MTFCA Forum

David Greenlees

Ed, I want to purchase your weathervane and ask that you hold it for me until you can verify that the paint on the car and the rest of it is original and has not been repainted. Can you email me or post larger, clear, and defined photos of both sides of only the car showing the paint's condition? Ha...

David Greenlees

I also found this add early this morning but didn't have time to post it then. After enlarging and editing it I see a Schebler air valve carburetor, an oil pump and lines, and a side-drive attachment for the ignition distributor.

David Greenlees

One of the reasons for clamping on both sides of a block on a TA14 to to eliminate any chance of it rocking on the parallels. After it has been clamped down I always check the block or crankcase in both planes to make sure there isn't and possible movement while boring it. And a second time after co...

David Greenlees

Ed, I've sent you an email.

David Greenlees

Layden, I will purchase this set of lifters and have sent you an email. Thanks, David

David Greenlees

1-1.jpg Wanted: Budd T Ford left and right rear hubs in usable or restorable condition, the hub caps are not needed but will purchase for spares. The outer end of the hub which is threaded inside is 1-23/32" or 1.718" on the outside diameter and 1.275" or 7mm on the inside diameter. The OD of the h...

David Greenlees

What is the best way to convert Overland Budd rear hubs for use on a T?

David Greenlees

When the forum changed a while back and wanted personal information, I decided enough was enough. I list a defunct very old Chinese community from the late 1800's where I live now. The Chinese were imported to build railroads and dig gold mines. I respect the efforts and work they did to develop ou...

David Greenlees

Hi Pat, Yes I have tried it with mixed results. The performance was OK even though it only produced 2-3 lbs of boost. The car developed overheating issues so I removed it (still had some Temp. issues ) The boost dropped off at 1600-1700 RPM Judsons loose efficancy at high RPM and to compensate for ...

David Greenlees

I'd guess that 2-3 lbs of boost is all the engine would stand, and you probably would want to taper off the boost as you approached 2000 RPM. I wouldn't think you'd have enough pressure to cause the intake to get very hot. Some way of getting cool air to the supercharger intake would help performan...

David Greenlees

The cast aluminum rods made today and in the past usually use a standard 356 aluminum alloy. Our shop has machined and used 356 alloy for split splash-lubed cam bearings in several large slow-speed-low-load (up to 600 CI) early prewar road and vintage racing cars with just as good a result as those ...

David Greenlees

Mark Chaffin wrote: ↑
Sat Mar 11, 2023 6:05 pm
That cylinder head is a super hard piece to find. Don't believe those are available any longer.

Mark, Do you know the name of the person or company that cast and machined this head?

David Greenlees

Les, thanks for posting this. Is it possible the valve would need to be water-hardening steel for it to work? Lot's of left over used valves here in the engine shop, I'll try it soon.

David Greenlees

Mark, Email sent, thank you. David

David Greenlees

Mark, I will purchase it, will you accept PayPaI with the fee paid on my end? If not we can work something else out.

David Greenlees

Want a Green Engineering Power-Plus Cylinder Head head, as shown in the illustration, prefer the lower one but will purchase either.

Send massage or email from here or call or text: 802-490-6509, thanks.

David Greenlees

: 51868912683_3f4da83faf.jpeg (33.21 KiB) Viewed 599 times

Restorable or reproduction Fronty S-R tubular manifold as pictured. It only has one flange with four bolt holes on the center pipe.

Send massage or email here or call or text: 802-490-6509

David Greenlees

Don Ellis, If Burlingtontguy is not interested in the tank I'm interested in purchasing it, and have I sent you an email. Thanks.

David Greenlees

In the foreground of this photo you can see the self contained Tobin Arps hydraulic (rotational and horizontal) feed works that can easily be adapted to any Model T align boring fixture. Ron Patterson 1-3.jpeg 1-5.jpg 1-6.jpg If anyone would like to see how I use a Torbin-Arp machines to line-bore ...

