MTFCA Forum

Allan

I have fixed a number of these. If the spoke is detached from the rim, I tap it aside and drill a 5/16" hole in the rim where it is welded to the spoke. Then the spoke can be tapped back into position and a mig welder used to weld it back in place through the hole. This avoids nasty looking weld bui...

Allan

Does the direction of engagement of the Bendix from the opposite side cause any issues with the ring gear? There is no lead-in on the gear teeth on the back side. In a rebuild the ring gear could go on backwards, but even then would the lead in be on the other side of the gear teeth? Allan from down...

Allan

Chad, those filters were good at keeping birds out, but not much good for dust. I guess dust is not such an issue in England, the home of the Mini's, but it sure is out here. They were small and fitted directly onto the carb, so that made it easy in the confined engine bay on a Mini. The box/paper e...

Allan

Jeorge, why do you want to change from that which you have? All the parts you need are available. They work well. They look correct rather than out of place. This particular wheel does not require reinventing.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The soluble oil I use is about the colour of Coca Cola. When it is added to water it turns the mixture to a milk like white. It is the stuff used in machinery as a ccolant in machining work like thread cutting, valve grinding etc. In these applications it may be used in higher concentrations. Allan ...

Allan

Chad, there are much earlier versions of the S U carburetor which would be closer to your aim of using pre 1935 parts. They work in the same way, but are constructed differently, with some brass components. The larger sizes are a little more difficult to come by. Based on the type of air cleaner on ...

Allan

I use a carbide burr in my die grinder. Sometimes the casting of the drum is a little off centre when machined originally. if this contributes to the out of balance, I chuck the drum in my lathe and re-machine the inside diameter somewhat to help the situation.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Dan's bolts are an excellent tool when riveting inside the frame rails. I drill the head to take the rivet head, and the nuts are used to jam the rivet/bolt in the frame rail. Then there is no need for a bucking bar/tool, as there is no bucking! With these, it is almost a one man job, but I still ha...

Allan

Using it as a dry lube between the tube and tyre makes sense, and explains why it is rarely used in tyre shops today. How many inner tubes are fitted these days? The brush-on goo used to fit modern tubeless tyres gives the fitter more control in applying it, and probably is a better lubricant. Allan...

Allan

What is the purpose of tyre talc?

Allan from down under.

Allan

Jack. I had another look at the collar around the valve stem hole in your photo and it dawned on me that the rim you showed has a rolled in groove in the base of the rim. The two I have do not have this feature, being perfectly flat like a wooden felloe T rim. They were held in place with 5 lugs lik...

Allan

Bill, it looks more like a Holley H1 as fitted to 1912 T's. The H 1 also has a problematical needle and seat arrangement standard, but Stan Howe has a neat fix to overcome this. Perhaps you carb could be modified in the same way. I had Stan rebuild a second H1 for me, with his modified needle and se...

Allan

That's another reason I use headbolts from a local GM Holden 6 cylinder motor. they are about 5/16" longer and will pick up more of the thread in the block. i have yet to pull one of those. they are specially needed when fitting an alloy head with washers under the bolthead.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Stuckey tyres have a big range of performance/racing tyres, including Blockleys in a range of sizes and applications. They have 30 x 3.5s in stock at the moment, but all have a name against them pending payment.. In correspondence with them, I was told stocks come to Australia from England. It would...

Allan

Do I see Allen Auto Co painted on the side of the T? It has the one piece firewall like a 1912 model, but the lights and windscreen look to be black and brass like a 1913-4. The body is certainly well proportioned and well made.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I use soluble oil too, but at a much lower rate. Just a couple of ounces is enough. It is a petroleum product and at higher concentrations may affect the rubber hoses. At least, that was what was recommended to me. It works well in our Southern California type climate. No need for antifreeze here, s...

Allan

They are heavier than 3/8" bar, 7/16"or perhaps 1/2". I cut a longer thread on one end to make them easier to fit. A nut is run up to the end of the long thread and that end is inserted into the bracket. The other end is then much closer to fitting, with just a little wriggling/jacking to get it in....

Allan

Jack, I have two in my swap meet stocks. Both have been sandblasted and electro zinc plated as was the usual finish. I bought them to re-sell for use on model T wooden felloe wheels. Both have excellent, thick beads and are heavy weights compared to T rims. One one, the register marks for the lugs a...

