MTFCA Forum

I believe you can locate pin holes with a 26-27 block and hogshead bolted together.

That sure turned out swell. I hope one day I will find one at an estate sale or farm auction and buy it for $5 because nobody knows what it is. I can dream, anyway.

On the theory that it's better to wear out bushings than shackles, I use bronze bushings instead of steel. I buy them by size online. IMG_3953 copy 2.JPG I use them like this on my 1915, but if you want to use them on your late model car you will need to drill oil holes for the oilers. Lots of folk...

Wonder why the repo switches are all made for #55 to fit. Was it a random choice, or is there something special about it?

In that last picture, what's the story on #55 and #56? Are they Model A keys? Aftermarket for Model T?

So when can we start sending you our mag ring cores for rebuilding?

I'll leave that to Andre and RV and others. I hardly ever finish anything as it is. I don't need to take on anything new.

After several weeks of doing other things (cutting & splitting firewood, cleaning up storm damage, planting trees, etc.) today I got back to work on my mag ring. IMG_5715 copy.JPG Applying Kaptan insulating tape to copper ribbons. I put it on both sides. It's 1 mil, so the winding has 2 mils of ins...

$387 is a lot, but it looks like about twenty items. $19.35 per item isn't so bad.

Ian, engine #7808119 was made on Wednesday, June 13, 1923. It would have gone into a car within less than a week, possibly that same day or the next. That puts it, as you say, late in the 1923 model year. This means the car with that engine would have a low firewall, about 20" high. The high firewa...

Good question. I believe I have some in my auction plunder, but I've never put them on a car. Should I?

Whenever this subject comes up it's remarkable how many people offer advice that may apply in their state but doesn't in others. There are certain rules that apply everywhere, like don't volunteer any information that isn't asked for.* But the details of hoops you have to jump through vary widely. ...

The only VIN is the engine serial number stamped above the water inlet. In the mid-twenties it should be eight digits. If you don't have the encyclopedia yet I can look it up for you and get the exact date. I should add that dating the engine doesn't necessarily mean dating the car, as engine swaps...

From the Arkansas City Daily Traveler , Monday, November 29, 1920: The paving boom continues in Arkansas City. Petitions are already in for about a half million dollars worth and other petitions are coming in as rapidly as the property owners can sign them up. IMG_0817 copy 3.JPG One of the Model T...

Even if you restrict the question to Champion X, they come in two different lengths.

Other plugs you can use on a Model T also vary in length.

The Utah runabout is very much a parts salad, so if correctness is one of the rules you're buying it for some of the parts and will need to sell the rest.

A couple of comments/questions occur to me. Is an auction you attend in person considered market value? I once bought an engine/transmission for $5. I've bought a split rim spreader for $1 (nobody knew what it was), a couple of good 26-27 gas tanks for $1 each, running board tool boxes for $5 or $6...

Replacing a distributor cap , points & rotor is less complicated than replacing & calibrating position of a timer & roller/brush.

That depends on the vehicle. Crawling over a Chebby 350 to do the job way in back of the engine is torture.

Rebuilding a transmission requires special tools and reamers that for a one time job are going to be a prohibitively high overhead cost. [/size] If you're lucky your local T club may have the tools to borrow, and somebody in the club may have them and be willing to help . I found a chipped gear too...

The steps for pulling the engine should be in the service manual. Maybe some old person can translate it into modern English for you. :D Mike Bender's videos should help: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=model+t-tips+transmission. You should also have the MTFCA Transmission book. It wou...

When you buy the disk version of Bruce's encyclopedia, Ford Methods and Shops is one of the several extras that are included.

...it has a lot of up grades...

Is a disturbutor an upgrade? I've been stuck by the side of the road by those things more times than I care to remember. And the Ford ignition system? So far no.

I'd put the engine down low and above it a chain driven shaft to a prop at the rear.

Shorty would rather ride than help, but Daisy always wanted to be involved.

Also, http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG113.html

Yes, as long as you can run on BAT you can test the magneto. MAG TEST 1.JPG MAG TEST 2.png As the car is already running on twelve volts I assume it has 12 volt bulbs and has the generator properly adjusted. If you're installing the stock ignition switch the stock wiring should work. March 1922 to ...

