MTFCA Forum

50/50 doesn't need to cool as well as straight water. It only needs to cool enough to prevent damage to the engine and not boil out.

I expect I will try Blockleys when I have to replace my Riversides. My tires still have plenty of tread, so by the time I need new tyres Blockley should have the 30 x 3 size available. Seamus drives hundreds of miles most months and is currently running Blockleys on his 1914, so I expect he will ha...

All calls on my land line go to an answering machine which gives the bum's rush to politicians, preachers, and other scammers. Sometimes I find a recorded robo call to delete. Often it begins with "We tried to reach you several times by mail..." Yeah, right. If you really did, thanks for the free k...

Which system, a Model T with out a water pump or one with a water pump, will needed to be flushed more often? Which system will keep the scale in motion better?

It doesn't matter. Use distilled water 50/50 with antifreeze to prevent scale and rust, and flush biennially.

The main difference I have noticed between the FB forum versus here, is it seems there’s more experience/knowledge in this forum. [/size] Some only do Facebook (there are several Model T pages), some only come here, and some do both. It does seem that there are a lot of experienced and knowledgeabl...

At meets smaller than Hershey, I circulate more than once. Often on the second or third round I notice something I missed before. It's good to have a backpack to carry your plunder and at least half a dozen Walmart bags or the like for small items. Even better is a cart or wagon.

Where do you get the clean air to breathe, Steve?

Mostly it comes from Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Sonora, Baja California, and the Pacific. In the winter it often blows down from Canada. I expect it's just as clean as the air in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and points east.

I think that the model T facebook site gets more action than the forum. It’s faster and easier to post pictures. [/size] I think the FB Model T pages get more action because that's where new young folks first think to look. Posting pictures here takes me two clicks instead of one. I don't find that...

...that's why in late '15, technically early '16, Ford went to the Magneto horn anyway.

Yes, and it's not much better than the bulb horn. I think a properly operating mechanical horn is louder than both of them together.

...don't use common sand, it contains silica which and lead to some nasty illnesses. [/size] True, but there are two safe ways to use it. If you're blasting outside you can wear a hood with an outside air supply blowing into it. I made my hood from stuff on hand and use a shop vac for the air suppl...

Yes. It's a useful and period correct accessory.

This is the best way to use it.

Seriously, if overheating is a problem here's some info: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG96.html

Yes, photos of the trip are obligatory.

Or how about, "What kind of oil should I use in my water pump?"

You need it to sling grease and coolant all over your engine.

The bulb horn is correct, but if you want to be heard add a mechanical horn as so many people did in the T era.

I would go by whatever year the car purports to be. Four hole through 1924, two hole 25-27. If four I would go ahead and put in four rivets. And yes, you want those teeth sharp enough to hold the ratchet.

Looks like it should work. It's pretty close to some of the originals.

I wonder if the posting problem has to do with phone cameras. Maybe some of them don't embed the data required by the website software. Pure speculation. I don't know.

Steve, I downloaded your picture and it is 553 pixels wide and 1200 pixels high. The 1200 appears to be the upper limit from my experience.

That's because this website automatically resized it. The original is 2699 × 5864.

Today I got started on straightening coil ribbons and pounding out the kinks.

I hadn't thought of insulating both sides of the ribbon, but my Kapton tape is only 1 mil so I expect doubling up will be OK.

I don't know about 21", but the Chebby clincher rim is ¼" wider than a Ford rim.

Mark, that sounds like your problem is the source of your pictures. Nearly all the pictures I post are jpegs, mostly full size. If you look at the screen shot I posted on Sunday you'll see that photo files from my camera are coded with file size, dimensions, and other info. Try posting jpegs from a...

So now you need a designated driver to go for ice cream.

So portrait means vertical and scenery means horizontal? I've never heard of that before.

So what is this?

I just blasted a pair of engine pans last week. No problem. I used my preferred chassis paint on them (satin black Rustoleum) and baked them at about 180º for a couple of days.