Allan

The Blockley website says almost all. In other correspondence, they revealed that their clincher tyres are also made in Viet Nam, as they could find no other manufacturer anywhere willing to make them. The difference is in having their own moulds, their own specifications and quality standards, and ...

Allan

I use the white rope seals listed by Snyder's as A model seals. They are longer than needed and can be trimmed back. Seat them as Dan suggested with a socket. I like to leave them about the thickness of the pan gasket proud of the block deck. I trim the gasket to fit around the seal. Then the pan ha...

Allan

If you are looking for some particular item, it pays to advertise. Hang a sign around your neck and others may be able to direct you to that which you are seeking. I did just that at Chickasha swap when looking for Bennett brakes. I had them pointed out to me by a vendor's wife in the parking lot pr...

Allan

Mark, we know that stuff as superglue. It's funny how brand names become the standard reference over time. Prior to superglue, Tarzan's Grip was the brand name most common. You blokes know what a Crescent wrench is, even if not made by Crescent. We call them shifters. What you guys call a cooler, we...

Allan

I'm not familiar with "crazy glue". The idea is great. I'd buy the solid brass ones, fill the dish in the back of grommet with sodder? and sweat them onto the bridge washer for a more permanent fix. I have a few 777 size bridge washers, but some have rusted really thin.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I drilled the same two holes and then used a hacksaw blade in my jig saw to finish the hole. That might not work on a wrong hand drive car with the pedals likely to be in the way.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Mike, I have a nice pair if you can't find just two. They have un-damaged threads, the bridge washers are not rusted, and they both have the felloe nut and the dust cap which screws onto that. $25, but I'd need to get a postage estimate for you.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Dan, I had presumed that to be rusty accumulated crud in any I have pulled. I'll have to be more observant next time.
Thanks, Allan from down under.

Allan

There you go Don! Just replace your F truck. I hope you win it. I like the way you have been working on your tourer. With such a rare opportunity, your experience will be invaluable.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Often the tack/rivet deforms the socket and raises a pinchpoint into the wood. If you can't budge it I have resorted to the following on some well used sockets. I used a torch to heat socket enough to well char the timber within. Once it has been burnt, it is easier to work them loose and withdraw t...

Allan

That bent rail is best made from steam bent timber to avoid the short grain across a cut curve. You can do it yourself by laminating strips of plywood using the body as your former.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

Allan

The earlier brackets had a squarish body between the shaft and the frame, and these had a felt in them to retain the oil. The later ones just had a round drilled hole. I believe that hole had no felt.You just filled it with oil and let it run free. I could be wrong again.

Allan from down under.

Allan

You are absolutely correct John. Usually the rim is drilled for the correct Ford position for the valve stem hole, rather than the wheel felloe. We have a set of 4 on my son's 10 cwt Duncan and Fraser lorry. They are 1/4" wider than T rims, but that suits the 4.40 x 23 oversize tyres we have on it. ...

Allan

Those dang Chev rims!!!! I collected a beautiful set of Hayes wire wheels for my 1915 tourer when I restored it. Got them nicely painted straw cream and mounted them on the car. When fitting up the rims/tyres to them, I found one of the wheel felloes had been drilled to take that misplaced Chev valv...

Allan

Nice score! Your success reminds me of my E & J 666 headlights for my 1912 Haigh's Chocolates van. I found one for just $10. It made having to pay $400 for an absolute complete 100% second one a lot less painful.

Allan from down under.

Allan

It is an accessory made for a standard T front axle. In Australia they were made by Hendersons who were spring manufacturers. There is a USA made counterpart. I have never seen anything like that hotrod installation though.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Before doing anything drastic, try shortening the inner shell a bit. If it is too long it will result in the outer shell not seating tightly on the ends. Then decide if a bit of soot around each end is really worth chasing. When I make T mufflers, the centre pipe is expanded to accept the tailpipe. ...

Allan

Frank, the inside of a whire wheel centre and the taper on the axle hub, need to fit closely. They are part of the way the two mount and supply support to the wheel. Otherwise the cracking which often happens at the stud holes would be even more likely. A thick powdercoat will even stop the wheel mo...

