MTFCA Forum

Feeling lucky?
You wont know until the holes are bored.
Between core shifts & corroded water jackets, the outcome is not assured.
But, if you do go thru, your bores are closer to being sized for new sleeves.

The Orange county club does a tour every month. This month's tour was to a Bass Pro Shop. An 80 mile round trip thru hill & dale on back roads as much as possible. On the way out, I noticed a fellow riding his brake a bit to much. @ the first stop we discussed retarding spark & throttle levers to mi...

Thanks for the input. Yep - Working on another carb I found in the pile, although not that much better, it has decent threads. I'll give it a go if I can just get the darned float seat out... Really appreciate the forum. I rebuild quite a few NH's. I NEVER try to remove seats or jets before heating...

Post the pictures. I had a customer bring a set of tires & rims for mounting. One rim was made into a pretzel by his first tire installer. Using a press & some common sense I was able to straighten & save that rim. Takes patience & time. Installing tires on split rims takes skill, patience & a light...

If there was really 1/8" play, wouldn't the magnet keepers have already crashed into the field coil?

Not really, John - that's your opinion. My three shifters are original - Racer has the only foot-feed. I guess I am not coordinated enough. I friend center shifts by using his left hand around the steering wheel to get to the throttle. Looks a bit unsafe & not conducive to frequent or quick down sh...

The spring becomes the power conduit. Especially when the brush gets oily & can lose its conductivity to the brush holder. The spring becomes a heating element & loses its temper. The timer must run dry. The cam must be sealed with a lip seal to keep ALL the oil out. I lose the copper or brass brush...

There is no other rim option for 21's unless you go with wire wheels, but that defeats the work already done on your wood wheels. The pitting shown in the provided picture wont show when mounted, its quite typical. I don't see a reason to not repair what you have. Of course, they will need prettying...

Original Smith wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 20, 2026 12:20 pm
What's wrong with the original Ruckstell design?

1) Its in the way.
2) Its much more difficult to center shift unless you have a foot throttle to sync motor speed.

I don't see the point of submerging the unit. Penetrating oil will "penetrate" into any crack, thread & connection point. I would spray all the places that need it, maybe twice a day for several days. Consider using the "Blue wrench" first around all the stuck joints. Or are you thinking this fluid ...

Take a spare parking brake unit. Mount the pillow blocks right behind, in line with the car's parking brake. Remove the clutch cam. Remove the brake ratchet disconnect lever, pawl & rod. Weld up the holes. Get fancy & do some shaping to the handle base until it looks like the second lever off an ear...

I pulled the magneto post yesterday. I’ve had it off before. It was clean and had continuity. I tried putting a scope in the top of the transmission to see if the magneto is actually there, but it was inconclusive. It’s really not visible unless you take the hogshead off, I assume? When you remove ...

That's my preference. .0045-.005" But there are other aspects of the bushing lubrication to be optimized since this is a weak link. After machining the flange clearance, cut a healthy chamfer, .090-.100". With an 1/8" die grinder bit, cut a lead from the chamfer into the 2 oil groves. I have transit...

You raised an interesting question of firing voltage & cranking speed. So off to my HCCT for a test. I know there is a resistor or similar thing built into the unit so results from an engine magneto may vary. I have modern analog ac volt meter & ammeters on the unit. Using a freshly tuned ECCT coil,...

Depends on motor condition.
Top complete?
From your pictures it could be 23-25. No door hinge shown.

How does THIS happen? ....Someone decides to replace a leaky needle & seat unit. They put an ill fitting seat removal tool, like a worn out screwdriver blade. Then chew up the seat notches, so it cant be unscrewed. Next they try a screw extractor. It wont bite & expands the seat making removal impos...

I read here, That during the rationing days of WW2, a truck would get more gas rations. So many T's were converted.
Of course, the utility of a cheap truck was handy.

Rich P. Bingham wrote: ↑
Wed Feb 18, 2026 2:50 pm
I like the term, “Doctor’s Pickup” !!

For carrying off their mistakes??

