MTFCA Forum

HaroldRJr

.....oops! The very next thread I brought up (firewall post) contains another post from John Regan! Oh well,...no harm done I guess,.....just one more "foot-in-mouth" post from me!

HaroldRJr

Please excuse this "aside" remark, but just felt the need to mention this,....since you've "retired" from, and passed your business (Fun Projects, Inc.) on to someone else, we don't hear from you very often on the Forum John. Really miss hearing from you once in awhile! Nice to know you're still wel...

HaroldRJr

I'm thinking that it just rolled behind something in the shop. If your shop is like most, there are a lot of things a shift knob could roll behind and out of sight. I find that as a last resort, it helps to find a lost item by using a bright flashlight so as to light up large, as well as very small ...

HaroldRJr

Crankshaft pulley/pin assembly?

HaroldRJr

.....well,.....in thinking about it, the name "TROP-ARTIC" appearing on a Model T Ford tool,....that would have been considerably BEFORE multi-viscosity motor oil! However, "TROP-ARTIC" is a Phillips 66 brand name. I guess maybe that name was meant to convince people to use Phillips 66 motor oil for...

HaroldRJr

To add a bit to what Scott said, the tool is marked "TROP-ARTIC LUBRICANTS", which is an old brand name for a line of Phillips 66 motor oil. Multi-viscosity motor oils were a pretty "big deal" when they were a new concept back in "mid-century" times,....hence the "cutsie" name! Not trying to sound l...

HaroldRJr

Some accessory overhead valve heads use an oiled felt pad that lays inside the valve cover and on top of the rocker arms and supplies a slight but constant bit of lubrication to upper parts of overhead valve train. The felt pad is periodically soaked with oil to perpetuate this constant bit of lubri...

HaroldRJr

Hey Mack! Let us hear from you once in awhile, o.k? And a photo or two of that pickup would sure be of great interest too! But if nothing else, just a little "one-liner" note would be good. Thanx for coming on here today, great to hear from you, .....harold

HaroldRJr

Scott C. - You are absolutely right! Now that I take the time to visualize the exact position of tire flaps inside the tire, they certainly don't in any way become "pinched" between tire bead and rim. Not sure what I was thinking, or maybe more correctly stated, I guess I just was NOT thinking! :oop...

HaroldRJr

Bob - I believe the conversation between you and Allen indirectly answers the question. Rim liners will not help in regard to tires slipping/rotating on the rims, but I believe flaps will make all the difference. Flaps are made of pretty thick rubber, and because they become pinched between the rim ...

HaroldRJr

I'm pretty sure that besides extensive and ongoing engine work, Steve has done a lot of work on that front end and steering since that video was made, as there sure is a lot of "slop" in that steering! Nice "trip into town" type video though, huh? Just the sort of thing that I like to do to make "er...

HaroldRJr

Recent discussion on the forum prompts a question: There are a couple things about Model T Fords that do not make sense to me. Considering the fact that generally speaking, Henry Ford took great strides toward "inexpensiveness" if that's a word,....there might be a good reason that I've just never h...

HaroldRJr

I'd suggest steel brake line with a short length (maybe three or four inches) of good quality neoprene approved fuel line at each end. This would provide flexibility and also insulate the fuel line from vibration. If you were willing to go to the extra time, trouble and expense, I would "double clam...

HaroldRJr

My Dad told me that when they were kids, my Uncle Jack (Dads' older brother) put "one of them new-fangled foot-feeds" on the family Model T but failed to tell their dad about it. Dad said that the "foot-feed" only lasted one day! Had something to do with "the ol' man" driving the Model T thru' the e...

HaroldRJr

A motometer is a "prime target"!

HaroldRJr

Howard - I think Terry Horlick has come very close to the problem because he is absolutely correct in that the car should respond normally to "low pedal" and move forward with the low pedal depressed when the hand brake lever is in a vertical position. In the vertical position, the brake shoes shoul...