Allan

That is an interesting top outlet on that 1917 radiator. I have never seen anything like it. If it is brass, the later tinned steel offering was a step backwards.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I prefer the brass housing. It makes it far easier to ream a worn hole to take a thin wall bronze bushing to rebuild the thing.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Steve, those are the same application I made on my radiator. They are not uncommon. I fancied mine up a bit making the top and bottom edges like a bracket.... {

Allan from down under.

Allan

My mid 20's Tarrant T tourer came standard with 4.40 x 23" balloon tyres. They certainly are fatter, but I have no idea when they were first offered.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Les is on the money. I would not be confident enough to use heat. When I added period type reinforcements to the joint between the side panels and the top tank, I had the need to remove excess solder, [pronounced sodder???] I used a sharp curved blade to remove most, then finer and finer grades of w...

Allan

Adrian, going solely on the forward position of the front running board bracket, I would say that one is a TT . The front bracket on a car chassis is some 10" or so back from the mudguard mounting.

Allan from down under.

Allan

That truck is not a TT truck. It is a car chassis fitted with a conversion like a Smith's Form-a-truck. That way the wheels are standard car type items, presumably running 30 x 3.5" beaded edge tyres. I wonder how such skinny tyres lasted in that kind of service under that load. Presumably they were...

Allan

When Duncan and Fraser were relieved of their Ford distributorship in the 20's, they took on the agency for Rugby cars, which were US Star brand. We already had English Stars. Interestingly, Rugby reflects an English influence, rather than US. One of the Duncan brothers pursued new interests in radi...

Allan

Did you use something like plastigage to determine which rods needed attention and by how much? It sounds like you have one or more rods too tight now.

Allan from down under

Allan

Today my son took both our grandchildren for a ride in my 24 tourer, in their car safety seats. it was a spur of the moment thing, and I was not sure the car was registered. When I tried to check the rego on line, it would not accept the entry of the registration number on the plates, so I had to go...

Allan

Mark, if you go to Blockleytyre.com you can ask them directly. From photos I have seen, and from the owner's passion to provide quality products, i think you will find that they are the smaller diameter ones used in T's.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Sam, when I bought Henrietta, my barn fresh original cut down T buckboard, a large part of the considerations was arriving at a valuation which was both realistic and acceptable to the family selling their Dad's old car. I was fortunate that a similar car had been both bought and re-offered at aucti...

Allan

Blockleys are now available, and from the photos look to have the correct old time threaded brass valve stems. That will help offset the price premium paid for better quality parts.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Excellent work Steve. I agree that extra hands make the job much easier. One pair is charged with the heating, I fit and mash, while a third pair holds the back-up bar/jack. Doing as much as you can before fitting an assembly to the frame makes the job easier.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I soak them in lacquer thinners to remove any preservative/lubricant from them, paying particular attention to the points and the cushion spring. The cushion spring action needs checking, and the rivet attended to to set the spring. Then they are good to go. Make sure the points are correctly aligne...

Allan

My Holden bodied Tarrant tourer has the fuel tank hanging under the spare tyre carrier at the back, so I have even more to keep clean. I welded an extension onto the rear muffler end. It hangs vertically, low enough to clear the back axle and everything else. It looks a bit like the dangly bit under...

Allan

The left side of the car is always the left side. The driver's side can be either side, so it is more accurate to use left side , right side , than driver's side. That is it, unless you believe a left hand drive car becomes a right hand drive car if you are looking at it from the front! Hope this he...

Allan

A fuel tap with a shoulder like that one is designed to seal against a washer between the tap and the carb body. It will have a parallel thread. The standard elbow on the carb is a tapered thread, and winds in until tight[often in the wrong alignment] The carb body is not machined flat for a washer ...

Allan

Buy it!!!!! Then, if you must go harder, and you want to preserve it rather than restore it, fit a new KC Warford truck ratio transmission in the driveline.

WE NEED PHOTOS.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Kathy, that sounds exactly like the policy I have on all my T's. With the company with which I am insured, that is normal for ollector/historical vehicles. there is no extra charge, so it must be built into the premium. It is good to know that someone offers this benefit.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The problem will go away if you get the starter motor engaged before you switch the ignition on.

Allan from down under.

Allan

I bought my first model T in 1960 or thereabouts, with the intention of building a T bucket hotrod. I tinkered around with it, got it running and that killed the hotrod urge, thankfully.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Thanks Dan and Steve, They are standard T width. I was aware of the wider Chev rims, but thought they all had fixed lugs. On closer inspection, these were held on the felloe with 5 wedging type lugs. I believe accessory Firestone demountable heels were 5 lugged. Photos on the forum of Firestone rims...