Check out Lock-N-Stich in Turlock, CA. If they can’t fix it, nobody can. They have told me before that exhaust manifolds can be particularly sensitive subjects. Something to do with the carbon from the exhaust gasses changing the base metal over time. Cost ya more to fix it than it would to buy a n...

I read that a few days ago... staying away from the retainer with a slot. I will compress the spring and insert the pin, the retainers I am looking at are solid without the slot This Screenshot 2026-02-16 at 1.09.09 PM.png VS this Screenshot 2026-02-16 at 1.09.25 PM.png You don't understand, the sl...

"The engine is free and rotates with the crank, no resistance felt at all" Doesnt sound like a clutch problem. With the brake lever forward & hand cranking, does the car want to move forward on you? If so = clutch locks up as designed. With the hand brake set & hand cranking, you should feel distinc...

By "dosent work" you mean 0 output? That's not an end play problem. A wide magnet gap would mean weaker output. With the clutch disengaged, you would have a reasonable output. A 3rd bearing cap fitted with the correct thrust would be the fix for excessive fore & aft crank movement. Ready to pull the...

Check with summit racing. They had a great deal on 21's. Firestones. Free shipping & no sales tax.
Take into account the total, to your door cost.

Wouldn't this be handy if you had a starter conversion to choke from the passenger compartment?

Did you do anything to the shift lock, like replace the plunger?

Did you maybe not get the shift fork in the shift collar groove?

Something itched in the back of my head. Looks familiar.
Indeed, Humble Howard Genrich (#7) ran that same shell.
I wasn't able to find a picture clear enough to read the triangle emblem.

God bless those who can consistently achieve .002" runout on the transmission shaft. I strive for. 002" but will reluctantly accept .006" if I can't get it closer. Switching orientation and careful machining of the crank and transmission shaft flanges won't insure a perfect outcome. A popular rebui...

Service manual page 81 Paragraph 300 says to press the driven gear down until flush with the face of the brake drum shaft. The clearance between driven gear and slow speed gears should be .006. In order to check that clearance I assume I have to put the trans with the triple gears on the flywheel r...

READ YOUR SERVICE MANUAL. You missed a step. Driven gear is not flush. Once You get it flush, you check the clearance between the driven gear & low drum gear. Continue pressing until you reach the clearance spec. (never had one fit flush) The driven gear shaft bushing must be installed deep enough t...

I like it, Mike.
If you spread a little Valvoline on top of the terminal clamps they will not corrode & will be maintenance free.

(Edit) OOpps. Darned spell check.

Vaseline.

You do no harm turning the valves. You will need to do this to lap the seats. Valves seat 360 degrees uniformly.
You might want to lift, by cam, the valves to confirm they are 1 or 2 piece. Look @ the base where the head & stem join.
They may not be 2 piece. The intakes look more like 1 piece valves.

What about hitting the thrift stores?

This is the typical "Opened a can of worms" situation. You see the damage & a major rebuild is needed. Ignorance was bliss. On the Bright side, The valves are not razor sharp & the seats are not deep cut. That tells me this is a relatively low mileage motor. The Babbitt may be usable. If I were to g...

Dave Seiler in SoCal. Can build new spokes. I understand he has done several TT wheels lately.

Dont leave your engine sitting horizontal.
That puts a big strain on the crank from an unsupported transmission. Tip it up vertical.

Good points ! I had some copper never-seize that had an expiration date - WTH ? I had some aluminum anti-seize without an expiration date. After 40 years, it had “gone bad” (I don’t use it a lot :lol: ) I bet you could have added some thin oil or mineral spirits & reconstituted it. Waste not want n...

A friend has been using the same tube for well over 20 years. It still functions as designed.
He spreads the use of it through out the club.
The stuff is used so sparingly, you are more likely to lose it than use it up.

Does look like a lizard head. But no salamander on top.
Could it be what the lizard head was copied from? is there evidence of the lizard ground off?
Show a picture of the combustion chamber side.

Yup. Some tools, like a wood hub puller are easily damaged if you dont know how to use correctly. In this case, your "friend" horsed it off instead of leaving on & driving to help loosen. On the bright side, he probably damaged his hubs threads so it wont come off next time. I second doing the job f...

