MTFCA Forum

Randy SR

At the end of June the #2 rod cap failed and the crankshaft put the end or the rod through the side of the block. I can't tell what caused the failure, but I suspect the fella that assembled it (me) missed something. Thanks to several of you on the forum I found a 1926 engine/transmission and am goi...

Randy SR

I have found an engine block, and can use my old hogs head, even though it has the ears cut off. I'd replace it if I found one in the Portland area for a reasonable price....

Randy SR

I had a catastrophic failure of the #2 rod and I'm now in the market for an engine block for my 1927 Roadster. The current engine is a 1925, my hogs head had the ears cut off by a previous owner,

Randy SR

Photo #7, my grandparents were married in Sedan Kansas in 1922, my dad was born and raised there. They probably shopped at the "Variety" in Sedan, and most likely were acquainted with the cat!

Randy SR

From the post title I expected to see pictures from Washington DC........

Randy SR

Thanks for all the replies! Now to find a drive shaft......

Randy SR

I found out the problem, and it wasn't the Ruckstell. The drive shaft failed at the pinion gear key slot. The key, pinion gear, pinion gear nut, and a chunk of the drive shaft and sleeve were all in the bottom of the differential housing. The bearing also has a broken roller now. I rebuilt the rear ...

Randy SR

I dropped the axle today, dug out my books and videos, and will tear into it on Monday......

Randy SR

It has the later style shifter on the axle housing, has a large slot for a screw driver on the forward end.

Randy SR

I have a '26 Roadster. Yesterday, while going up a long hill, I tried to shift the Ruckstell into low and it got stuck in neutral. Fortunately, I have Rocky Mountain brakes so I was able to stop rolling backwards and make a controlled stop. And I have a good friend who came quickly and towed me home...

Randy SR

I grew up in the '60's listening to my grandfather's stories about Model T's and reading his books about them. I was always interested in old cars, and had restored a '64 T-bird. In 1999 I bought a '65 Mustang for a daily driver and went through it until it was reliable. I never figured on owning an...

Randy SR

I will buy one as well, sounds like an awesome tool!

Randy SR

I was at a car show with my 26 roadster and a guy with modern iron (50''s muscle car) said he had a set of split rims like the ones on my car and asked i I wanted them. I went over after the show and got them, but they aren't Model T. Any idea what they are? The tires on them were 4.75 - 19, so I th...

Randy SR

The engine ran fine before the valve seat came apart. I may not be a smart man, but I DID number the valves, and labelled EVERYTHING so I could put it back together exactly as it came apart. The affected valve has no marks on it, but I will change it just the same. I'm taking the valves down to the ...

Randy SR

I got everything taken apart today. The forum search taught me to build an adapter for my engine stand, and make a $0 valve spring compressor. The rods and babbitts all look good, looks like the only damage is to the top of the #2 piston and bottom of the aluminum head. I'm hauling the block down to...

Randy SR

Great information from forum members as usual, i had not considered the rod or babbit issues. Engine is out now, today I will make an adapter (as seen on the forum to mount the engine to my engine stand and start disassembly.

Randy SR

Does anybody know where I can get a single .020 over aluminum piston? The affected one is pretty battered on the top, the others are all good, and the vendors only list them as a set of four.

Randy SR

It looks like only #2 and #3 exhaust valves have seats, so I will replace them both, and have a good look at #1 and #4 as well. Radiator, headlights and bar, floorboards, and steering column are out. DIsconnecting drive shaft will be next, then engine mount bolts. Should be ready to pull the engine ...

Randy SR

Norm, I will definitely check there. The valve seat failed between the valve and the exhaust manifold side of the engine, so not on the cylinder side.

Randy SR

Good information; a couple of months ago I found the #2 exhaust valve was VERY loose, and adjusted it, so that may be my problem. Upon closer inspection, it appears there are inserts on the #2 and #3 exhaust valves only. My magneto has not worked for a long time, the clutch is slipping, and the low ...

Randy SR

Re: good news/bad news. What tools do I need to do the job in the car? If tool costs are too high, it's probably easiest to take the engine out to someone who is equipped and knows what they're doing. As far as the bad news, I don't know why it came apart, and maybe I want to replace them all.