HaroldRJr

Henry - You reminded me of a Model T story my Dad told me: Dad had an older brother that he never really got along too well with, and I think one reason my Dad liked to tell this story was because the story was about one time that "big brother" got in pretty serious trouble with their Dad: Seems tha...

HaroldRJr

I commented on this forum that I have used a post strap for many years, however in reading all the additional comments, it occurred to me that this would be a great way to "re-purpose" wrecking yard seat belt webbing, or for that matter, any source of old nylon webbing. When installing a battery, ju...

HaroldRJr

There was a post that appeared in the forum today entitled: "Who Stores Their Car With The Top Up?) and I made a comment to that post regarding the fact that dust & dirt that accumulates between the folds when the top is down is very abrasive and is the single most cause of wear in a convertible top...

HaroldRJr

There is one other point that I don't believe was mentioned so far, and that is the fact that the most wear to a soft (or convertible) top occurs when the car is driven with the top down. That is because, unless extra padding between folds and special care is taken, the dust and dirt that collects b...

HaroldRJr

Larry - Nice photos of a nice tour, and nice weather to my way of thinking, but that's because I don't get along too well with the sun, which according to the dermatologist, I should avoid whenever possible. I've been to San Francisco several times, and I don't think I've EVER seen the very top of t...

HaroldRJr

.....aaagh,.....meant to say ".....as of yesterday, 6/23". Sorry,....need a 2nd cuppa' coffee!

HaroldRJr

As of yesterday (6/17), there is a beautiful photograph on the SHORPY website of an old dealership in Plentywood, Montana, that apparently sold and installed a kit which would turn a Model T Ford into a farm tractor. For anyone not familiar with the Shorpy website, just "Google" Shorpy, bring up the...

HaroldRJr

Hmmm,...."camshaft pry bar",.....reminds that
early tapered Model t leaf springs for great tire irons!

HaroldRJr

WOW! At my old age in the late 70's, and with my interest in Model T's & Model A's since I was a kid, I thought I'd seen just about every way possible to adapt Model T components to some other use other than automotive, but that drill press is a new one for me! I also had that same initial thought, ...

HaroldRJr

Make sure the bendix cover is not coming loose! (....altho' that should also cause an oil leak,..???)

HaroldRJr

Burger - Actually, you are right, and I think even longer than past 1940! I believe that during WW2, when gasoline rationing was in effect, quite a few previously abandoned Model T's were actually put back into service. I think that's when quite a few Touring's got the rear of the body cut off and r...

HaroldRJr

I have four Model T's and a Model A. All but one of them use 4:50 x 21" tires. I am a huge believer in tires with Nylon casings as Nylon is much stronger and will last much longer without "age rot" than conventional rayon or whatever type casings. Does anybody know of a 4:50 x 21" tire available wit...

HaroldRJr

....in re-reading this thread, I think Jim Simms explained the problem that we experienced, as it WAS the blade type removable ear bands that we had installed in place of the original stock bands,...FWIW,...harold

HaroldRJr

For what its worth,...our club recently had a "work party" to help one of our members put new bands in his '23 touring, and we had an awful time,...in fact, it turned into several saturday afternoon work parties to get it done. Long story short, his '23 touring is sort of a "bitsa" car, and whatever...

HaroldRJr

Jay - Another nice of photo! Have missed your photo collection,...glad to see them back!

Herb - Your comment sort of "took my eye" as my Dad was born June 29th, 1913 In Fergus Falls, MN.

HaroldRJr

Hmm,....I was gonna' stay outa' this discussion, because I don't know if I can explain what I have in mind, without writing my usual, long-winded "epistle", but I'll try: I know that the 90 deg. elbow type valve that Langs sells is a very, very well made product as Steve Tomaso suggested. I only hav...

HaroldRJr

David - What Steve Jelf says is true,.... about the fact that when you get old enough (like me) everything somebody says reminds you of "SOMETHING". Your post reminds me of something that I think you have come very close to explaining in your post,....probably the main reason that many automotive en...

