MTFCA Forum

Allan

On early engines I pay particular attention to the rear main bearing web. They are known to crack. More than one I know of have had the web break out of the block, taking the crankshaft with it.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Anath, in previous posts, I think it was generally agreed that the town car you are restoring is most likely a coachbuilt car rather than a Ford produced one. Thus, you are largely free to restore it as you wish. If you need a mounted spare tyre, put it where it is most convenient. If the cab is dif...

Allan

The dual electrode plugs spark once, to the nearest contact. The advantage is that as the electrodes are eroded by the spark, they will switch between electrodes, thus making repeated re-gapping unnecessary. At least, that's what I was told. Others may have different theories.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Perhaps I didn't make my story clear. The young driver was most appreciative, and asked me to help out at any time. it was the auto elec. who had his node out of joint.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Tony, your post reminded me of an experience I had on a National Tour. I came up on a stopped car, with the usual helpful crew already stopped to help. I pulled up on the verge on the inside of the car as they were hand cranking it, chasing coils, plugs etc. Each time they cranked it was the same co...

Allan

I can't imagine how quickly the holes in the arms wore on the pins through the perch/spring eye.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Bob, make them all long ones. Those who must have the short versions and the grief they can give, can always cut them down to suit. They probably should not be plated either. Then, to be absolutely original, they should be sheared rather than sawn to length! I too, have found some with the hole dril...

Allan

The tapered irons were supplied by the tyre companies. I have Goodyear ones in my 1912. I do not know when they were discontinued. Ford factory ones looked like this. 20170906_180421.jpg This one is Canadian. Many were not branded like this. They are about 10" long and as Steve suggests, largely use...

Allan

That corner piece is much stronger if made with laminates of plywood. Cut from a single block of timber, it will have short grain at each end which makes it subject to splitting under load. It is easy to cut the pieces from thin plywood. These can be clamped in place on the body, gluing two pieces t...

Allan

Burger, how does an old person often die? I'm getting to that stage but plan on only doing it once. You are absolutely right about asking questions of them. So much is lost because we didn't take the time or interest when the opportunities were there. It's not all our fault though. Often we just don...

Allan

Dave, it dawned on me just after I posted. I didn't know phones were also into corrupting our language. That little dash is important. To cooperate has nothing to do with coopers or barrel making!

Allan [ex grade school teacher] from down under.

Allan

Dave, what is a coworker? I've heard of cowhands and cowbells, but not coworkers.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Is it really aluminium, or pot metal. If pot metal I would advise grinding the steel back all round so that you have a ring of steel around the cap. The heat generated may loosen things a bit. If not , continue to grind in one spot until the threads on the cap are just exposed. That will allow you t...

Allan

Scott, you may find your local glass shop is cheaper than Mac's, and there would be no shipping charges. They can also fit it for you, so no risk of breakage on your shoulders. They can cut the glass to suit.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Bill, just steer clear of ethanol and you should be right. Ethanol absorbs water and water is needed to propagate rust.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Mark, I was under the impression that Classtique were the best upholstery kits available. If the instructions do not suggest extra padding is required, you run the risk of your seats looking overstuffed, and perhaps making for a very tight fit in the car.
I could be wrong.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Darryl,
Prior to being given the number 5Z 162, the cam gear nut wrench was T2333. I have one of these, and once had a second one. However, if you are looking to collect a 'Matched set', this may not do.

Allan from down under.

Allan

A good hub on a new axle will bind on the taper just as it should, given the correct tension on axle nut. The key is there to make sure it does not get a chance to break the fit on the taper. There is nothing to line up with the key and keyway other than the three components being put together. For ...

Allan

It can be done with no special tools. I cut two round head nails just below the heads and these short bits go in the holes in the bearing. Then the bearing is held in the vice between aluminium soft jaws, the nails being there to stop it turning in the vice. A large pair of slide joint pliers engage...

Allan

Frank, the photo is outside the church opposite our home. My younger son is replacing our solar system on our home. We are going from 16 panels to 60. Looking to export daily to the grid so no more power bills,ever, but a nice payment each month instead. We have no cable TV, no subscription viewing....

Allan

Thanks Scott.
Allan

Allan

Dan, you raise an interesting point. On our Canadian sourced cars for our RHD model Ts, the frame rails an later frames are punched for the tank to be mounted either way. There are 3 holes each side, so the brackets can be swapped to either side. The tanks are usually fitted with the filler to the l...

