MTFCA Forum

Your timer rod is hitting the pitman arm and has worn the paint off. Curve the end of the rod to clear the pitman arm. You may get more travel in your timer. I had a similar situation and found that the lever that the rod connects to was not drilled correctly. I reversed the lever and gained a lot m...

Is this a Canadian-made truck? For some reason I was thinking that frames for the UK market had taller rear crossmembers to lower the car. Where did I get that impression?

South Park Zephyr wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 22, 2025 2:28 pm
Jerry,
Can I ask where you found that reamer?

Scott

I bought mine from Lang's.

You need a fixture to keep the reamer square to the deck surface. I had 2 valve guides that had broken off and someone glued them back on. It didn't hold up. One of those guides was angled from wear. I installed thick bronze guides to fix it. A friend made a reamer guide for me. There are better des...

Par’m me, fellers as I beat this to death. #11 is a real puzzle ! Remember, the camera sees the image upside down - Perhaps someone will enlighten me, I have never seen a film or plate holder camera where the slide did not draw from the right side of the camera. So, how was it done ? I believe ther...

There are instructions for attaching photos in the Forum Support section.

My reproduction rivets were too long. The rings took hours and swearing to remove. I shortened them with a grinder and I can get the rings off easily now.

I had identical symptoms. The vibration was horrible. My problem was that one of my connecting rods was the old heavy version. It weighed 42 grams more than the others. I replaced all four rods and balanced the rod-piston assemblies. That made a huge improvement.

Check out rbauction.com for a list of cars selling in White Bluff Tennessee. I think I counted 59 Model T's in the listing. It looks like something for everyone with only a handful of project cars.

If the pinion bearing is the Fun Projects kit, the collar that is clamped onto the driveshaft may have slipped a little. That could allow too much driveshaft thrust. Remove the plug under the u-joint and see if you can pry the driveshaft fore-aft.

Can’t believe I’m reading this right now, he just made a custom YouTube video for me a week ago so I could rebuild a seat frame for my coupe. Very sorry to hear of his passing. He will be missed dearly, a huge loss to the model t community. My condolences to his family and friends. Ed, could you po...

Oh No. This is horrible news and a gut punch to those of us who did not know him but understood his passion. I'm sorry for your and his family's loss. Mark

Installing a fuel filter is the worst thing on your to-do list. Don't do it. It will give you more grief than it's worth. They are too restrictive and will starve your engine unless you have a non-stock fuel pump.

He's listed in the "Search for members" section. You can email from there.

Add a photo?

This is how I ran the fuel line.

Do a search for Tiny Tach. I had one on my lawn tractor and it was not affected by the mag. They have an hour meter built in too. It will look totally out of place on a T.

I have a 6 volt system with no magneto. It would not run at higher rpm's. It was gutless. But I installed an E-timer and that made a huge difference. It runs as well as having a magneto.

You may not need new babbit. A tear down will tell. Many times shim removal & time saver will get the bottom end back to reliable/new. A valve job can be done in place, except the last exhaust valve. The motor has to be moved forward on the frame. Wise decision to retain the improved drive train. J...

Dan, are their too many pages of Model T sales to post more photos here? It would be interesting data for the MTFCA community.

Mark

I bought one of those in the '70's and used it for years until I accidentally melted the hose against an exhaust manifold. It works very well and there's no gasoline in the pump, as Dave mentioned. I know because I did the sniff test.

Doug, if the ratchet interference is marginal, you could enlarge its inside surface with a Dremel tool. Ratchets are easier to adjust than engine pans in-situ.

My Fulton cutout had been brazed to an exhaust pipe at some time in its life. (What a mess that was to clean up.) Getting a good seal has always been an issue with these.

You might try Big Flats Rivets for odd sizes. I don't have contact info.

babychadwick wrote: ↑
Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:44 pm

If I can't find points that is the route I will take.

Chad, I sent you a PM regarding points.

These look like 21's to me.

My engine had a bone chilling vibration over 30 mph. It's the only T that I've driven, so I asumed that was normal. I discovered (and remedied) that problem last winter. I had one heavy connecting rod that weighed 42 grams more than the others! On our first spring drive, my wife immediately commente...

I'm currently in the testing phase. I installed a Fulton valve and I have two different Aermore whistles. I have four pedals to select from. For testing, I'm using a thin paracord that I ran through the front floorboard finger hole. I can pull the cord to open the valve. Once I'm satisfied with the ...

I'm with 36mike. I've given boxes of spare parts to a local club member who's building a depot hack as a father-son-daughter project. Other club members have made donations to the project too.

Scott Conger makes carb parts. I don't now if Stromberg parts are among them.

I cut the seats in my '26 Runabout without removing (or moving forward) my engine. The Neway cutters worked great. I have not cut seats in a Fordor, which may require moving the engine.

While you guys see the products and tags in the photo, I see the shelf that is used to display them. I designed that shelf product line in 1995. The company that I worked for (now retired) continues to make about 40,000 of them every day. They're everywhere.