David Greenlees

1-1.jpg 1-2.jpg Mark, 40 years ago, before buying a Tobin Arp line boring machine, I purchased a WWII-era AMMCO Model 42 portable line boring machine seen in the second photo. The feed unit for it is just like the two in the 1st photo and is powered by an electric drill. The feed unit is not what y...

David Greenlees

TRDxB2 wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 16, 2022 4:18 pm
There were Natural Gas powered too

There were some powered by natural gas but research has turned up that great majority of these of these cars in the US, UK and EU were powered by coal gas. Read about them and see more photos of them @ https://theoldmotor.com/?p=132352

David Greenlees

After having rebuilt 100s of engines dating from 1896 to the early '30s in the last 40 years, I quickly learned that most shops can't or will not take the time necessary to accurately re-grind early slender crankshafts with small-sized bearing journals. To explain how to do the job correctly and get...

David Greenlees

Les, I milled .125" off of an early low head over 30 years ago used it on several cars on which it traveled a lot of miles, and it has been run fairly hard since then without any issues at all. Not having a chassis dynamometer in the shop or available nearby, we use a local hill for quantifying chan...

David Greenlees

Interesting videos of one BB series and possibly one BBR (racing) Rajo heads. Although, some of his facts are mixed up, which I'm only pointing out so viewers come away with the correct information. Both are 8-valve Rajo heads, not 4 valves per cylinder 16-valve heads as is stated and they are not e...

David Greenlees

Thanks and good luck with it.

David Greenlees

Can you measure how deep are the combustion chambers? I might be interested in purchasing it if you are thinking of selling it.

David Greenlees

To answer the original question yes, it would. A duplicate of this pump has been on a fairly heavy 1924 Depot Hack with an original body and an original black high radiator that has been in our family for 65+ years. It keeps it cool here climbing the Vermont hills and mountains and never boils. It t...

David Greenlees

Olivier CHABANNE, Thanks for posting this, I have read about Montier before and learned about some of his racing activities. Nice to view a couple of his OHV cylinder heads in action. Anyone can learn more about his exploits and see photos of some of his cars @ https://ford-histoire.jimdofree.com/ch...

David Greenlees

2-1.jpg 2-2.jpg Not all external oil pumps will lose their prime. I made the patterns and had a batch of oil pump covers and this front plate cast in the 1980s and machined the covers and front plates. It can be driven off of the generator shaft, a mag shaft, of any other side-drive shaft. This pro...

David Greenlees

Kevin, I would like one as well, check the email I sent you. Thanks

David Greenlees

Note the replacement radiator with a curved top and a painted shell that replaced the original brass radiator.

David Greenlees

Keep us posted!

David Greenlees

1-3.jpg The photo above contains a late Warford transmission cross member and the clamps that fasten it to the frame. The image below shows where it is located in relation to the transmission. I'm looking for a photo or illustration that shows the transmission mount itself, which is fastened to the...

David Greenlees

I have five benches, two on each side wall, one in the middle of the line boring machine, milling machine and lathe. Behind that is a connecting rod lathe and a Sunnen honing machine and a mig welding machine, which can also be used as the base for a removable table top. Also have another thick wood...

David Greenlees

1-1.jpg This image was taken at the Labor Day races in 1927 at the Pompano Beach, FL, Race Track. The Miami-Dade Library described this oddball Ford machine fitted with a small six-cylinder L-head as a "Junk Racing Car." Check out the T chassis fitted with a nice amature-made racing body, sheet met...

David Greenlees

Dan, Yes, the price of it is skyrocketing, the cost of the babbitt to do the seven mains and the six rods recently in this 784 ci 1910 Thomas engine I rebuilt was outrageous.

David Greenlees

Scott, Very nice work indeed from one machinist to another, what type of a racing car is the Zenith going on and what is the throat size? Will you be machining more of these elbows and attachment bolts, I believe I may need one of these in the future? Below is a similar 1-5/8" Zenith aluminum racing...