Allan

Bob, if it fits with overstuffing, there will be plenty of material left if you remove some of the stuffing. Removal does depend on how the seat covers are made. Buttons can get in the way, sewn in diamonds likewise. You have nothing to lose in trying if you are contemplating fitting a replacement k...

Allan

After 5252km Henrietta and I made it back from the National Rally in Maryborough. I blew a mag wheel on the trailer, and that took the tyre out. Henrietta had a flat when parked at our motel. A tube let go near the valve stem. Coming back on the last day she developed an exhaust leak. No. 3 and 4 ri...

Allan

Scott, your efforts in re-creating these for those who need them are commendable. Nice work indeed. Having sold both my 1915 cars, I have no interest in purchasing some, but am interested in their manufacture. On our Canadian sourced cars, there were some manhole type oilers on early cars, that repl...

Allan

Debbie, those are really nice items. I am unfamiliar with US prices and will not comment. However, I would advise that you contact someone known to you or your husband in whom you can place trust to give you an idea of their value. Failing that, at least advise those who make offers that you intend ...

Allan

Figure 395 shows the slot at the top, and that is where it is on three columns I checked. A practical reason for this when rebuilding a column is that is the way the rivet holes will line up, the assemblies seemingly individually fitted. Additionally, the long peg which engages in the slot has a dir...

Allan

Martin, your Dad had the right idea. If using the ferules, you do need the fitting kit, which means suitable receivers for the packnut, the ferule and the packnut. These will stand repeated refitting with no detriment. However, the original outlet on the sediment bulb and the elbow in the carburetor...

Allan

Re the use of brass ferrules on copper fuel lines. These demand that both fittings used to mate to the ferrule are machined to seal against the ferrule. On a T the screw on packnut is so machined, but the outlet on the sediment bulb and the elbow on the carburetor are just threaded castings, with no...

Allan

The notches on the side accommodate the hinge rods for the side panels. The notch near the steering column allows clearance for the back of the magneto horn. It is not that shape on our Canadian sourced cars. As well as the top cover/rain gutter, our cars had finisher pieces of thin steel covering t...

Allan

David does it the same way I do. Punch the inner bearing out and the seal will come with it, with no damage, but I replace them anyway. The inner and outer bearings need to be,packed with grease. I put the grease in a zip lock bag with each bearing and squish it full. A good smear on each of the rac...

Allan

Martin, on our Canadian sourced cars, the carriage bolts used to fix the bands are drilled to take a slit pin, even though the nut is a plain hex nut. Are US made cars different?

Allan from down under.

Allan

These are from the national rally in Maryborough Queensland. We made a nice display in the historic wharf area. A 1915 Duncan and Fraser built special tourer. Propert bodied Fronty powered roadster. Another shot of the very popular tucker truck. We visited this country hotel for lunch one day. I dis...

Allan

Lets see if Chris's tutelege worked. A photo of Henrietta at Maryborough should appear here.

Allan

Last evening I was invited to a movie by none other than our webmaster Chris. I had been chatting to him on the rally about my difficulties posting from my phone, particularly being unable to attach photos. While we waited for the movie to start, he unloaded all the rubbish I had created trying to g...

Allan

Test pic post

Allan

I run at 60 psi. Certainly never less than 55.
Allan from down under.

Allan

With the narrower nuts supplied by the vendors, you can very easily strip them, so go tight, but do not over do it.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Leo, your Driza-bone is an Australian icon. It is an oilskin coat used by many outside workers in the agricultural and pastoral industries. Without the oil applied, it has moved into country fashion wear. There are other brands, but Driza-bone has become the standard description just as a hoover is ...

Allan

John, using that tool to remove grease cups makes good sense. Most I have seen appear to be cast iron, and as such will not take a heavy load without breaking. I have seen square nuts holding the wheels on horse drawn buggies, and thought that may be what the wrench was for.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The last photo of the boat tailed speedster is the car I built. It was first driven in 2005 for a national rally to Renmark on the River Murray I sold it to a fellow in Western Australia, and he moved it on to purchase a 1910 tourer. My son's boss sent me photos of it at the Red Dust Revival. I neve...