HaroldRJr

Hal - I can "relate"! Actually, changing the oil in a Model T is very quick and easy to do, as you don't even have an oil filter to bother with! The thing that makes the job time-consuming, and just plain awkward and miserable is,....what to do with the drain oil, right? My Dad used to use drain oil...

HaroldRJr

Scott - That WAS a very interesting article! Nothing about the term "tempered", but I do now see the obvious reason that large fleets like Greyhound used "re-refined" oil,....pretty much the main reason was probably just "to save money"! Thanks again for the post Scott,.....harold

HaroldRJr

Scott Conger - WOW! What a great article! I was typing at the same time you (and Andy) were. I'll be reading that article very carefully as it will probably touch upon what I was (remembering) and talking about,...thanks so much for posting that Scott,.....harold

HaroldRJr

John - You reminded me of something. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago in the '40's and '50's, and I mention that because what I just remembered is from a very long time ago, so may be pretty much meaningless in this day & age what with modern chemistry and all, however: Our next door neighbor in Fra...

HaroldRJr

Not surprising that "post straps" are no longer found in auto parts stores as most cars nowadays are equipped with batteries with side terminals. I've used a "post strap" since I was a kid in the '50's and have never had a problem. I have two of them and as I'm only a couple years from my '80's, I d...

HaroldRJr

Wasn't going to get into this "OIL" discussion, because it seems to come up, over, and over,and OVER, again and again and AGAIN, and nothing is ever resolved! In my opinion, (which is probably pretty worthless, but here it is anyway) nothing is ever really resolved because everybody has their own pe...

HaroldRJr

Martynn,...I think you're right. My first thought when I saw that "cheapo" replacement mirror was that the owner/seller knows very little about Model T Fords, otherwise, he'd realize that to anybody that DOES know Model T's, that mirror sticks out like a sore thumb! Personally, I'd take that mirror ...

HaroldRJr

Good "thought" Dave,....and thank you! I am seriously considering a solar powered ventilation fan like Mark G. suggested. Sure can't hurt, right? Thanks guys,.....harold

HaroldRJr

Aah,.....21" wire wheels,.....gotcha! Sorry,.....harold

HaroldRJr

Oops! That's what happens when somebody knocks at the back door while you're posting,....sorry!

HaroldRJr

Gene - Sort of "sticking my nose into your discussion", but I think you misread what Allan said. He said that flaps "ARE" needed, which I agree with,.....harold

HaroldRJr

Gene - Sort of "sticking my nose into your discussion", but I think you misread what Allan said. He said that flaps "ARE" needed, which I agree with,.....harold

HaroldRJr

Lots of thoughts and good advice here and I appreciate it! I now think however, that Norm Kling and a couple others have come pretty close to an answer to my problem, and here's why: Our club had a joint tour with two other NW Washington "T" clubs last weekend, and I trailered my depot hack to the s...

HaroldRJr

Scott - I realize that if a wire gets hot, you have a problem. But lets face it,....it happens! And now, maybe ya' got two problems,....maybe the wire got hot enough to melt the joint before the fuse blew! So,....the circuit that was supposed to be protected by the fuse failed anyway! Don't get me w...

HaroldRJr

Those connectors really do look pretty slick, however, I'm wondering that if that low-temperature solder joint only requires the heat of a heat gun to melt to make the joint, what happens if a circuit with such a joint becomes overloaded to the point where the wire (and joint) begins to get hot enou...

HaroldRJr

That looks just like the rear fenders on my '27 depot hack!

HaroldRJr

Don - My first post on this thread, but it has been fun, following along and watching how you have been able to gradually re-build the car so that it will still have "the look" of a black era "survivor"! Not to say that I don't admire the shiny brass cars with the bright shiny colors, but frankly, i...

HaroldRJr

TspokeMan - Some good advice here in this thread! You might re-read what Norm Kling wrote above, and I would add just a bit to what he said: A lot of guys dislike parades, because they can be hard on bands, however, if you leave some room ahead, and drive smart, you usually don't really have to be "...