I've had Grizzly woodworking tools for about 20 years. I'm completely happy with them (although I did change to industrial clamps on the jointer). When I visited the Grizzly store in Springfield, Missouri, I'm glad that I didn't bring a truck. My brother-in-law and I could easily have filled the tru...

Another thing to consider when using a nylon gear is that most, of not all, nylon gears must use a thinner camshaft timing gear nut to avoid the nut shorting the timer from the timer roller touching it. I think both Lang's and Snyder's include this nut with their nylon gears. I have a reground cam ...

I was thinking along the same lines as Jerry, except I would reinforce the finish washers with bondo or JB Weld before pressing. A c-clamp could work.

Won a People's Choice award even though I brought the tallest and lowest horsepower car to the show.

I found that the easiest way to clean my front wire wheels is to jack up one wheel and turn the steering wheel as needed to get easy access. I did that today and discovered that a spindle arm was loose. The cotter pin was there but the nut was loose. I tightened the nut three notches. What did I do ...

Have you checked with Tom VanMeeteren? He's a forum member who might have what you need.

Yesterday's project was to install a 7.5 degree advanced timing gear. I'm satisfied with the improvement. I had installed a reground 280 cam last year and it destroyed my low rpm torque. The grinder is unknown (not Chaffins) so I did not know if the advance was ground in. It wasn't. Idle quality was...

Dave, I've had Ulysse Spedometer app on Android phones for at least 15 years. You're right. I can't find it on the play store now.

Where's that "like" button when I need it?

I use Ulysee Speedometer app on my phone. I can customize the screen as needed.

Kent, my "cage" was a little simpler. I cut in half a 1"×1"×1/8"×48" angle iron. I put the two halves on opposite sides of the axle shafts with several hose clamps.

The chart is see POTUS Holding up says “Tariffs Charged to the United States” reveals Viet Nam charging 90% tariff causing our administration to impose a 46% tariff on them. …FWIW George, Vietnam is not charging a 90% tariff on US goods. The chart says "tariff" but the value is a ratio of the trade...

Mine has 3 holes. The upper goes through the center brace. I thought that coupes used 4 but I don't have one of those to confirm. Sorry, I'm vacationing and don't have access to my photos at the moment.

Go to the general discussion forum. At the upper right there are page numbers. Click the highest number (216 at the moment) and it will take you to Jan 6 2019.

Can anyone decipher thar poster in the upper left? I see 1915 or 1916?

I have an E-Timer that works flawlessly. I don't have a magneto and 6 volts was not up to the task. If you have a working mag, I recommend the I-Timer.

You did, Jerry. This is it.

Outstanding progress, Mike. I always enjoy seeing your work.

Number 9 looks a lot like this 1912 Cadillac that is owned by one of this forum's members.

There is a swap meet in Lincoln, Nebraska on Sunday. I will be joining my club members there on Saturday. We will be marking the floor for vendor spaces. We do this every year for camaraderie, a sneak peak at what vendors brought, and the venue donates a percentage of proceeds to our club. It's a wi...

I have one that I recently removed. I'm showing it to a local club member Saturday. He's thinking of buying it. If he passes, I will let you know. I have 2 spare foot pedals for it too. This is just a cutout and not for an exhaust whistle.

Ask a kid today what they want to be when they grow up. A recent study revealed the number 1 answer. Influencer was at the top. When I was a kid the "influencer" was called Dad. At 90 years old now, he still does not hesitate to tell me when I'm not sweeping the shop floor his way. Love you too, Dad.

mbowen wrote: ↑
Wed Feb 05, 2025 11:08 am
Sorry, it’s just something that triggers my OCD, nothing personal.

Fixed, Miles.

Mike, maybe have a silent pass signal (lights only) but have a loud audible failure notification. Upon failure, the device could go "Wah, Wah, Wah"

Our club, Centennial Model T Club, was given a tour of the restoration shop of the Strategic Air Command Museum. It is not open to the public but one of our members has connections. The tools and equipment are what you normally find an a restoration shop. The vehicles are just bigger. I think there ...

viewtopic.php?t=3730

This is a good place to start.

What about the lack of rings for cast iron pistons? Hastings is not making them and Grant doesn't want to make them either.

A dirt dauber nest in the intake has been shown to prevent starting.

I have a Ford script oil can and it leaks at the bottom seam. Cleaning it well enough to solder it from the inside seems to be impossible.

The "bar" on the end of your steering column is the pitman arm. It has a ball where it connects to the drag link. The ball gets worn down if it's not greased properly. The pitman arm is replaceable and you can buy a new one from the vendors if you wish. Another option is to build up the ball with we...

I have this one. It's complete except it's missing the brass mounting brackets.

The last photo has Apperson Motor Cars signs above the tire pumps. Might this be a multi-make dealership?

When you don't plan to reuse the old cup, run a bead with a mig welder on the face of the race. It will cause the cup to shrink. You don't heat the hub.

26-27 shells have sides that are angled to match the hood. Earlier shells have parallel sides.

Both are in stable condition but my brother-in-law's nephew will be in the hospital for a few months with a brain injury. His friend had his intubation tube removed and is in good spirits. He needs more surgeries on his legs. They are on an extended leave from the military. They came here to Nebrask...