Jim Key: We know how to identify the early brake drum(pre 16) We know that a distance plate & 26 disks are required. We know what the earliest clutch hub looks like. We know what the later drums look like & 25 disks. We know when the top hat bushing changed to 3 thrust washers. We know how to identi...

The answer is in the later version of the clutch hub. It is .015" different to fit the thicker 3 washers.

Open your wallet for a new Prus head.

Then the shaft change applies to the early style drum that requires the distance plate & 26 clutch disks. That makes sense & has nothing to do with the hat to 3 washer change done in early '20. What is perplexing is the lack of documented change to the clutch hub, done in early '20, coinciding with ...

Darn it Dan! Now I have another thing to address on a rebuild, the transmission shaft flange. Allan from down under. Unless the clutch hub has worn the shaft, losing its press fit, the center shaft need not be replaced. A light facing with a tool post grinder in a lathe (same way a crank flange is ...

What is the date of the brake drum shaft dimension change?

Off center boring of new (repop) cam bearings was an issue. Also consider wear in the block. Original cam bearings wear the same foot print unless you make your own from a piece of billet cast iron. I gave up on repop & poorly rebabbited cam bearings long ago. Since then I have searched & found NOS ...

.111, .111. & .112. all used measured in an area with no wear.

Dan Hatch wrote: ↑
Wed Feb 04, 2026 7:45 pm
Every engine

Rajo & Dan;
Do you perceive that The rear bushing was off some , therefore requiring this operation??
Does the lifter relief notch pull your reamer a bit?
If you were installing NOS iron bushings that fit the cam without reaming, would you still do this?

Is this tool really necessary? Does every motor re-builder use one? Does the service manual refer to this procedure?
Do you have a reasonable suspension that your block's cam mounts are out of alignment?

I just happened to have a spare set of magnet clamps like the "C" pictured so I did a quick voltage test with the stock flywheel and the "A" clamps and then changed just the clamps and retested with the Franken-Tester using the same magneto and magnets. The "A" clamps outperformed the "C" at all th...

I had 2 adjuster bolts shear the first time I tried a self locking set.

A was used for the highest output magneto(15) thru to the end. 15 had the double stack coils & the improved, taller magnets. Output was increased to power the new electric lights. From this point changes were made to the field coils only, supposedly as cost savings measures. Next field coil iteratio...

To adjust, I have measured the gap with the lifter all the way down. Let's say it's 20 thou. Then rotated the engine to put the valve all the way up and put a dial indicator on it. Then adjust to take out the difference between the 20 thou and what you want, in my case 12 thou. Repeat for the remai...

I think using the wider clamp (C) will give you a smaller dead spot between nodes.
A is the more common clamp. I see no advantage to B

Never cut down lifter bosses. That's a really poor practice that sacrifices lifter bore life for a little easier adjustment procedure. For first setup, Have the cam heel up. With the valve loose, grab & raise the lifter & adjust. If readjusting with the valves in place, take your reading with a feel...

In my experience, the pot metal housings are interchangeable.

Yes. yes & yes. No problem.

The only time that was an issue was when I installed a Stipe 310?
The cam would go in but not turn. I had to remove the cam & lifters & chamfer the block for more lifter clearance.
That was all done thru the 3 dip pan - not fun, but doable.

32#, thats quite a lot of steel.
The picture gives a perspective of how large those base plates & press tools are. I hadnt realized.
We have learned there are many different ways to remove that low drum bushing.
Thanks to all who participated.

Steve T. You shamed me into making a proper press tool. OD 1.680" step od 1.650". .015" press surface edge. Not much room for wear, but it works fine. If I were to encounter a bushing too worn for the tool to bite, I have the snap ring as a fall back. That stevens driver must be a real precision pie...

Terry, I dont believe there is an off the shelf sure stop brake system offered for a TT.
Not to say you couldnt build a disk brake system for your TT.

There is very little bushing to take the bite of a press tool. I couldnt find the answer in past posts, so here it is. I have removed with a modified flat washer, ground on the sides to an oval shape & the outer edges sharpened to just fit in the gap between the drum lip & the bushing. Angel into pl...