HaroldRJr

Norm - I know just what you are talking about, and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised! I've paid particular attention to one Model T in particular that we leave in the garage up at our place on Lopez Island in the San Juans. I know for a fact that over several months, something over half a tank of gas...

HaroldRJr

I have a 27' enclosed trailer that I use for the obvious reasons,...hauling a Model T Ford to a distant location that is farther from home than I care to drive a Model T Ford. Also, I use it to store one of my Model T's over the winter, and third, it does make a nice little "shop" for light maintena...

HaroldRJr

.....cutting center links and ferruling them.......???

Guess I have to show my ignorance,.....what is a center link? Tie rod, or maybe "drag link"?

HaroldRJr

Richard - Just to clear up one minor point, you said that you kind of remembered that someone said not to use oil with zinc in it as it would "mess up the mag". I think you have it confused with graphite. It's oil with graphite that will short out the magneto,....FWIW,.....harold

HaroldRJr

Bob - I have no idea the best way to straighten up the "bent wing", but this thread reminds me of something kinda' strange that I've experienced: I have similar "wings" on one of my Model T's, and over the years, I've had numerous people advise me that my wings are "backwards", and should be turned ...

HaroldRJr

What great little C-cab truck! Last time we heard from you, it was concerning a bad valve and valve seat in your other "T", and the possibility of buying a valve seat cutter to fix it. So,....your immediate "fix" to the problem was the purchase of another Model "T", huh? I like the way you think Dav...

HaroldRJr

Rich - Your words,...."fascinated by kerosene flame"....reminded me of something: Being a 4th generation railroader, I naturally have an interest in the old kerosene-burning marker lamps and switch lamps. You often see them cleaned up and "electrified" and used as table lamps and such. If you see on...

HaroldRJr

.....actually, I guess Wayne said the same thing, only said it better when he said,...."resistance to rapid motion"! Sorry Wayne,....I didn't read carefully enough!

HaroldRJr

This is strictly from "memory" from reading, many years ago, about this overhead valve design and why it was considered a failure. Besides what Wayne noted concerning the resistance to motion from friction & binding, I remember that it was also determined that the combined weight of each tube full o...

HaroldRJr

David - As my "epistle" above was not "wordy" enough :roll: I really should have made one more comment in agreement with those who have advised to replace all those old 2-piece valves with new valves. If (and when) one of those old 2-piece valves "comes from together" (and one certainly will, sooner...

HaroldRJr

David - Listen to Scott Conger and Mark Wetherbee,....they have given you excellent advice! I saw that "kit" you spoke of on eBay (if it's the one with the starting bid of $89) and frankly, it looks like a box of OLD junk to me! Those cutters are probably worn out, to say the least, and by the looks...

HaroldRJr

Steve Tomaso - That's David Dansky, Ridgefield, WA. I don't have his phone number, however, he is so well known as a "buyer, collector, etc. that he should be pretty easy to contact online, Facebook, etc.,....harold

HaroldRJr

I had the same thought about what a shame it would be to ever use that beautiful antique Johnson outboard motor in salt water!

HaroldRJr

Just my "opinion" here, but here is what I was taught many years ago about breaking a new engine,....but first, a bit of info that might be worth considering: You never hear of "breaking in" a new engine when you buy a new car anymore. The reason is that nowadays, engines are engineered, designed an...

HaroldRJr

The photo that "Ruxstel24" posted, shows a spindle bolt that has a pretty simple modification that is the first one I've seen that seems to be a very positive means by which oil can find it's way to the lower spindle bolt bushing. Also, just sort of "thinking out loud" here, but it seems like folks ...

HaroldRJr

Rich - Take a closer look,....you'll see the word "QUARTER" on it!

HaroldRJr

Thank you Scott and Dan! Always more to learn, right? Pretty "neat" that just about anything you want to know about a Model T, all you have to do is ask on the forum and invariably, somebody knows! I was always under the impression that that added reinforcement for the '13 touring body was some sort...

