside at the top and to the back of the seat at the bottom. They set the bow at the correct angle to the rear body panel and to the same height eac...

Allan

In the absence of old New Day timers, I use Anderson flapper types.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Daniel, 3 tips at no cost, so value them as you see fit. That much sleeve protrusion is not usual. An angle grinder ill get rid of it. Stuff the axle tube, sans bearing, with rags to prevent grindings getting in, and put some kind of sleeve over the axle as insurance against slip-ups, and have at it...

Allan

I have a friend in Spokane with a black 20's tourer that has white upholstery. It has been dubbed the Oreo!

Allan from down under.

Allan

That steering column/tilting wheel spider/ lever quadrant should help nail the identity. Are there any clues on the hubcaps?

Allan from down under.

Allan

I was intrigued by Susanne's reference to "cyclone " mesh. I was under the impression that Cyclone was an Australian company, founded in 1914, which still produces many different wire based products. Can anyone shed light on Cyclone and a USA connection?

Allan from down under.

Allan

I only ever replace existing gears with a new aluminium one, preferably with a new steel crank gear at the same time. I'd use bronze,but can't justify the additional expense on a road car.
Allan from down under.

Allan

The white rope seal, which is actually for the a models, makes the best seal. The original felt may have worked well, but the modern stuff supplied is too soft. Felt comes in different densities. For an effective seal it needs to be way harder than the grey stuff in the gasket sets. When fitting the...

Allan

Steve, I use copper wire. It's non magnetic, should a bit come loose, and it is softer to to bend around when withdrawing it . On our RHD set-up we have two springs to contend with, reverse and brake. I do not like the new springs available because they seem to be longer than necessary and too stron...

Allan

I think two of the bolts are standard type. The longer one which also holds the timer spring in place has a larger, but thinner head.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The vendors sell a good period type wheel puller for wooded wheels. I am sure you will find a jack locally. If not I have cast iron ones issued with our Canadian sourced cars, but postage will be a killer.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Hank, apart from the different valve hole position, the Chev rims are almost 1/4" wider than T rims. Neither variation stops them being adapted for use on a T. We have them on my son's 24 traytop 10 cwt lorry, along with more adequate looking 4.40 X 23" tyres which are now no longer available in cli...

Allan

Daniel, I think you can buy just the pair of shoes without the cams if your budget is really tight. But, one of your cams is already fitted with a shim, so it is best to replace them at that stage. First step is to drill the old rivets. Don't drill all the way through. Stop about 3/4 of the way so t...

Allan

I live in South Australia. Think southern California climate. In summer it gets really hot, and it is our peak touring season. None of my cars, with the exception of my barn fresh buckboard, have splash panels and none have cooling problems. Nor does the buckboard. Only one has a new Brassworks radi...

Allan

Tommy, now you know why most engine pans are missing. They are a pain to work around, and usually just get hung on the shed wall.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Dick, if you convert to using imperial gallons your mileage will improve.

Allan from down under.

Allan

On the tilting trailers I build the tail/stop/indicator lights are in a 12" high channel on the extreme outside of the tray. Initially it was to accommodate long, individual led strip lamps, but it has become a design rule I now follow, regardless of the lights to be used. The light pillar is a grea...

Allan

Mark, the slotted lug is an indication of a Chev rim. That's OK for a Ford but the valve hole has to be shifted, to the right of the slotted lug. For some reason, there seem to be more good Chev rims than Ford ones at our swap meets. Perhaps Chev owners switched to the later balloon tyres which were...

Allan

Re Larry's "fixture" to hold the column while drilling/riveting, there would have to be some kind of backing to do the riveting. The problem for us is the drilling. I have never found I could interchange the column tube/quadrant /gearcase, without having to re-drill components to align the holes. Th...

Allan

Daniel, regarding shims, by all means have some available. However, they should be of different thicknesses, and you should only fit ONE. Mutiple shims will allow movement betwen them, causing wear to the axle keyway, the key and the hub. The fewer interfaces between components, the better the taper...