When you guys have your face-to-face debate, remember to mask up and maintain six feet.

For those trying to decide on a color, this may help.

For those who haven't seen original engine paint, here are some photos. Engine Factory Shot.jpg I think Susanne's description is pretty much on the mark except for the dipping part. In this 1925 production line photo it looks like the "Gilsonite wash" has been sloshed on. Note the drips on the valv...

If you're not about to spring the $150 for a magneto tester and can't find one to borrow, at least be sure the car runs on MAG. Typically a T runs better on MAG than it does on BAT. Ideally it will start on MAG with the hand crank. Correcting a seriously deficient magneto requires major surgery. Ev...

Excellent! It's always good to see a T resurrected.

Yes, that's what I was looking for. Thanks!

Yes, that's it. It's been posted many times in many places, and I'm wondering where it first appeared.

...has appeared in many places on the net over the years. I'm guessing that it originally appeared in the VF or the MTT. Is that right? If so, can anybody cite the issue?

Canada made changes both before and after the same changes appeared on US cars. I don't know if that applies to paint.

FWIW The MTFCI judging/restoration guidelines before 1926 say "attached to frame". For 26-27 they say "bolted to frame". I didn't find anything about the battery bracket in the Colorado fastener list.

Yes, black would be correct. If you were doing the whole engine I would recommentd satin black Rustoleum. But as you're not doing the engine, I'd say match what's there. If you have the engine out sometime you can shoot everything black then.

Surprised me a little with the turn north where I was expecting west. I bet the next one will be west, though. I think I have an idea where we're headed.

Is your Y front mount part of the original T trailer?

I thought this was about a car. Why would anyone install a radiator on a trailer?

You see lots of parts salads for sale that have brass radiators over 21-27 spring clips. Fit is no problem. But I would go with the earlier clip as Mike says.

I don't expect all Model T's to be "upgraded" beyond recognition, but the availability and cost of fuel is likely to become a problem. Electric car technology will continue to develop rapidly. Electrics will eventually dominate the market and the need for gas and oil will diminish. We may be surpri...

I adapted HF magnetic trailer lights and set them on my fenders. I had to use welding rod hooks and bungees to keep them from bouncing off.

Since one of them shook apart on a country road I've decided to do something else for tail lights.

The dimmer was added in late 1917. Before that the current for headlamps went directly from mag to switch to lights to ground. The dimmer was to reduce bulb burnout, and from that you might think that bulb failure was a frequent problem, but my experience with 1915 lights is that the bulbs do event...

In both setups two wires (MAG and BAT) go to the switch which sends current from one or the other though a wire to the coil box strip. Both arrangements do exactly the same thing. The only real difference is the location of the switch. IMG_5369 copy 2.JPG In the non-starter configuration the MAG an...

Parts 3034, 3035 (nuts), and 3036. The bolts are different. See the parts book. Any of the parts dealers will have them.

I don't know if the other teachers read to their classes or not. [/size] In 1949-50 I was in third grade. It was a combination third/fourth grade class. After lunch our teacher Mrs. Edna Gullett read history to the fourth graders, and of course we third graders got to listen too. I loved listening ...

I had an iron worse than that, not just bent but broken. An old body man welded it up for me and made it look like new, but it was weak and eventually broke again. I finally replaced it with a new piece.

...the engine just turned off. No backfire no misfire no nothing.

The few times I've had that kind of sudden death it was always a broken circuit, usually due to a loose connection.

Yes, Bruce's Lodge was the place. It brings back other memories of old US 99. Miles and miles of pink and white oleander planted along the road. An underpass at Goshen that filled with water in a heavy rain so you had to detour. Three lanes. The center lane for passing in both directions was known ...

It was in a used book store in Long Beach called Acres of Books. [/size] Bertrand Smith's Acres of Books originally was across the street from Lincoln Park, next to the Newsreel Theater if I remember correctly. Now the park and the theater are long gone and that part of downtown Long Beach is compl...

Occasionally you see people on FB post a video of starting up an engine they've been working on. But they haven't installed the radiator yet and there's no coolant. It makes me cringe. How long can you do that before the damage starts?