Try this: Remove the bolts and the hub plate. Lay wheel down with the spokes on wood blocks to raise the hub off the floor with the back side of the wheel facing the floor. Put a large socket inside the hub, just large enough to fit. Hold a wood block on top of the socket and drive the socket and h...

How you paint a T depends on whether you want to be "correct" and use Ford's factory color scheme, or don't mind customizing the appearance. If you prefer the first approach, you consult the encyclopedia and other references and find out how Ford did it. If not, you just pick your colors and use th...

I'll add a couple of points to Norm's good advice. When you attach the exhaust pipe to the manifold, run the car a bit and tighten the nut hot. Remove it the same way. On the rod which holds the new mufflers together, I used a lock nut. No good. The hot exhaust melted the nylon. You have to double-...

Niagara Falls!!!

My close encounter with roadside vegetation was due to going too fast on a muddy road and being misdirected by sand washed across the road, but it was a similar result, although less serious. My only damage was a busted top socket and I was able to drive away. Running off the road unexpectedly is a...

Today I finished bathing the coil ribbons to remove the remaining old rotten insulation. Next will be straightening and pounding out the kinks.

Terry, what are the dimensions and file size of your original photos? I don't have a solution, just curious.

The few times I've received the dreaded yellow triangle it had to do with excessive image size. In those instances it took minimal resizing to post the picture. IMG_4096.JPG This photo posts full size, as they usually do for me. I don't understand why a few of the same size are rejected as too big....

Did you drive it here?
Yep. It was too heavy to carry.

I had a similar solder overflow. My solution was similar to Allan's but I added a small wire brush on a Dremel-type tool, followed by small buffing wheels. All the way through I was very careful not to dig into the brass. I am another who didn't trust himself with heat for cleaning up. IMG_1325 cop...

Experience has taught me to never leave home in a T without my running board cans.

NO WOOD FELLOE WHEELS.

Most Model T's made before 1919 have always had them, and they are fine. What's the problem?

My guess would be that you got a wire or two in the wrong place.

: TIMER.jpg (63.67 KiB) Viewed 347 times

Be sure all wires are in the right place.

While you're at it, check the timing: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG97.html

I got in a little magneto work today.

Coils with outer insulation peeled off.

Unwinding and coiling. Much of the old insulation is falling off, but some stays put and has to be stripped.

A soak in Drano will get it off.

I'm told that my grandpa (1865-1941) could not abide radio and would not have one in the house, so Grandma and my aunts would go out and sit in the car to listen.

There is a write-up and a good many photos on "The" 1917 Rip Van Winkle in Bruce's book and in his Model T Encyclopedia . I believe they were originally published in The Vintage Ford . Unfortunately the old b&w photos are not of the highest quality. I would like to see new high-resolution pictures ...

Looking at top sockets here, I see two rivets in each one to hold in the bow. You have to grind off the ends and punch them out.

I received a reply on the size of Blockley metal stems. They are the larger .45", the same as on all the other current metal stem tubes. I assume this is to accommodate the reproduction dust covers being sold these days.

It must be early 1926. No headlight bar.

When I was thirteen Mom bought a Kodak Pony for taking slides, and within a couple of months I had taken over as family photographer. I got hold of a Kodak publication called How to Take Good Pictures. It did just that, explaining elements of good composition and pointing out things to avoid. In th...

I never leave home without my running board cans. They have saved me a long unscheduled walk several times. On level ground two gallons of gas is plenty, but one is not enough.

It's not a very clear picture, but I think I see front brake drums. That would mean non-Ford.

It took a few years for the sound quality of car radios to equal the table top or the console you had in your house. The radio in Mom's 1940 Plymouth sounded as good as anything we had in the house, but even in a Packard the radio of a year or two earlier had a rather tinny sound. Screen Shot 2020-...

Bravo! Excellent! Lots of work in that.

Steve, when you get your Blockleys, please measure the stems...

I won't be buying new tubes anytime soon, so I emailed an inquiry about the stems. We should know pretty soon.

That is wonderful. I love the turn signal. I would replace the rotten canvas and preserve the rest of the body as is, except the glass, of course.