David Greenlees

Eddie Bald was a test driver for Columbia in Hartford, CT. No Fords here, although 24 Hour "Grinds" were also popular here in the east at the Brighton Beach track at Coney Island, NYC, and at the Point Breeze track in Philly. Photos below from the Peter Helck Photo Collection and show some of the ac...

David Greenlees

0-1.jpg 0-0.jpg I have a 1924 T with a very nice original York #803 Suburban Body but did not know the maker of it. I was fortunate to meet Dale Hudson who founded the Wagon Works earlier at Hershey in 1987. He had a large poster filled with detailed photos of a 803 body hung up in his space. I ask...

David Greenlees

The 81 Tire Co. was located in Birmingham, Alabama. The shop's service fleet consisted of eight T roadster pickups and one TT. Note the "81" painted on each trucks door and windshield.

David Greenlees

Hot water or steam vaporizer?

David Greenlees

1-20.jpg Rob, For comparison purposes here, the Racer seat is placed next to an original one on a Mercer Raceabout; one of the cars, a Ford Racer, had a neck and neck battle with on a race track in the period that you have documented in the past. The two seats have the same interior width at the bo...

David Greenlees

Rob, I'm interested in learning more details about this car, have you have been able to determine what size the engine in it was at the time the photo was shot?

David Greenlees

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑
Sun Jun 12, 2022 8:31 pm
"Rob Heyden has dated the picture of Frank Kulick posing in a racing car ..."

The man's name is HEYEN.

Jerry, thanks for catching my typo, and my apology to Rob.

David Greenlees

1-17.jpg First off thanks to all of you for the kind words. The image above is of Frank Kulick posing in the first "T"-based custom-built Factory 1911 390 ci, later 410 ci Racing car when it appears it was just finished. It is the only one of the five or so cars that has flat tops on the front side...

David Greenlees

1-1.jpg This 1910 to '13 Ford Factory Model T racing car seat was in The Henry Ford collection for decades and was de-accessioned about 20 years ago in a parts sale; Glen Rand, an antique car parts dealer, purchased it. He later sold it to Bob Swanson of CT. It was purchased from Bob recently. It h...

David Greenlees

David, Thank you for the update. It appears the K tourabout (some Ford dealers and branches offered the K roadster in a tourer or tourabout in 1908) at Seal Cove was owned at one time by Waterman. That doesn’t mean he didn’t own more than one K, as several have (myself included). That K is quite in...

David Greenlees

1.11.jpg Brent gave an excellent explanation above of how cylinder blocks should be bored and honed. I'll add a little bit of info to what he shared about the use of a torque plate. Whenever you bolt a head on a block and torque the fasteners the cylinder bore changes shape depending on the block, ...

David Greenlees

Rob, Thanks for sharing the history of 808, that car certainly did get around. The RI buyer may have been George Waterman and his partner Kirk Gibson, both were early collectors and VMCCA members who assembled an impressive collection of early automobiles, and racing cars. Bemis may have purchased 8...

David Greenlees

Erik Johnson wrote: ↑
Tue Jun 07, 2022 1:50 pm
More on Elmer Bemis, his Model K and the Anglo-American tour:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/41 ... 1395261672

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/41 ... 1397271279

Erik,Thanks for looking back and finding this information.

David Greenlees

1-1.jpg Rob Heyden, where are these Model K's now? Elmer Bemis owned and operated Bemis Motors Inc. here in Brattleboro Vt, and I believe all of these photos were taken in the 1940s and '50s. The lead image of Bemis' Model K Touring was taken in the 1940s at the VMCCA meet at John R. Macomber's, “R...

David Greenlees

David Greenlees

Olivier, Sorry I can't help you with the wheels. Is the “Montier" a racing car?