HaroldRJr

WOW! What a neat car! And as Dan T. mentioned, probably the best written and photographic presentation of a car for sale that I've ever seen! A couple questions: The "U"-shaped sheet metal pieces, one each, located near the bottom of the rear doors inside, and screwed to both sides of each door fram...

HaroldRJr

I can't help but wonder if there are real "purists" that would be driven crazy if they stopped to consider that there were actually hard working and competent Model T era Ford factory assembly line employees that really didn't give a rip which leg of a cotter pin they bent, whether they bent it just...

HaroldRJr

I keep looking at that brass "gizmo" that's screwed into portion of the intake manifold that feeds number #1 and #2 cylinders. Doesn't seem like this could be related to your starting problem, but I'm wondering if you might have a vacuum leak due to that "gizmo" that somehow interferes with proper "...

HaroldRJr

George - Are you running magneto & coils or distributor?

HaroldRJr

Steve - Just solved that problem on one of my T's! The hand brake lever pawl/quadrant thing,.....that's kind of a common problem that needs attention on many Model T's. I know you are aware of this Steve, and me too,....but my bit of knowledge on this subject is one of many of the things I've learne...

HaroldRJr

Yeah,....that's one that I've never been able to get right Steve. It always seems to me that when there are two different ways to spell a word, they should be pronounced differently to help one remember which one to use! There are several commonly used words that I can never remember how to spell. W...

HaroldRJr

Hey Kaiser,....you're supposed to end each sentence with a period! Sheesh! Are you too lazy to take the time to use proper punctuation? And the preposition "I" should be capitalized,...not lower case, which apparently is too much trouble for you! And as for your personal information, I would think y...

HaroldRJr

I was thinking that the slight offset alignment of holes in the two lugs might suggest that a pair of these might have been designed to mount the reinforcing truss rods that you sometimes see on rear axle housings,....???

HaroldRJr

I bought my '27 depot hack from the family of the late (R.I.P.) Pete Cosner of the L.A. Model T Club. There are no doubt at least a few folks here on the forum from the L.A. club that remember Pete and the depot hack, and shortly after I bought the car, a couple of the L.A. club guys told me that Pe...

HaroldRJr

.....and just to add a bit of "food for thought",.....there must be a reason those ol' timers took the trouble to fill those old Evinrude outboard motors by pouring the gasoline through a chamois skin, right? Even back then, they found out pretty quick that even a very tiny amount of water in the ga...

HaroldRJr

.......Oops! My mistake! It was in this forum where a couple of guys mentioned draining and the sediment bowl or "potato"! Good advice at any rate,.....harold

HaroldRJr

Thank you for the support and kind words Frank. And that Popular Mechanics article is the best I've ever read on the subject! What I was awkwardly trying to describe in my post above is what the Popular Mechanics article calls "phase separation". One of several points made in that article that I fou...

HaroldRJr

This is just personal opinion, based mostly bad experience I've had with "modern" gasoline, and most of all, from what I have learned from long time regular reading of this forum. However, I am convinced that one reason that there are so many differing accounts of "bad experience", or, "no bad exper...

HaroldRJr

John Mosher - Recently, I read about an interview someone had with a lady who related that her husband is a very experienced airline pilot who has the responsibility of flying several hundred passengers back and forth from the U.S. to Hong Kong several times a month. She said that quite often, she h...

HaroldRJr

.....oops! ....a couple OF the T's,......I "DID" proofread, and still missed it!

HaroldRJr

I have four Model T's and a Model A. I really can't tell you why! I guess it just happens! A couple of the Model T's run on original coils, and a couple of them have distributors, the reason for which is simply that that that's the way they were built when I bought "em! I've had this "fleet" for qui...