How are they doing? Any better? I hope? Norm Both are consdered "stable" at this time but need more surgeries. My brother-in-law's nephew has brain injuries, among others. He is expected to be in the hospital for a few months. He is still intubated but able to communicate with a whiteboard. His fri...

My sister and brother-in-law's nephew and his friend were run over on Bourbon St. Both had surgeries yesterday and today for the most severe injuries. Neither is considered stable yet with head injuries and crushed bones. Happy new year.

Dennis, I'm preparing to make a wood rim for my steeringwheel. I never considered making one like yours. I like it, but I think that I'll stay with the factory shape.

My niece recently graduated from college. Her daily driver since the age of 17 is a 1951 Packard 200 Deluxe. She drives it anywhere and often. She loves old cars. I suppose it's a family trait.

The red washer goes between the ends of the axles in the carrier. It keeps the shafts from moving in and out.

Photo test

It started as a simple project, but sh1t happens. It turns out that my Runabout has heavy connecting rods on cylinders 1 and 4. The others are light. The difference is 43 grams. I need to replace one of each due to worn bearings. The best rod is a heavy one. It's practically new. I don't have extra ...

Is the thrust of your front cam bearing good? I had a problem with too much cam thrust (worn bearing) that caused issues. I doubt that the spring could not overcome thrust but that possibility had not been mentioned yet.

Paul, once you remove the needle from the brass nut, the fingers are easily bent to tighten their grip. Using channel locks with the fingers around the brass nut will do no good, but you already know that.

I have the same problem on occasion. I have a 1-piece valve cover and oil mist from the throttle rod hole lubricates the fingers on the needle. Cleaning it is part of my normal routine.

Re-read the first post. He never said that he was in first gear at 30 mph. He said "...or the high end of first".

James, my '26 Runabout has the same symptoms that you described. Mine is in cylinder 3 (shorted sparkplug method). I have about 20 miles on the engine since adjusting rod bearings. That points a finger at the wrist pin end. I wasn't planning engine work this fall but that may change. Thank you to al...

My dad graduated from high school in 1952. Three of his classmates drove a Model T from Missouri to Oregon and back as a summer trip. There were no reported problems with the car.

The harmonic imbalance in my '26 Runabout is between 32-35 mph. The vibration at that speed will make the fillings fall out of your teeth. I have heard one other T in a video that sounds like mine. I, too, have never driven another T and wondered if the vibration is normal.

I have these.

Tom, I think I have 2 pitman arms in my stash. One ball is severely worn, the other looks good. I'll get pictures tomorrow.

Mark, that cleaning vinegar that I have is 30%. Household vinegar is 5%.

For me, there is one good thing about getting older. After working 53 years, I retired on Wednesday! My list of T projects has been growing and it's time to get after it.

Novice wrote: ↑
Thu Sep 05, 2024 1:55 am
I had a Massey Ferguson 135 gas 3 banger tractor engine that ran very smooth.

O.T. Jim, I have an MF135 too with the 3-cylinder Perkins gas engine. The bore, stroke and most of the short block is the same as the Perkins diesel. It runs smoothly since installing modern plug wires.

Outstanding progress, Mike. It looks like the steel panels on doors don't have flanges on their edges. Is that how Ford made them and how will they attach to wood frames? I'm enjoying following your progress.

Craig, The E timer bypasses coil points with the installation of the fused jumper. The E timer fires the coil at the best time without relying on point adjustment. The photo with the solid jumper wire will work but dues not have fuse protection. I-timer is more like the mechanical timer that relies ...

The E-timer requires a 4A replaceable fuse at the coil box. It is not in the timer itself. I installed the fuse under my '26 coil box at the power-in terminal.

Did you confirm that the E-timer fuse is not blown?

Do you have a neoprene seal on the fuel inlet? Tim Juhl has a great photo of a collapsed fuel line from overtightening, blocking fuel flow.

The spindle arm nut should not be tightened onto the spindle until after the front suspension is assembled. The tie rod's bolts will dictate the position of the arm on spindles. Tightening before final assembly will guarantee binding.

What is your recommendation for adjusting coils to work with an E-Timer installed? I expect that removing and reinstalling the fused jumper would change point settings. But, is that not a concern with an E-Timer?

Turn the belt around. Will it run against the rear of the pulley? It's a cheap test.

We have "Surprise Lilies" in the garden. However, everyone who know what they are call them "Naked Ladies".

Dave, I have a Ford NH on my car now. I rebuilt the L-4 that came with my car and it worked fine. I did not install one of Scott's valves in it. I also rebuilt the NH and found that my car idles smoother than with the Kingston. Otherwise, I saw no difference. I have one of Scott's valves in the NH b...

This is the engine side of my L-4.

That looks like a Kingston L-4. The circled plug holds a cork bump-stop that the internal flapper hits during full throttle. Reach behind the carb (engine side) and see if there is a bolt that is the horizontal axle for the flapper to confirm. There may be other companies that used the flapper techn...

I measured the shoes I'm wearing now and they're 4 7/8" wide. Wide feet is my problem when driving.

If I was going to build a speedster, this is what I would build. That is one sexy T.

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