Jiggle the key a bit.

My first thought was the switch too, but he says power is getting to the coils. I'll be interested to see how this turns out.

I gather you checked for current from the ignition switch at the terminal on the coil box. Check the timer terminals to see if it's getting there. If not, there's a disconnect in the box. If there is current reaching the timer terminals but the coils don't buzz, look for something amiss in the time...

Lacquer thinner and gasolene both work for me. Gas is a lot cheaper. I also have a pretty good supply of old paint thinner that works well.

It's been a long time since I posted this. Some who have joined us since may not have seen it. Enjoy.
http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG74.html

Do you have a part number and supplier for the Full Flow Float Valve with Lead Washer?

I don't know if there's a part number, but Scott is the supplier.

I'm reminded of Mister Ed, who talked to Wilbur Post only when nobody else was around. When I try to show how easy it is to hand crank my T and it refuses to start, I tell folks it's Mister Ed. mister_ed.jpg You may not have heard that Mister Ed had such a strong New York accent that the producers ...

Very interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Times-Herald_race

I don't understand how lights that run on the battery can be affected by the magneto. But then, I'm an electronic dummy and don't understand a lot of this stuff.

From what I was able to make out in the lousy pictures the radiator is 15-16, not 1909. That mess under the choke hole hurts the value for me. If I examined that and thought it could be fixed I might go $150 - $200.

I'd call the engine color in Norm's photos blue-green, or aqua. Not close to the 1927 engine at THF.

Brown_Derby_1956.jpg Here's one that was famous, the Brown Derby on Wilshire Boulevard. Mom and I took my little brother to lunch there for his sixteenth birthday in 1962. I think Dad was working. I had trout. Norm's mention of the San Joaquin Valley reminds me of a cafe on old US 99 between Bakers...

1924 or 1925, not 1923.

I used a spring from the local hardware store. No shipping.

I should have mentioned the Model T Encyclopedia by Bruce McCalley. There's an abridged version on this website, but the full version on disk is the best fifty bucks you can spend on a Model T. It details changes by feature and by year, and lists all known serial numbers by date. But wait, that's n...

Are there any obvious things to look for to make sure it is in fact a 1923? [/size] You bet. The serial number (stamped above the water inlet) will tell the engine assembly date. Of course engine swaps are common, so you have to look at other things too. 1923 was the last year for some features and...

I've had leaks from sediment bulb shut-off valves, but so far not from a petcock. But I've been at this for only thirteen years.

Trent Boggess did a lot of research on this. The bottom line is that what became of those first cars made in September and October of 1908 is unknown. The full article is in the Encyclopedia and was published in the VF. Screen Shot 2020-11-20 at 10.04.30 PM.png Screen Shot 2020-11-20 at 10.03.16 PM...

Adam Doleshal uses and recommends these. Made in USA (Wisconsin). I believe you can contact him through the forum.

I agree with all the advice so far. I gather you have studied the years enough to know you want a 1923. If you're not thoroughly familiar with that year's distinguishing features, study some more. It's very common for these cars to be titled and registered with the wrong model year. That's usually ...

I wonder how Crazy Glue would work...

I haven't tried it, but it might work. I would try the glue I bought at Hershey last year if I could find where I put it.

The stock #3079 petcock is used on both the oil pan and the radiator. So far I have never had a problem with one leaking.

Screen Shot 2020-11-20 at 9.11.21 AM.png Somebody posted this video in one of the FB Model T groups this morning. I may do some winter driving, but probably not this much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj5ABgjuK2c&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR18_KyMdEY-aAoStaSR17ytqYI2y_1yGFJYT-GWS3sLH5413nutkokDW4A

Bob, it's called E6000. I haven't tested yet to be sure it works.

Familiar territory going through Veedersburg and Stone Bluff. I like those California stops at Fifth Street and Osborn Prairie.

No discussion of LED's? Mine seem to work well.

You're using them in mag lights?

Curries was a chain. They had one on Anaheim Street in Wilmington.

Another view of the Zeppelin. It was on the north side of Florence Avenue just west of the filling station at Florence and Figueroa.

No big deal.

Until Arthur comes along and attacks your hands. Arthur Itis makes the work painful after the first few turns.