HaroldRJr

Thank you all,....good ideas here! And thank you "Freighter Jim",....the HF winch you recommend specifically for loading Model T's is the winch I have. I also use a HF snatch block in conjunction with the winch when (or if) additional power is needed; half the speed and half the range, but twice the...

HaroldRJr

Will - I had the same problem with pulling the head off of my Model A as you are having. I used a "head puller" made out of a piece of steel plate, exactly like the one shown in the video that Randall posted. It finally worked, but after a couple weeks of "struggling", it still took nearly another c...

HaroldRJr

I should probably add that I have already installed a very nice MinnKota trolling motor battery box with deep cell battery inside, on the floor in the very front of my vee-nose enclosed trailer. This MinnKota trolling motor battery box has two cigarette lighter sockets for plugging in 12 volt access...

HaroldRJr

I would be interested is seeing photos of electric winches that have been mounted inside enclosed trailers. I already have the winch, and would like to devise some way to secure the winch at the head end of my ENCLOSED trailer in some manner that would allow me to quickly and easily dis-attach the w...

HaroldRJr

Bob Shirley in his recent post,...."What Happened? It Just Quit",....talked about fiber timing gears,..... Now don't mis-understand,.....I am "NOT" recommending the use of todays fiber timing gears, because in my opinion, they are absolute "junque"! However,..... Here's something that has bothered m...

HaroldRJr

John Hunter - You say you have no trouble,....I'm guessing that the area you live in in Australia is an area with not much humidity, is that right? I believe that from what I've read in the past about modern gasoline, it seems to me that those who seem to have trouble with E-10 live where it's somew...

HaroldRJr

Scott Conger beat me to it! I was going to make the same suggestion for a non-skid coating on the bare wood trailer floor. He mentioned "pickup bed liner" and that's what I did. Something like Rhino Liner or Linex makes a very tough and very black non-skid floor coating which is impervious to oil, g...

HaroldRJr

I like to use one of my old Fords for little trips locally for things like groceries, hardware store, post office, etc, etc, and I can tell you that due to the constant and necessary maintenance, monitoring, adjustments, etc, etc,....every trip is a "journey", and every trip is a "joyride"! I guess ...

HaroldRJr

I'm not too sure on this, but I think it might be possible to install oversize valves in that block without new seats. Seems like something like the slightly larger Fordson tractor valves or maybe a more modern automotive valve with modern valve spring keepers might be available. If that's possible,...

HaroldRJr

I kinda' got used to being able to merely place the cursor on a topic heading which then showed initial post and latest reply in yellow. I got in the habit of scanning all of the "unread items" every morning that way to decide which posts I wanted to read in detail. Seemed like with that feature, I ...

HaroldRJr

Herm - I'm not that much of a machinist, and certainly not an engineer, but in reading this whole thread, it sounds to me like besides making certain that replacement pins are the right diameter, it sounds as if the surface finish of the replacement pins is also much more important than one might re...

HaroldRJr

I'm not the one who should be commenting about this, because I've had little experience with Model T transmissions,....engines,....yes, but NOT transmissions. However,...... From what I've learned from this forum, by far the most important dimension, or "measurement", is the CLEARANCE between the tr...

HaroldRJr

I can't take credit for this quote, because I got it from one of the "T" guys on this forum (can't remember who) but this one has become a favorite of mine:

"There is nothing more permanent than a 'temporary fix' that works!

HaroldRJr

My thoughts here for what little they might be worth, but I really think there's some serious "over-thinking" going on here: Isn't strange, how folks will buy a new $40K, or $50K pickup truck, and never really question what kind of anti-freeze is in the radiator? In fact, I really think most people ...

HaroldRJr

Nice photos of some very nice and interesting cars Steve,....we appreciate your efforts! I attended a couple of the Chickasha swap meets several years ago (....when I first met you and Mike Walker) and in looking at your pictures, it really does look to me like the whole "swap meet thing" is on a gr...

HaroldRJr

.....an air vent to hopefully aid in the prevention of gear lube gradually leaking out thru' axle bearings due to rear end temperature change expansion.

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