David Greenlees

Stock Model T's, in short, "Ford Races," were a part of the program at some of the larger race meets as a filler before the featured races. These races were just as popular with Ford Owners in the grandstand as the Fronty Fords that ran in the Indianapolis 500 races in the 1920s. This race was held ...

David Greenlees

David, I sent an email. There is another seat that sold on a deaccession sale on another site. Looking forward to your article on the seat. Rob Rob its the same seat, a parts dealer bought it at the sale and a friend of mine whose Hershey space is next to his purchased it from him as soon as it cam...

David Greenlees

David, Thank you. That means a lot coming from you. Thank you for your many contributions to our hobby. You're welcome Rob, the pre-Model T coverage of the K and other models and the T racing cars you've done is very interesting. I recently purchased a genuine Ford factory T racing car seat that wa...

David Greenlees

Rob, Thanks for posting both articles, and all of the earlier ones.

David Greenlees

s-l500.jpeg I always use Felpro gasket sets on engines rebuilt in the shop when available because they are the best on the market. The last T set used came with a copper gasket, although their set for T available now, part number: FS 7012 B it is shown in blue and may still be copper? If not anythi...

David Greenlees

I enjoy the pleasant and distinctive smell of the aromatic hydrocarbons in race gas while racing at the track, in the pits and at the shop. Although, your wife's opinion may vary.

David Greenlees

I have used the tire method when restoring them several times with old originals and it's always worked fine, but it takes quite a bit of time and a lot of effort.

David Greenlees

David, When using a solid copper head gasket is there a need to anneal it before installation? I would assume that even a "soft" copper blank would tend to harden through the cutting process would it not? Lastly, if needed, how do you anneal it? Harry Lillo [/quote} Harry, if you buy it from a comp...

David Greenlees

Gasket Works makes reusable solid copper head gaskets that will work fine on a T. Thin 20 or 18 gauge is less expensive but will bump up the compression ratio by a small amount unless you have them use thicker material. They have the pattern for the T's and A's @ http://www.headgasket.com I've made ...

David Greenlees

0-5.jpg Jack E. Gallivan is well known for his remarkable gear-driven DOHC conversion above. But, before he produced that masterpiece he designed the gear-driven elevated SOHC conversion below for a Rajo BB heads that apparently was his first OHC equipped T-based racing engine he used in his race c...

David Greenlees

David Greenlees

Gene_French wrote: ↑
Tue May 03, 2022 10:05 am
David: I have admired the older Volvo's for their mechanical durability ...always an optimist ...Gene French

Gene, Yes, that plus the postwar Volvos were patterned after US built vehicle from the 1930s to the '60s and have SAE fasteners, check into ours @ https://theoldmotor.com/?s=volvo

David Greenlees

11-Cole_Series_30_Model_L_Spdstr_DV-06-PB_01.jpeg 229403191_3725cf24c1_z.jpeg Have been fortunate to find half a dozen barn finds over the years, and this is my favorite, a 1911 Cole Speedster. It was a two owner car parked by the original owner in 1922. The second owner who ran a back woods junkya...

David Greenlees

Gentlemen: seems that i remember some of the Bosch dist. units on 1960's cars other than the VW that had facilities on the points plate for mounting the points to allow for either clockwise or counter clockwise rotation, and the counterweights were reversible ...with the correct spring and counterw...

David Greenlees

4-9.jpg Dan, Thanks for the info on the DuCoil and the manifold. This is a photo of a spare Delco distributor and cap for the Nash unit I posted earlier. It has the angled rotor you mentioned. We took it off of an engine that ran quite well in a Mercury speedster with a Rajo BB head w/twin plugs fo...

David Greenlees

Ducoil in Bosch Front Plate. 0531162021.jpg Dan, that is a very interesting distributor and it even looks old, did you set up? Who made that intake manifold? It works on the same principal as Mike's Delco 668,1930 Studebaker distributor above. Here is what I found online about how it works: The Dua...