Allan

I'd be checking rod/main bearings. I never had any trouble with the Reader head on my speedster other than warping between cylinders 2 and 3.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Describing any model T horn as having a cover over the motor is most confusing, given that the EA Labs horn mentioned earlier is a horn with a true electric motor. In my experience with our Canadian sourced cars, the easy way to distinguish a T model battery horn from any of the earlier magneto vari...

Allan

Whenever I can find them, I like to have some good rims in my swap meet stocks. I have good ones sand blasted and electro zinc plated so that they are ready to go. I have two excellent heavy gauge rims available at the moment, but they are not T model rims. They gave a collar around the valve stem h...

Allan

Donnie, it happens when water accumulates in the cylinder and the rising piston tries to compress it. I agree with Frank. If the crankshaft is removed, there should be room. A small chamfer on the bottom of the bores will make it easier to start the rings back up the cylinder. Having the engine on t...

Allan

Denis, I had a weird noise in my Henrietta. Then I heard the same noise in my 1912 van. Have you checked your hearing aid? it worked for me!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Darin, the prices are all over the place due to the quality of the car/restoration. If you were to invest in a new paint job, new upholstery etc, the value would rise, not necessarily by as much as you put into it. As you say, it is no prize winner, but if your insurer will allow you to pay premiums...

Allan

Once the drums are ground, they will be undersized, but that can be compensated for. First I check if there is any need, by clamping a band and lining around the drum to see just how close the ears on the band are. I have kept on the shelves some rolled sheetmetal strips which were cut to the width ...

Allan

Strange as it may seem Don, I have just what you want, complete with a nice even coat of light surface rust. Let me know if you cannot find one locally.
Allan from down under.

Allan

Strange as it mat seem Don, I have just what you want, complete with a nice even coat of surface rust. Let me know if you can't find one locally.
Allan from down under.

Allan

My local machine shop had one of those grinding wheel surfacers. They are not the best solution. They graduated to a belt type surfacer. That meant a serious upgrade to their electical supply to stop the neighbours having a brown out whenever they started up the 30 hp motor on the machine. It is mai...

Allan

My 1920's version of the spark plug wrench sees more use as a wheel nut wrench on demountable rims than any other use.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Frank, the early fans had no plugged oiler hole at the front of the pulley. They are lubricated by a greaser from behind. The shaft is drilled at the threaded end to allow passage of grease from the greaser into the centre of the shaft. That greaser has the same cap as others on a T, but the screw i...

Allan

I believe they are rear fender mounting brackets.
Allan from down under.

Allan

I have two T's with electronic flasher cans. One is 12 volt and the car has a Truefire ignition system. It works perfectly. The other is 6volt running standard T coils. It too works flawlessly. The real problem is finding 6 volt electronic flasher cans. In my other T's I have been forced to resort t...

Allan

Donnie, second try at posting this. I had a similar problem with a standard iron T head. It was down to a blunt set of cutter tips on the mill used to surface it. Where it was making short cuts either side of the combustion chamber, the cuts were passable. As it crossed the head between the combusti...

Allan

The initial outlay may be cheap, but the rest of the project will be just as expensive, with little benefit. Look at it this way. It will cost heaps of dollars to restore a Cord Convertible. If you spend a heap an 6 cylinder car, it would be a nice car. Spend the same heap on a V8 model and your car...

Allan

I second Terry's silver paint. I use brush on paint. A nice thick coat and let it set till it's tacky.
Allan from down under.

Allan

EA, and others, provided horns for model A's. They are motor type horns, a different beast altogether than the T horns.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Neil, the nuts which come from the vendors and are correct for a T, are thinner than hardware shop nuts. This is to provide maximum clearance between the inner ends of the bolts and the brake drum. Worn axle tapers/hubs will exacerbate this. However, the thinner nut will not take the same tension th...