Here are some videos. I haven't watched all of them, but some may help.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... +rear+axle

I doubt very very very very very much that the blue is original.

1927 engine at the Henry Ford.

My best moments have been three or four weeks long. Two drives to Detroit and back.

Any after-dinner drive on a summer evening is good too.

From Snopes: Any claim about “the” Marlboro Man is somewhat indefinite... as many different men have portrayed the rugged-looking cowboys featured in Marlboro cigarette advertisements since 1954. An Oklahoma native named Darrell Winfield (who passed away in January 2015) was the main Marlboro Man f...

IMG_2515 copy.JPG Here are a few more ½" NPT spark plugs. IMG_4332 copy.JPG Champion X plugs found at Hershey. I believe I paid $2 each for these. Most are quite restoreable and usable. IMG_4334 copy.JPG Cores found at Hershey. Most of these too are usable and only need cleaning. IMG_4336 copy.JPG ...

Brass, alloy of copper and zinc, of historical and enduring importance because of its hardness and workability. The earliest brass, called calamine brass, dates to Neolithic times; it was probably made by reduction of mixtures of zinc ores and copper ores. In ancient documents, such as the Bible, t...

The best price I have found on Champion X, new stock, is.....Rock Auto.

True, but still ungodly expensive. Originals that are just as good can be had for a fraction of the price.

Did any other mass produced car use ½" pipe thread plugs? I suspect any plugs you find with that thread were made for the Ford aftermarket or will work in a T if they're still good. Many of the old plugs do still work. I've been running a set of the cream colored Splitdorfs (the green ones are usua...

Of course, these are OEM.

http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG95.html

Champion, Autolite, and Motorcraft all make new ½" T plugs There may be more I'm forgetting. There are dozens of old plugs made for Model T. Here's a partial list: AC Air Friction Aldor Benton Bethlehem Blue Crown Bowers Challenger Champion Defiance Edison Fan Flame Firestone Full Spark Gold Crest ...

I have owned it for 74 years. [/size] I wonder how many people can say that. Not many, I bet. IMG_4098 copy.JPG I've never named vehicles, except for the names I sometimes call then when I'm working on them, which I can't post here. But on last year's trip to the OCF and back my 1915 suffered some ...

I would not do it. Those things have a bad reputation. I would use an original float valve or a new one from Scott Conger.

Let me know if I need to make any corrections or additions: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG117.html

Would Ford have put engine pans on the car if they caused overheating? I think not. I have them on my T's and that has not been a problem for me. I like to drive on country roads. That often means dust or mud. I'm also clumsy and sometimes drop things, so I appreciate the tool catchers.

Put chicken wire over the bucket so the critters can't get in it. Wire it to a piece of plywood so they can't tip it over.

This home made one isn't bad.

This one is better. I found one online for $40 and passed. A few days later I went to an auction and bought this one for $2.

So far I haven't been bothered by carburetor ice. I wonder if the combination of warm air from the radiator and engine pans keeping out a lot of the cold air would be the reason. Of course, I'm too much of a sissy to do much cold weather driving anyway.

This morning somebody in one of the FB Model T groups asked about air filters.
I didn't have a page on the subject, so I made one.

http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG116.html

I think it's easier to fit a manifold to rings in the block than vice versa.

Where can you buy new shoes/pads for AC brakes?

I would try Larry Sidmore. Another choice would be a brake shop in any large city. I took my 1951 Dodge brakes to a shop in Wichita expecting to have them relined. They just swapped them for a set they had on the shelf.

Or you could sell them and buy AC brakes, which work backing up as well as forward. If I remember correctly you are in the almost-state of Franklin. I believe that's hilly enough country to make external brakes in both directions a good idea.

...steering related. Maybe a bolt coming loose in the steering quadrant?

Losing a perch nut can make your steering go sideways. You know how I know that.

Camp Jonathan Williams, Korea, 1965-1966.

It occurs to me that while this is a starter-equipped car, you may want to hand start it sometimes. I suppose some folks never do, but I think most of us use the crank at least occasionally. Of course on a lot of Model T's there's no electric starter and the armstrong start is the only choice. If y...

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