David Greenlees

Here's my first set-up on my BB near 30 years ago - I've since updated to a later model Nissan with electronic modules. Back when I started building mine, a Bosch ZR4 was around $2400 rebuilt IF you could locate one ! What size or letter Winfield SR are you using and how well does it work for you? ...

David Greenlees

3-10-1080x650.jpeg 2-13.jpeg The Ford Motor Co. Kelly-Springfield trucks built in Springfield, OH by the Kelly Motor Truck Company are delivering supplies to Highland Park Ford Plant. The lead image was taken next to the new concrete pad recently poured next to the Ford Plant. This is the area was ...

David Greenlees

5a515e0dde649_doubledistributorbase.jpg.95e7dd5f1147952ca98a8538efc3e47a.jpg 1.jpg Morgan, Here is one that slipped my mind that was made in the teens and twenties and they come up for sale now and then; it is probably the most affordable vintage dual systems today. It's a Philbrin dual 4 cylinder ...

David Greenlees

1.jpg 2.jpg Morgan if you want to stay pre-1928 here are two of your choices and one the dates to 1929. Left to right top photo: a Stutz Dual Delco and a ZR4 Bosch two-spark mag although both are expensive and hard to get in todays market place and will also need rebuilding. There are other two spa...

David Greenlees

Morgan, On occasion, I have found that the upper part of one or more of the rear motor mounts has gotten bent over the years. It is very hard to straighten one with the engine installed. Take all four of the motor mount bolts out and the woodblocks and recheck your trans alignment; if it has changed...

David Greenlees

No way I grew up in Dracut. Too cool Shane, It sounds like the two men might have been revving it up in the parking lot when the flywheel exploded? The writers explanation of the "shaft was lengthened and some of the bearings were left out" doesn't clearly tell the story, and leaves us wondering if...

David Greenlees

1.jpg 2.jpg The news story above was found in the June 3, 1921, Lowell Sun newspaper (MA) while doing some racing research in New England. I decided to post this for individuals who have speedsters or racing cars with modified engines and run them today at high RPMs and are unaware of the fact that...

David Greenlees

I like to storage spot for the spare tire, it appears the body is a work in progress.

David Greenlees

pete eastwood wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 12, 2022 10:11 pm
I'd love to have a 1913 roadster.

I would as well. When I was about 10 or 12 I got a ride in one on a tour and we followed my family in our '24 T York-bodied depot hack which is heavy and slow. The lightweight roadster could do rings around it going up hills and also had a much smoother ride.

David Greenlees

Dr Liston took some time from his busy practice and had his roadster photographed in Bellows Falls, VT near the Connecticut River. The source of the photo, the Rockingham Library has dated it as being taken on June 12, 1913. Note the added electric horn.

The photo is enlargeable.

David Greenlees

Nice machine Randall, the Storm Vulcan Block Master is one of the best and most accurate and versatile machines for milling heads and blocks. Many racing and high performance engine shops used to use these machines.

David Greenlees

Harry "HAL" Leo Hosterman started developing overhead cam conversion heads in 1921 and by the late 1920s to early 1930s he started developing the DOHC heads. He cast his own block, and aluminum oil pan, and made the connecting rods and 5-main bearing crankshaft.

David Greenlees

Interesting how the extra main saddles used the two adjacent tappet bores to hold the saddle into the block. Dan, until just recently when I stumbled upon some photos of two of these bronze bulkheads out of an engine it was a mystery about how they attached, because of Roof's sideways view of the a...

David Greenlees

5.jpg The lower end of this engine appears to be equipped with either a Roof or a Green five-main bearing crankshaft, and a set of bronze main bearing supports for #2 and #3 mains. All of the mains have been fitted with bronze caps with steel re-enforcing plates. Some of the other pieces in the pho...

David Greenlees

Stephen1915 wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:21 am
David, do you know of anyone running a B crank with the standard splash system?