Picture #2 must be AI generated. No gas generator or presto lite bottle but gas lamps. Something just doesn’t look right. Could be but a good new looking '14 anyway with shiny paint that won't last 6 months. At least the horn is black and mounted correctly! I think I am seeing demountable rims & th...

What happens when you set a coil to the .9 with strobo and then check it with the ECCT? Inquiring minds want to know? Why not? Stay tuned. There is not going to be a direct correlation with just setting the amp draw to .9 amps with the strobo. The key is knowing how & which part of the points need ...

For half a century, members of the Rose City Model T Club have had access to Hand Cranked Coil Testers (HCCT) to tune up Model T coils. Nearly two decades ago, the club invested in a Strobo-Spark and it was a game changer. Today, the Electronically Cranked Coil Tester (ECCT) is available, which tes...

Original Smith wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 28, 2026 1:44 pm
The 1925 pickup above is the first I've seen on Dollisdad of a real '25.

Note the spare carrier.

Got my spots reserved.
Gerald Robinson was very accommodating.
Gonna be a great meet. I am told they have a long term commitment to this site.

Original Smith wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 28, 2026 1:35 pm
What is the turnoff road to the swap meet in Shafter from 99?

E Lerdo Hwy to Vultree St.

When everything is in spec, & the KRW tool used properly, the F/W gets bolted in place & the field coil clearances are correctly set. One install & no removal & replace multiple times. Oh, if it were only so. Chances are slim that all the stars align. However, Using the tool to set the field coil wi...

.005 variance is probably OK as a max. I also shoot for .002" This is a time consuming job. Take the time. Heres how to minimize the work by being smart. Measure all magnet leg thickness - note it. Measure the spool heights & keeper thicknesses. Mark them. Shuffle accordingly. Add .010 brass shims t...

1) Check that the springs are correctly centered in their frame mounts & pads.
2) Look for broken leafs. Some can be hidden behind frame channels.
If the springs are in tact, but maybe weak on the driver side, turn them around.

Been a long time since I ran a Z. I believe I ran Autolite platinum AP5405 in the Z.
I still run these in a lizard head.

Eric, When the pedal shafts are efficiently sealed, The cam ramps can & do get dry to the point the pedals wont move. Will gaul. Actually lock up the ramps. The low pedal shaft & clutch shaft need a drop or 2 occasionally also. So they must be manually oiled. The original system self lubricated the ...

Eric Sole wrote: ↑
Sun Jan 25, 2026 1:05 pm
Has anyone built up the pedal ramp with weld and dressed it down? If so, how did that work out? Would it be preferable to bending the pedal arm to compensate wear?

Yes. Of course, the shaft has to be removed.

Looks like someone added a shield for the F/W. The normal heat pickup covers all those finns.
Keep looking for examples & the design will be come obvious.

If you have lathe access you can make lids from billet material.
I made a set for a different brand from brass. Knurled the outside.
You gotta make a cutter that profiles the very round thread.

#2. split bushing isnt normal. #3. King pins available now & in the past vary in size. Checking my stock of new. New ground ones measure .500". Several are .002" under. Some are .007" under. WHY? .500 would work great for slightly worn bushings. Or ream .500 & recut with an adjustable reamer. .002 a...

There is a reason that a lip seal was invented and used ever since, with all of the effort that it takes to replace that seal why not use the best seal that you can get? There are advantages & disadvantages to the rope & modern seal. The modern seal is very narrow. The crank seal surface must be gr...

Be aware that there are other bearing mfg's that sell races with the same #'s 14273 & 09194.
They are supposedly a direct replacement. They may not fit.
Genuine Timken races have the correct clearance radius to fit in T hubs.
Other brands do not, & wont seat down all the way.

The T was from a 1 owner family.
Wonder what they think.
I think the builder should be neutered with a rusty beer can opener.

One thing to consider is using a black/dark primer. (assuming a black/dark top coat)
A light primer will show thru when scratched or paint flaked requiring constant touch up to continue looking nice.

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 21, 2026 7:54 pm
Looks as if you've done a great job!

I second that emotion.