Allan

The red box has 9 rows of 4 stamps = 36, 26 letters, 9 numbers and the ampersand = 36. I wonder if they are the same height as the original T numbers. My set are old style numbers, but there is no C stamp for the Canadian numbers. I found a Q stamp in a junk store and ground the pigtail off with my ...

Allan

I was at the 2010 meet. Beaut sunny to light overcast from Wednesday to Friday. I couldn't work out the mad panic by vendors to get loaded and head east as quick as they could on Friday afternoon. We'd booked in to stay Friday night, so I was disappointed to see all the sites being vacated early. Th...

Allan

That'd do the trick Jim, but not that particular one. The draftsman forgot to run the thread right through!!!!!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Nice work Victor. I do mine on my drill press. That way I can set the depth of hole so that just the point of the drill bit exits the under side. Then I flip the item and complete the hole from that side, to prevent any breakout. Did you have to reduce the thickness at the outside edges to get the m...

Allan

What kind of nut is suggested for use on the end of the bolts/threaded rivet? Any nut will have flats, and as they are tightened, they will tend to snag on the points a relax a smidgeon when the flat is parallel with the column. That is the nature of the beast when the bolt emerges from the hole at ...

Allan

When I was a kid, a local builder replaced the canvas to on his English Vauxhaull roadster. There were three separate panels with the joints lapped over the next panel behind. Painted a similar colour to the canvas, it was difficult to pick from the original. There's no reason why the same could not...

Allan

Vern, a coach bolt has a round head with square shank under it, just like your photo. Then they usually have just an inch or so of thread at the end of the bolt shaft As they come in 1/2" increments of length, there is no need for longer thread. That rolled thread is the nominal size, but the shaft ...

Allan

Vernon, carriage bolts are not the answer. They have a rolled thread which is of a larger diameter than the shank of the bolt. A hole drilled to accommodate the thread will leave the gearcase loose on the bolt shaft.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The "Hill blocks view" signs are interestng. Here the equivalent just says "Crest", and we have to work out what that may mean.
Allan from down under.

Allan

The ones I have had to work with are not dis-similar to the round stock on US open cars.. Closed car screens will be different but the same methods may work. If you have enough length of good frame to work with, I cut it at 45 degrees and make a mitred joint in the corners. Oxy weld with steel wire ...

Allan

For a while there, the largest of the drum bushes were a problem. Machining them in the lathe often did not clean them up totally. A couple of times I had to be satisfied with a small cup or two of un-machined surface to run the gears on slightly worn shafts. There was enough meat in the bush to mac...

Allan

When did the congestion signs begin to appear? Going by the photos, it looks like an exercise in backside covering from here. You have been warned. There may be other vehicles on this road!!!!!!! Isn't that what roads are for? More madness to reduce the chances of being sued/held liable for some idi...

Allan

Harold, no need for the apology. I had to go and check a couple of blocks myself to be sure. I do remember that when a couple of guides in a particular block broke out the sides when being k lined, the machine shop fitted two replacement guides in that block. It is no great problem if the shop has t...

Allan

All 8 model T valve guides in the closed chamber blocks are one piece, part of the one casting which is the block. The guides are not removable. They are machined in place to take the valves. Replacing any that need it involves the block being machined to take whatever guide is being used as the rep...

Allan

Normally, neither would I drill the panel. However my wide body Duncan and Fraser colonial roadster came with a suite of added accessories, the dipstick being one of them. Also included were, a Corbin speedometer, Wilcox Richardson shock absorbers, nickel plated radiator shell, windscreen frame and ...

Allan

In the late 60's I discovered a TT in shed at Cockatoo Valley. It was one of the last, having the heavy 20" front wheels, the same as the rears. It had not done a lot of hard work, came with a full set of side boards, all mounted on a neat custom built traytop. When I was told of it, I was rather ex...

Allan

The trouble with that one and the Ac U ret ones is they rely on the fitting screwed into the lower petcock hole lining up so the tube can be fitted trough the splash apron. It doesn't often happen that way. Despite carefully mapping the position of the hole in the new splash apron on my roadster, th...