No, but there are a number of people that do it. On the other side of the coin, the oiling system can be completely hidden inside of the engine.

David Greenlees

I grew up with my father's antique cars when young, and he got his first one by trading a Cushman motor scooter and $35 for it. The car is an all-original 1924 T depot hack (that I still have) with a beautiful deluxe York body he bought the day after I was born in 1955 when my mother was still in th...

David Greenlees

Stephen1915: If you are going to do one of these conversions, you should consider drilling the crank and setting it up for full-pressure oiling with an oil filter; if you are going to use inserts, it is necessary. Another reason for an improved oiling system is something many don't take into conside...

David Greenlees

The car on the left in the third photo is a L-head Mercer Raceabout.

David Greenlees

David Greenlees

Couple of ideas re the spindle bolts. The Dodge setup used a steel thrust washer on top between the spindle and axle. You could go with 9/16 spindle bolt and make brass hat type bushings to fit. Another idea, aren't Model A spindle bolts 5/8"? If so, maybe you could use the Model A spindle bolt bea...

David Greenlees

Well, it's been a couple of weeks, but during that time, a set of 1914 to '18 Dodge Brothers spindles with steering arms, a tie rod, drag link, and a pitman arm have been found, along with all of the necessary pieces and hardware for the installation. And just like Arthur Chevrolet, who sold and bui...

David Greenlees

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51944833125_5290caf3fe_c.jpg Les, you did an impressive job on the engine in the photos and all of the others you have posted photos of. This is the crankshaft, and it's a late-'20s DOHC Fronty crankshaft that is part of the Fronty engine that was one of two engi...

David Greenlees

got10carz wrote: ↑
Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:07 pm
Looks like mine.

got10carz: Your crankshaft looks really nice, did you modify it yourself or did a shop do it for you? Is the rear main shortened or was the block moved forward? How did it work out for you in the end? Did you install the B camshaft on the right side of the photos as well?

David Greenlees

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51942008451_1385240837_c.jpg Have all of the equipment to babbitt and bore T mains and rods and and other early engines and have been doing it for over 40 years. However, instead of using babbitt for this application, I'm considering using Onan connecting rod ins...

David Greenlees

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51898309450_64b0fa29f8_b.jpg This is a forged 1933 to '40 Model C Ford factory-designed and manufactured one piece counterbalanced crankshaft (NOT welded counterbalances.) I shortened it to fit a Model T and drilled for full-pressure oiling and T camshaft clearan...

David Greenlees

Have done a couple complete 3D printed sand molds. Here is my dual Winfield manifold project https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22568&p=197051#p197051 Nice work, this is the way to do it today if you can. Saves a lot of work and the end product is superior to doing it the old fashione...

David Greenlees

After pondering how to build a new Winfield head for several years, a little inspiration and curiosity yields something very similar to a Green. Better pics, or better yet measurements, and a little more patience could get a design that’s really close to an original... 949B7AA3-7F9A-41E1-A750-F1919...

David Greenlees

An earlier carb thread worth looking at @ http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/17 ... 1324780912

David Greenlees

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51920399061_a7b525f0f8_c.jpg While we are talking about Zenith's this is a very rare aluminum Zenith L6 carb on the engine in the photo. I purchased it from friend Josh Houlton in 2009 for use on a T racing engine I was planning to build with a Rajo BB head I too...

David Greenlees

Scott_Conger wrote: ↑
Sat Mar 05, 2022 3:50 pm
The four considerations in setting up a Zenith of this vintage are these: Choke tube diameter, main jet, compensating jet, idle jet

Scott, do you know of an online source for Zenith's tuning specs you mentioned before or the name of the publication?

David Greenlees

David, any recommendations on which zenith would be the best choice? Your typical model M or possibly an L ? Zenith bronze updraft carb as pictured on the #2 Car above. I don't know much about the model letters or sizes offered but typically are IE: 1 2 3 4 and larger. They were made with various d...

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