Allan

I used the 3:1 set in my speedster. It went very well, but the brakes were severely compromised. So I have a perfect 13 tooth pinion of someone needs one, having mated one of Chaffin's 12 tooth pinions to the 39 tooth ring gear. Still get a taller ratio, but better brakes.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Now that make sense Dallas. I've seen those but had no photo to post.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Dan, just pullin' your leg a bit. Calling that a box end is about as logical as pronouncing solder as sodder!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Well done Rich. I did a similar fix on my 1912 van some 25 years ago. I cut a screwdriver slot on the threaded end of bolts so I could hold them as the nuts were tensioned. Rather than a rigid fix like fibreglass, I used a Loktite red flange sealant which remains flexible rather than setting hard. I...

Allan

John, that box end wrench looks more like a ring spanner. I have yet to see a round box, other than a cardboard hat box.

Allan from down under.

Allan

If it's any help, when I built my 1919 roadster pickup, I had access to an original, one family owned, 1922 roadster built on a Canadian chassis. All four hubcaps were plain Ford script with just the one letter underneath. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to which letter is there. Today I looked...

Allan

Bob, if one of the contacts has lost its 'spring', it should be replaced. The contacts and spring between them all carry the headlight current. If there has been any heat through a short circuit/resistance problem, the spring is likely to have lost its temper, and continued contact will. be compromi...

Allan

I visited a property in country Victoria once. There was so much stuff strewn around, but not much T stuff. Of real interest was a big old flat bed 10' lathe in the workshop. Heavily cast into the headstock was a 4" high Ford script logo. I wonder if it was a wartime product turned out by Ford to ai...

Allan

I do not have seat belts in any of my T's. However, in their wisdom, state governments in Australia have decreed that child restraint seats must be fitted to carry children under 7 years old in any old car. To comply with this direction, my son and I developed the following solution. The seats are r...

Allan

Dan is correct. When I fitted the new seals to Henrietta, those plugs would not fit in the holes, so I just left them out and added some extra black silicone sealant.

Allan from down under.

Allan

When I first looked at Steve's first photo, I thought he had two problems. Sure, the door is out at the bottom, and that takes one fix. But on a close look, the curve within the door does not seem to match the lines of the door jamb, and that takes a different fix. If the door needs re-shaping, the ...

Allan

While you are at it, solder a wire to the socket body, and when it is installed in the lamp, solder the other end to one of the rivets which hold the lamp to the post. Then you will have eliminated dodgy earth problems associated with the slide contact between the socket and lamp body. Allan from do...

Allan

The mounting stud with the six holes replaces the nut on the spindle arm, placing the swivel forward of the axle. That means a longer cable. Whether the swivel rotates clockwise or counterclockwise will dictate which side of the car it is mounted. In Australia that set up is offered at a very good p...

Allan

It is standard practice for my auto elec. son to solder wire from the bulb holder to the headlight body, usually at one of the rivet heads, to give a positive earth. Relying on the sliding contact between the socket and lamp body is not the best.

Hope this helps,
Allan from down under.

Allan

Jeff, I have its twin,[without the hole punched in the side] I put it down as aluminium, but it may well be zinc. It definitely has been nickel plated. It has the same letter R as yours. I also have a number of brass and nickel plated brass ones with just the letter under the Ford script, the letter...

Allan

Tony, I love the way you work. Your restoration will result in a much more authentic looking result than many of the over detailed, glitzy looking paint jobs on many cars. Well done. You mention that the whole was a project car you have taken over to finish. Do you know if the rear fenders are repro...

Allan

Ed is right. It is most difficult to set up a spindle in a press so that the arm can be pushed out. Oxy heat is your friend, if it must come out. Otherwise, correct misalignment/twisting/bending in situ. This can usually be done cold.

Hope this helps
Allan from down under.

Allan

The handle section is supposed to screw off the blade. It is filled with grease, and when screwed back onto the handle, the grease is forced through the shaft and out the little slot in the blade, thus lubricating the spring at the same time. I have one just like it, with the brand cast into the han...

Allan

Joseph, the number ones are indeed lugs for Kelsey 88 rims. At $16 each for new, precisely CNC machined reproductions now available from the vendors, you have a small fortune in that heap! Yours are much nicer, showing minor flaws, deforming and some numbers/markings which make originals so much mor...

Allan

On our Australian built bodies, most builders fitted a 3-4" wide board inside the front of the first bow. This usually carried the top hold down fittings which attached to the top of the windscreen pillars. This makes an ideal mounting spot for a side mirror. It is a solid mounting point,and is up o...

Allan

Frank, if the axle with the over-the-top wishbone was canted correctly, the fault may well be in the under-the -axle item. When you bolted it to the axle, was it somewhat below the mounting point at the rear? Pulling it up to mate it up will reduce the caster. The second wishbone should not be fitte...