Randy SR

I've got about 10 years on this rebuild, or about 2,000 miles. At some point in the past steel valve seat inserts were installed in the block. I cranked the engine over until the #2 exhaust valve was lifted and can see that it's a valve seat like the one that Lang's shows in their catalog. The valve...

Randy SR

On my way to pick up my grandkids this morning, the engine started making a racket. Got a tow home, pulled the head, and found a chunk of metal in the #2 cylinder. Upon looking closer, there is a chunk of the #2 exhaust valve seat missing, the same size as the piece of metal I found. Is it possible ...

Randy SR

The picture labeled "Main Street, Larned Kansas" is actually Broadway, (Main is one block west) taken from the intersection of 4th and Broadway, looking north. Looks like the buildings are all still there.

Randy SR

The picture of Stephens Pass (#33) was taken only a year after the highway was opened in July of 1925. It's now US Highway 2, from Everett Washington to Spokane, Washington.

Randy SR

From 1999 to 2015 my daily driver was a '65 Mustang 2+2 (Fastback). I put over 150,000 miles on it, took it apart, and restored it. I had it back on the road for about a month when a guy in a new F-150 ran a stop sign and t-boned me, and totally destroyed it. He admitted to doing 45 when he hit me. ...

Randy SR

In the mid 80's the Air Force allowed us to upgrade our special ops helicopter by replacing our tail mounted mini-guns with M-2 .50 cal machine guns. They came in cosmoline, which our gun plumbers grumbled about, but when cleaned off the guns were brand new, never been fired. The serial numbers star...

Randy SR

Bad typing, that's 1938, not '35.

Randy SR

The coupe in the last picture has Ohio license plates, 1935.

Randy SR

Army 15, Navy 0.

Randy SR

That's him, I sent a pm.

Randy SR

Last spring when I needed a head gasket and nobody had them, a forum member from California sent me one. Now that I have received the one I had on back order, I need to send it on to him, but can't remember who sent it, or where I wrote his name and address down. It doesn't help that my phone dumped...

Randy SR

I got my back order last week. Last spring when I ordered one and found them back-ordered, a forum member sent me one. Now I can't remember who sent it to me! I want to send him a replacement, but can't figure out where to send it.

Randy SR

I just installed a P head on my 26 roadster pickup. Everything fit fine, no problems with clearance. The only trouble I had was getting a head gasket, but forum member helped me out. I live up a long steep hill, and I am very happy with the improved performance. I haven't checked specific fuel consu...

Randy SR

One of my grandmothers was born in 1896, and remembered moving from Virginia to Ohio in a covered wagon. She always said the house was in Virginia, the barn in Kentucky, and the outhouse in Tennessee, (and made it obvious it was a slight exaggeration!) She remembered being let out of school to watch...

Randy SR

As usual, I learned something new on the forum today. I didn't know there were solid copper gaskets, I was looking for a copper clad gasket. Steve Jelf just doubled the number of suppliers I knew about. I talked to Don today and he is going to set me up with one of his spares, so I hope to be back o...

Randy SR

i'm using an old Navajo style blanket as a seat cover on my '26 roadster. It was a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law (who passed away in 1987, so i've had it a while!) It looks very period-correct, I think.

Randy SR

I called Mac's, they have run out of them too. Antique Auto Ranch is now only open on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I will have to wait to call them.

Randy SR

I'm installing a Prus head on my 26 roadster, and the copper head gaskets are all on back order. I talked to the folks at Snyders, they said there was a mistake in the last order they received, the head gaskets were for Model A, not Model T. When they caught the mistake, the factory had been shut do...

Randy SR

As an air ambulance helicopter pilot, I went to a lot of car vs tree accidents. The tree always wins, and you have to go pretty darn fast to knock over a tree, even one that small. In about 2008 we responded to a crash to find a new Volvo sedan wrapped around a tree that size. The car was in the pro...

Randy SR

I've been having trouble making it up the hill to my house, so I pulled the plugs and cleaned and gapped them, and cleaned the timer. It didn't seem to be running any better, so used a plastic handled screwdriver and shorted the plugs one at a time. The #2 plug had no spark. Swapped #1 and #2 coils,...

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