Allan

In a way, what the Canadians did to accommodate L & RHD cars to be made on the same frame makes good sense. The frame blanks were all the same, the pressed channels were all the same so all the frames were the same. With US production being all LHD, all frames were the same, so riveting in the batte...

Allan

There are different scenarios to consider. On a rebuilt motor, I follow Frank's process. New oil on the start-up, use it for a bit and then replace with a new fill. That way any loose stuff is picked up and gotten rid of early. Then change it as you see fit, perhaps once in a touring season. When He...

Allan

Frank, presumably they are looking to protect US tyre interests. With no US manufacturer of clincher tyres, there should be no countervailing duties on Vietnamese imports, but logic may not necessarily apply. If Blockley follow the US clincher tyre dealers' lead, the tyres will have to go to England...

Allan

Michael makes a valid point. How many petcocks tighten at just the right point to enable the petcock tool to open it? Nice if it works, but it doesn't work for me on two of my cars.
Allan from down under.

Allan

F Stokes was not a dairy farmer, he was a cow keeper! Some of those old descriptions are quaint and often more descriptive than their modern equivalents.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Model T guides rarely have to be replaced unless they are broken. I have mine K lined to suit the modern valves I use. When one has to be replaced a modern Chev guide is used.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Good job Frank. Did you leave the body bolts undone during the jacking? That would allow it to be free from stresses during the bending. The only thing I might add as a caution is placing the chains at the ends of the frame. Concentrating the forces to a short section of the frame may be a little fr...

Allan

Thanks Jim. I can see how that will work, but I'd like to see evidence that that is how it was done on the production line. My gut feeling is that the safety wiring done on T's was just done to achieve the same result as split pins on castle nuts, to stop the nut backing off. We have the time to do ...

Allan

Steve, you are being very kind. I would have said, "They can make anything to the specifications of those who place the order." If you order rubbish product, you get rubbish product. Blockley have recognised this in the clincher tyre market, and to their credit, they have sought to change the situat...

Allan

In Australia, chip board usually comes with a melamine surface each side. It is made with much coarser 'chips' of timber like really coarse sawdust. Most of it has now been superseded by MDF fibreboard, which is more stable and takes crews better. In industry, MDF is the material of choice for compu...

Allan

Is that the same 'Tractor Train" company which produced the 'Moore" rear axle accessory transmission?

Allan from down under.

Allan

Am I wrong in thinking that safety wiring is done to stop bolts/nuts from backing off? I cannot see how it can reliably maintain tension on the nut/bolt to stop it loosing tension. As long as the wire stays in place, it is doing its job.

Allan from down under.

Allan

We use 3mm MDF. It is stable and can even be sewn through if stitching is needed to replicate original panels.
Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Wallace, for a little devilment, you could inform inquisitors that the sprocket is to hook up front wheel drive, but you can't find the right chain just yet!
Allan from down under.

Allan

Terry, you mentioned that the battery carrier is riveted to the frame. I'd heard that before, but our Canadian sourced cars had carriers bolted in place with 3/8" fine thread bolts with the usual castellated nuts. The frame rails are punched with 3 holes on each side, so the carrier can be fitted wi...

Allan

...and the two lower bolts at the fourth main.
The soft pliable wire used in wire tie hay balers is very handy. When not using it for safety wiring, it makes a good oxy welding filler rod. Just don't try using it for bailing out your boat.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Might gas on the carpet indicate a 26-7 closed car with fuel tank in the cowl?

Allan from down under.

Allan

Tim, from the photos I thought the wheels with six stud holes may mount onto Ford hubs. The last advertisement gives that impression. I gather that is not the case from your response. If so, the hunt will be difficult. Even the more plentiful Hayes wheels pose a problem finding usable rear wheels. A...

Allan

Finding rear wheels is always a problem, either wheels or the hubs they mount on. Fronts seem to find their way under trailers etc. so they survive in bigger numbers. I once had to make a wee stop for my wife on a T club rally, and while stopped I discovered a pair of Hayes wheels under a sulky over...