Allan

Dick, notching the bead is not unusual, it's just unnecessary. Done hamfistedly, I have seen it lead to a broken tyre bead during tyre fitting.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Jeff, those are the earlier stampings. The forge flash is clearly seen on the sides at the frame end. On the later irons that flash runs top and bottom on the irons. Thanks for the photos.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Steve, I was of the same opinion, until I found what I believe was a new old stock shelf damaged unit with chipped black paint on it. I too, paint mine these days, except for the screw.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The bolt on ramps/pedal supports presently available from the vendors have proved satisfactory when I have had cause to use them. It is unworn pedals which are scarce. On RHD cars this is the clutch/first gear pedal. On LHD cars I presume it is the brake pedal that cops most wear. If those were made...

Allan

Tim, I agree with Peter as to the cause of your failures. If you measure the width of the rim at the widest point of the bead and then measure the width of the two tyre beads and the valve stem, I will be flabergasted if the total is more than the width of the rim, especially with the skinny little ...

Allan

I thought bi metal flashers required a certain load to make them flash at the correct rate. That may be why the replacement flashed too fast, because it should be driven by two 21cp bulbs. If you can find a 6 volt electronic flasher, they are far more forgiving.

Allan from down under,

Allan

I agree with James. The washers between the front cover and the fan arm are likely to have been installed to get the fan belt tracking correctly. That has meant that the cotter pin hole has been occluded, not a good situation. The fan, arm and shaft look about right for a 1916 model. Refitting it re...

Allan

Joseph, in Australia 1/2" UNC is 13 TPI, while Whitworth is 12 TPI. On sizes other than 1/2" the TPI is the same for each. I note that your 1/2" UNC 12 TPI may be confined to older machinery. The angle of the threads is noted. However, in practice, it makes little difference, as nuts and bolts are e...

Allan

John, that information on the introduction of the battery horn in 1922 is new information to me.Thank you. On original firewalls I have seen on our Canadian sourced cars there is a chamferred relief on the firewall to accommodate the small housing on the back of a magneto horn. I presume a battery m...

Allan

When posted to Townsville in north Queensland for my national service i became a foundation member of the Townsville veteran car club. One of the other members was a deaf fellow who owned a T and it ran like crap. I was asked if I could help him get it to perform as it should. I cleaned up the coil ...

Allan

It would help date it if you can tell whether it takes a 21" or 30" BE rim.

Allan from down under.

Allan

The clevis hole is an easy fix. Clean it back to bare metal and bronze the hole up completely. Then re-drill a standard size hole through the bronze. Chances are you will then have a bronze bush in the hole.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Tom, on our Canadian sourced cars, there are two types of Kelsey 88 rims. One has a flat base and a solid ridge around the outside where it clamps on the felloe. The other has a rolled in groove in the bed, and the rolled ridge wedges on the felloe. Both work, but the flat base one is better. Hope t...

Allan

R.V. if you get stuck, I have what you want, sandblasted and electro zinc plated, among my swapmeet stocks. Freight would be a killer, but it can be done.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Jeff, those bolt on extra body brackets have no use on other than a 1913 frame, so that should pinpoint it for you. The ones I found were attached with other than standard Ford hardware. The theory put forward at the time was that these were dealer fitted, and so were attached with whatever they had...

Allan

When I do this job I start with a new bolt on ramp. The pedal should be removed from the shaft to have its ramps built up with weld. Then the fitting begins! Some bearing blue is your best friend. Once the welds have been roughed back, the pedal is fitted to the shaft, with no pin at this stage. fit...

Allan

My trick may work with the screwdriver you already have. Fit a short length of rubber fuel line over the end of the screwdriver. Plug the screw into the end of the fuel line to hold it in place and screw away as you like. Easy-peasy!

Allan from down under.

Allan

Just cut it of an inch or so from the last hole. It won't go anywhere.

Allan from down under.

Allan

John, it's not the engineer's fault. Blame it on Henry for his contrary decision to make his T models Left Hand Drive. We have no problems where the wheel is on the right side

Allan from down under.

Allan

The socket is a prime candidate for a molasses rust removal technique. Make a mix of 1:1 feed molasses and water, tape up the split and fill the socket with the mix. It will attack the rust for complete removal. It should be left for a week or so, before draining, washing out and checking. The proce...

Allan

Jonathan, that sometimes happens when the flange does not contact the manifold correctly, and the nut is done up tightly to close the gap. This puts stress on both the pipe flange and the manifold. The flange needs to sit neatly on the manifold before the nut is done up.

Allan from down under

Allan

Or you could use a best quality household enamel, over the correct primer, on both the spokes and steelwork. It's not rocket science.

Allan from down under.

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