Lift point: the 2 outer head bolts in front of the 2 furthest back. I find it easiest to move the steering column back. Remove 4 F/W bolts, spark & throttle rods, pitman arm & frame mount steering bracket bolts. Pull back thru the F/W out of the way. The last 22 (wood F/W), I didnt remove the steeri...

Some of the information matches my findings. Some are in error? 751B lists the 1 piece type '17-'27 Also listing the 3 piece type '09-"21 (4 years MFG both??) 725B listed as '09-'27. (thrust surfaces are different '20-'27) Distance plate usage & hat brake bushing use do coincide with service bulleti...

I just did a look at each parts catalog from 1909 to 1929 and found these years as presentation and order of presentation. Jim Key Clutch disc drum variations 2.jpg Just looking @ B. A 14 clutch hub is different in the thrust face clearance than a '24. I do believe all of them will fit any year tra...

Point of clarity: I believe the clutch drum with the 6 holes along the OUTSIDE is an "early" drum which would have been used with the "early" brake drum using the "top hat" style bushing & 2 steel thrust washers. The top hat style bushing is the thrust washer. There are no additional steel washers ...

B) 6 holes would be early, like 14,15 & earlier. Probably DB marked. A) Ford script on top side (Post brass hat thrust. 3 washers) Post early '20. C) Ford script. Hard to tell, but looks like a heavier casting. Back side is heavier with a chamfer to the thrust surface. Look on the back. This would b...

I am no expert. What I see from very limited pictures is a wishbone pulling the axle out of spec. I think disconnecting from the pan & a little moving may show the axle re-aligns itself. Could a 09 wishbone be different from later? Could this one be a replacement, improperly installed or incorrectly...

It's quite common for T's to hit stuff, pushing the wishbone mount back. Is it possible & have you checked the Crank case wishbone mount location? Check EVERY possible thing before acting. Adding a second wishbone?? :o :o :o :o The suggestion blows my mind for a '09. You are caretakers of the holy g...

Wayne This axle is from car #22 that was at the Winter Clinic.... The axle angle is exactly the same as a 1912 we are working on. Unfortunately we have not other early car to compare it to. We have removed the axle and are going to remove the perches and try a different set of perches. We do not kn...

Body looks good. A 25 is a fine T. 1 man top well secured to the W/S stands. Get the correct high radiator & you'll have a very presentable T. The incorrect earlier fenders & lower radiator apron isn't a hugely noticeable defect to all but us experts. I see many T's with incorrect fenders, even a fe...

Door hinges appear the same length. If so, That would be a 25 body. Fenders are earlier 19-23.
High shell on a low radiator. Mix of both early & late motor mount or an aftermarket spring stabilizer plate added.
Yea its a heinze.

No. Thermosyphon dosent care weather is working in aluminum or brass.

Either of the previous 2 answers.
I use LPS #3. its like a thin cosmoline. Then bag.
If the bag stays intact, you can directly install by greasing without removing the LPS.

Good catch Jerry.
I have straightened bent edges back into place with a large adjustable open end wrench.
That's a really abused set of wheels. Better yard art than candidates for restoration.

Makes getting a set of wire wheels a better idea.

The last picture looks like a loose tenon. Loose or rotten tenons cant be safely repaired.
I would not try to save these spokes.

Need to see a picture of the tenons for a full evaluation. They must be solid & strong.
I don't like what I see, but if possibly still solid & that's only cosmetic, maybe...........

Have you looked at all of Martin's drawings yet? I know they are on here somewhere. I just cannot find them right now. Vowell art incorrectly pictures & denotes the wrong clutch packs listed as 14-16 & 14-17 drawings. So watch out what you use for references. Those errors will cost potential clutch...

Maybe I am wrong on the spring compression. However, I am not BSing anyone. If you move the mount downward from the inside to the outside and the mounting bracket at the bottom stays in the same location, the steering shaft will stick further out of the bracket. Agreed. The steering shaft & the ret...

Installing it correctly will compress the control rod springs letting the shaft set lower and give you more clearance. It has solved the problem for me twice. You might still need to do as Hank suggests also and raise the quadrant if it's not enough. I am calling BS on the control rod springs. They...

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