Allan

Today I learned something from Mark's second link. The sides of the battery box are made in TWO pieces! I have an original one, largely all there but corroded really thin in places. I have made three replacements to this pattern, in one piece, with just ONE seam on one corner only. The forward face ...

Allan

The wedging of the rim on either the outside/inside land on the felloe, depending on the brand, means the rims must be an accurate and appropriate fit. I can understand that reproduction of rims made to such tight tolerances may be difficult. Non demountable wheels, both wooden and wire, are not con...

Allan

I have posted this before, but it may help others. I used a modern battery in a tin box made as per the originals. The battery was fitted in the box, [with a loop of plastic packing strap left in place for lifting it out] and I cut two wood spacer blocks to sit on the top edge. The battery box lid s...

Allan

I have a Ford Battery Manual. It is the same size and question and answer format as the Ford manual which came with the cars. Unfortunately, unlike the car manuals, it is not dated. It must be early, as it shows the wooden battery case, the cells, the connecting components, and gives a comprehensive...

Allan

The lugs came loose, and that allowed the nuts to come loose. The rim could certainly have come off in that case as the nuts were shed. Had the nuts stayed tight, the rim may have stayed in place. However, that would indicate that the lugs were hard against the felloe, and that in turn means the rim...

Allan

Bruce, I have an almost new 13 tooth pinion gear. It was briefly part of a 3:1 gearset in my speedster Ruckstel. When I put that diff into my heavier roadster I went to a 12 tooth pinion to give me a more manageable 3.25 : 1 ratio. I would like $100 for it.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I would be checking other rims you have like that one by bolting them to the same wheel. If the rim/felloe combination is correct, all the four bolt have to do is maintain the wedging effect of the rim on the felloe. Fixed lug rims like that one are designed to wedge on the inner land on the felloe,...

Allan

Technicore it was. I found a post from Feb 2 on the 2005 forum. The reading is interesting. There is no mention of any legal case, so I may have that wrong.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Charlie, I'm with you on hydraulic drum brakes on the rear. If my memory serves me well, the ones I remember were Technicore brakes. I do not know of the reason for the legal case, and demise of the product. There is one car in our club which has hydraulic drum brakes on the front wheels. These came...

Allan

I'm with John. That is a minor bend in the scheme of things. With a great big crescent wrench, correcting that bend is only a minor tweak. The bigger the wrench the better, not just for the extra leverage. Hauling on the handle will load the outer edge. The other jaw will be deeper so that the pivot...

Allan

In an effort to boost sagging sales of the improved cars, the new Ford factory in Geelong, Victoria offered two tone paintwork, which was not confined to black mudguards and bodies of a different colours. The bodies themselves were two toned, around the belt line if such a term can be used on an ope...

Allan

Throughout this topic, it has been assumed that hydraulic brakes means Disc brakes. The drum brakes on most cars from the early thirties were hydraulic. Hydraulic drum brakes are far less obtrusive than the oversized disc brakes offered these days. They were available some years back, but I understa...

Allan

When I was checking my barn fresh buckboard find before returning it to the road, I checked the rear end, and found it grease filled. So I put the plug back in and motored on. I have no idea when it was last filled/checked before it was taken of the road in 1956. Should I heat the diff hot enough to...

Allan

Perhaps Steve is using "rotted out" to mean rusted out.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Les, our car are Canadian sourced. One member of our club has a 1921 tourer, restored from an original car by a family of renowned car restorers. It has a chassis with forged running board brackets.

Allan from down under.

Allan

David, the ton truck jack is a heavier beast all over. While similar to the Auto Specialties car jack, it would be at least twice the weight and it has a guide/support as an integral part of the casting. This guide acts as a steady for the rising column. Many of these are broken off. The column of t...

Allan

Dan, here your filllister heads are called cheese head, which is descriptive of a maturing round of cheese. If we went to a descriptive name for your non-oval heads, they could be called cupcake heads, rounded on top, tapered underneath.

Allan from down under.

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