Allan

Wayne, those headlights may well be Ford lights, like those fitted to our Canadian early 1915 cars. The forks on that speedster do look just like Ford items. If they are Ford lights then the photo must be 1915 or later.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Joseph, that type of shackle was used for most of our Canadian sourced cars in the 20's. US production went to the U shaped one earlier. They are eminently rebuildable if you have access to a mig welder and a lathe.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Rich, whoever heard of a trouble free 27 Chebby? The wet clutch is not a problem to Layne style Warford. You just haul on the lever and it will change without using the clutch. A foot throttle helps to match the engine revs, but is not essential. Why? When I built my extended chassis 1917 shooting b...

Allan

Roger, I use dacron sheeting available in quilting and patchwork supply shops. It has a number of advantages over other stuff. The 1/4" thick stuff is enough to give just enough padding without making the top look like it has been stuffed. It can be bought in lengths as required and usually there is...

Allan

The handbrake handle/cross shaft is also much later, post cast cam model. I suspect the frame may be 1919-21 model, modified to suit. It has later forged running board brackets, bolted on, and in one photo shows what I believe are the holes for the battery carrier, which was not fitted until 1919. E...

Allan

In my opinion, there is not an easier to fit, more satisfactory result and wonderfully easily operated transmission them a Layne Warford style auxilliary gearbox. These give excellent results, and you can still drive the T exactly as is standard if that is what you like to do.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Richard, my apologies for a bum steer in some of my response. our RHD cars have the starter switch on the opposite side, so the cables and looms have to switch sides under the car. Hence the different route for the wire. The insulators and the 3 hole fibre piece are likely the same, but will be in d...

Allan

Richard, the taail light wire is a long single wire. The rubber grommets are used to protect the insulation at various points where it is attached as it heads rearwards. Typically, a loop of wire twitched around the grommet, and the tails on the wire are used to attach the grommet with wire included...

Allan

George, your Florida back flap is called a Havelock. Outdoor workers in Australia are required to wear sun protection hats as part of OH&S initiatives, and many of these now include a Havelock. My sunhat of choice is what we call a bucket hat. It is not wide brimmed but its brim does come down low o...

Allan

Glen, I have one in my roadster with 39 tooth ring gear. It gives an ideal ratio for a lighter car. The 3:1 was too high and compromised braking efficiency. Glad to hear others can now get in on the act.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I have built up a collection of 8 point sockets in 1/2" drive. Some are two different vintages of Snap-on. They are very handy when working with coach bolts and square nut when building wooden bodywork. I paid US$13 for a 9/16" Snap-on one on ebay. You can guess where that one gets most use. Allan f...

Allan

I'll second the Optima red top recommendation. I share one between 3 cars. Set up with wing nut terminals, it is easy and CLEAN to transfer from one car to another. Because it gets used, it rarely needs to go on a charger, but I have one on standby anyway. Spendy, but well worth it. Allan from down ...

Allan

Mark, It is a product called Maniseal. It comes in a tube and has a consistency somewhat stiffer than toothpaste. Hence it also holds stuff on place while juggling things to fit. It is valuable in filling any voids in faces and ports. It has a silica content which hardens as it cures. I carry a tube...

Allan

Today's fitting went well. with the one piece copper rings in place in the manifold, a slight bevel on the other side of the rings to make alignment with the block easier and a smear of exhaust sealant each side, the whole lot just fitted nicely. I was very happy with the result in the end, despite ...

Allan

Charles, you are absolutely right about confusing early 3 hole T wrenches with Chev items. I found two such items at 'Ford and More', [now Model T Ranch] in Spokane and thought I was Christmas. At the counter, cash in hand, I realised the big end was hexagonal! Val, I have never seen an octagonal dr...

Allan

Steve, you should write an illustrated book of your travels. Wonderful stuff. We all admire your efforts to keep us in the loop. When you get home again, the fan issue needs to be investigated. I believe the fan shaft has a step in it. The shaft is wound in until this step registers on the arm. If y...

Allan

Scott, these new fangled, super sensitive, miniature aids are amazing. I fitted lined brake shoes a few weeks back, and with my new aids, I could hear an intermittent scraping from the right rear wheel, so I pulled it off to check it today. Nothing amiss. Those darn aids could pick up the scraping t...