I agree, do not try to cobble a car rear axle into it. If you must go fast, an aux transmission and external brakes would be the way to go.

Screen Shot 2020-09-10 at 9.35.29 AM.png The Blockley website shows 30 x 3½ tyres and tubes, but not yet 30 x 3 which I'm told is coming. The £29 price is a few cents less than Lang's unspecified make. USA customers do not pay the VAT. When the time comes to replace my Riversides I expect I'll try ...

I got my bar from Jim Dix. Big Flats Rivet Company (607) 562-3501 http://bigflatsrivet.com/ Leave the pieces bolted together to keep them aligned and replace the bolts with rivets one at a time. Put the rivet in the hole, back it up, turn it yellow-orange, and mash it with the bar and a BFH. I put ...

...if that's the one I sent you, I get all of my tubes from Universal Tire.

Yes, it is.

The only tube I'm avoiding is Custom Classic, due to the splitting problem. The other brands I'm using seem to be holding up OK so far.

I would get the new hub bolts from RV Anderson or ask the parts dealer if they came from him. He supplies them because others were (are?) of poor quality.

I can confirm what Dave said about the FP pinion bearing. I believe I got the information from the same horse's mouth, so to speak.

Yes, I know what it means. But who is the USA seller, and is there a brand name?

I didn't know Abner Peabody had a Model T.

I have four different 30 x 3½ tubes on the shelf. Three are identified.
Hartford ~ China
Custom Classic ~ India
Universal ~ Mexico

But this one has only these markings:

Anybody know the seller, or if there's a brand?

I believe I see the earlier style spring clip, so I'll say 17-20.

Both T and A engines have a distinct and unique sound. [/size] I remember when Model A's were just twenty-year-old used cars, not antiques, and seeing them in traffic was not a special occasion. Even as a kiddo I noticed their unique sound. The T and the A are quite different cars, and if my circum...

I've seen 60W oil used.

Same set screw used in cam bearings. Part #3046. About $3 from the parts dealers. The puller sometimes works but a drum that's really stuck will wreck it and you'll have to devise your own tool or buy one.

Home made.

Store bought.

Peter has it right. No free starts when you start on MAG. Of course without using the battery you have to pull the crank fast enough to make sufficient juice for the coils. And yes, the spark lever should be down a few notches.

I don't know what problem is happening that you need to shut the gas off all the time . If the float valve sticks open, as sometines happens, gas can leak out on the floor. If the heavier-than-air fumes reach a source of ignition the resulting fire can cremate your car, and in some circumstances yo...

I got rid of mine. This explains why and how: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG106.html

...why bother painting the mag ring iron? It is bathed in oil anyway. And should any of the paint ever peal off it could cause trouble. [/size] Good points. But I think the clear insulating varnish used for these things stays put. In any case, the ring will get some of that when the coils are seale...

Finished blasting my mag ring and a set of engine pans, and prepped everything for painting.

Wish I could have gone, but both T's are apart. Maybe next time.

They work fine with the 28v bulbs from Langs.

I don't doubt that they light up, but have you tried to drive by them at night?

They made only six, so if it is it's a mighty rare bird. The March 1915 serial number suggests this was a replacement block stamped with the number of the one it replaced. I don't recall ever seeing pictures of those 1941 engines, but I expect they would be Improved Car engines with the two rear bo...

On US cars at least, demountable rims were galvanized and non-demountables were painted body color along with the rest of the wheel. In the case of of your odd rim, I believe Chevrolet would be one possibility. Ford rims I have measured (both types) are 2 7/8 " wide. A Chebby demountable rim is 3 1...

11 mile trip, top speed 30 mph [/size] You have my permission to speed and do 35 mph if the road is good enough, but you have the right idea. An old highway safety slogan was SPEED KILLS . I believe it kills Model T engines too. A Model T that cruises at 30-35 mph will go much farther between rebui...

I believe the part sticking out toward the right is the license plate holder. You would drill it to suit your plate, as there's a wide variety of hole positions from state to state and year to year. If you have a plate that's too long for it, you mount the plate to a piece of 3/4" flat stock which ...