Allan

Mark, my roadster has a polished blackwood dash as fitted to these custom built bodies, so is not typical. My first 1922 tourer had the hole in the panel, covered by a plate fixed with two screws, as the car was not fitted with a speedo. A friend who is presently in Europe, has a 1922 tourer with th...

Allan

I was a bit harsh about the quality and finish of these new manifolds compared with the originals in a previous posting a little while ago. Today I made a discovery which reinforces my less than favourable opinion of them. I have a customer who wants the second one my previous customer double ordere...

Allan

Alex, in my opinion, the only reason one would not opt for a Scat crank is the $ investment, which you have covered.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Larry, the M in a diamond is the mark of Mosberg tools. It may be an aftermarket item.

Allan from down under.

Allan

That is most likely the reason Duncan and Fraser here in Adelaide offered Corbin speedos on the cars they sold. These are a much better quality unit with a brass chassis. When I installed the one on my 1925 wide body roadster, all I did was clean out all the old grease in the cable and swivel and co...

Allan

Scott, if you know how to direct him to my post, feel free to do so. I'm not that clever yet.

Allan from down under.

Allan

John, when I saw your post head of 14 runs after 40 years, I thought you had been watching Geof Boycott batting for England in a test cricket match.!

Allan from down under.

Allan

On a previous thread I detailed a most satisfactory way to fit a slightly bent original manifold using an offset gland ring or two. It can be done, it will last and it will allow you to use an original manifold.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Michael, the elongated D forge mark is common on later parts out of Canada. It would tie in with the later spindles on the axle. I believe that axle is at least late teens.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Well, the No 1 rod I replaced with a used one may have been the knock. When I removed the cap it was clear that it was only making 60% contact, in the middle of the bearing. I hand scraped the high spot and Plastiguaged the results. At just .002" all that was needed was a clean-up of the cap on a su...

Allan

Ed, you are not alone. Mine get a service when something else needs work, like new king pin bushes. Packed properly with grease, adjusted correctly and checked any time the car is jacked, is about all is needed.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Jeff, I noticed an SU carburetor and a sideplate with canister which probably belong with the Mini. Being 1963, the best one could hope for is a Mini Cooper. My wife has an 850 auto Mini which is an English import into Australia. It's a '68 but has all the nice trim bits from a Mini Cooper, but abso...

Allan

What an absolute beauty Russ. The coupelet has to be the prettiest body style ever on a T. You have done a wonderful restoration. Quite apart from this, I noticed the orientation of the hose clamps on the radiator hoses, and have seen similar orientation on other cars. I have always tried to minimis...

Allan

Richard, I had a nice piece of teak left form another job which fitted the bill. It takes the black paint well, soaking it up so it looks much like a stain. I don't plan on making heaps of them. Finding suitable old square blades and ferrules to use is difficult at the best of times, so I can only d...

Allan

Richard, these two will be $80 each, postage paid to a USA address. I have blades to assemble more, but I need to have more handles turned before I mill the slots in the grip. Subsequent ones will be dearer due to postal charges. These screwdrivers are somewhat unique in that they have 8 grip slots ...

Allan

The key word in any post is PULL. If you are pulling up on the handle between 7 and 11, a backfire will PULL the handle out of your hand, either left or right. The danger is when you PUSH. When the backfire comes, it will PUSH the load back up your arm, either left or right arm, or leg if you chance...

Allan

Jeff, forget the T stuff, Tell me about the mini.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I have two available for sale, when the container in which they were shipped to the USA turns up! They have new handles made exactly to the factory print Dan posted, and have the square shafts as is correct. Mine were included in a shipment of stuff, and the receiver was going to post them on when I...

Allan

I am getting Henrietta ready for our National Tour in Maryborough, Queensland in early October and have discovered some concerning noises. There is a knock when the motor is free wheeling. It goes away when under load, either on acceleration or on trailing throttle. All of a sudden it has become muc...

Allan

Mark, you reminded me of an incident when we were on a Sunday tour . We had parked our T's outside a winery in South Australia's beautiful Barossa Valley while sampling a drop or two in the tasting area. When one of our members heard his distinctive horn blowing, he went outside to discover a bunch ...

Allan

Chad, the same thing happened to me, but I was 2500 miles from home crossing the Nullabor Plain going to Perth in Western Australia. We were travelling in a group, so we ended up on the trouble truck heading into Kalgoorlie. The best part of that deal was ending up in the workshop of an ex-patriate ...

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