This worked OK, but eventually I installed a stock carrier on the back of the car to clear the running board for cans and camping equipment.

Here's mine. If I were doing this again I'd make it a little more stable by adding a brace attached by the next running board bolt toward the rear.

Top end.

Bottom end.

The whole works

For the spare you can make your own running board carrier. Using windshield bolts and running board bolts to anchor it you don't need to drill any new holes.

Yep, in those days I was peddling my reproduction antique signs, and even when it rained I always did well at Pate.

I believe Stan quit rebuilding Ruckstells a few years ago. You can possibly find a rebuilt Ruckstell, but I expect you will need to get one to rebuild yourself. The MTFCA Ruckstell book by Glen Chaffin tells you how. The source for new Ruckstell parts is Chaffin's Garage. You can even buy a whole n...

Just a date I picked at random to be silly. What really happened that day wasn't at 4:32 PM, but in the morning. I was in my tenth grade English class, and we were reading an account of how the Aircraft carrier Franklin was hit by two 500 pound bombs from a Japanese bomber, was saved by the crew, a...

Denial ain't just a river in Africa.

When did this start happening ?

Tuesday, March 19, 1957 at about 4:32 PM.

Yes, that's what it's for. In the T era they didn't use torque wrenches. The #2335 wrench was long enough to tighten head bolts sufficiently and short enough to keep you from over-tightening them.

Awhile back it was a woman whose husband had died and she had to sell quick. The ads appeared in multiple venues and had SCAM written all over them.

I have the remains of a big dead tree behind my shop. I sprayed the weeds around it this morning to clear the way. When the cooler weather rolls in next week I'll be ready to start cutting and splitting firewood. It's too warm for that kind of work now. I've been cutting trees and low branches to c...

The old Pate swap meet at the museum was wonderful. When they moved it to TMS the magic was gone. I went a few times, but finally gave it up.

I prefer stock, so I would go with whatever is correct for the particular car. In any case, it wouldn't be chrome for a Model T. The shiny metal would be nickel. This website has part of the Model T Encyclopedia. Maybe it shows what's correct for your car.

The old insulation is way past due for replacement.

Looks like I get to kick it off this month. I'm plugging away at that decrepit mag coil ring. I just acquired a soldering iron that seems hot enough, so today I was separating coils. IMG_5452 copy.JPG IMG_5453 copy.JPG The double coils are fastened together by a little bit of copper soldered across...

...do you have the correct steering column?

Not in the car yet. I'll get it in there eventually.

At the Hershey car show, 10-13-2018

I'd ground it to the frame. Are you sure the button is OK?

The down side is it's 7 hours away from you (8 hours for me)...

It's two days for me, and I consider it worth the trip.

Anybody have a picture showing how Ford mounted the 1915 mag horn? A Google image search didn't find anything I trust.

John didn't mention the easy was to ID a magneto horn, which I think I learned from him. If I remember correctly, when you look in the horn and see an adjusting screw in the center of the diaphragm it's a mag horn.

Would you suggest that I go to luray?

If we weren't in the midst of you-know-what I would encourage you to go. I would probably go myself, but being in the target demographic I'm not traveling anywhere until there's a safe and effective vaccine. I wonder what advice a doc would give.

The Hershey swap meet, or flea market as they call it in the East, is always the second week in October (but cancelled this year) in Hershey, Pennsylvania. As Dan says, it's the world's biggest event of its kind. It runs Wednesday through Friday with a car how on Saturday. It's so big I need all th...

What tires are they? I've read of people having this problem, but I haven't run into it myself. I've had rubber stems in my Riversides, and they were OK.

https://www.mapwsm.com/

Coincidentally it was five years ago today that I sent Noah a check for $670.50. That was for three wheels and shipping, so they were $223.50 each with shipping. I was and am very pleased with them. Well worth the dough. I was quite disappointed when he quit selling spokes individually. It makes pr...

I won't say never, but I've seen plenty with no trace of paint. I believe most if not all were unpainted. That doesn't stop me from painting my jack. I leave the wrenches bare and oil them.

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