MTFCA Forum

It's easy enough to check the U-joint rivet.

Just remove the plug and look inside.

If you want to correct the engine color, here's an original 1927 example.

It would probably take less than half a day to connect what needs to be connected if you have the parts. You might not do any damage moving it as is, but why risk it when you don't really need to?

...guess I would if Ford made any small padlocks back then.

I haven't researched this, but I would guess they supplied the lock along with the carrier. If so, there should be some around.

So I need to find the outer piece and a padlock that fits.

Maybe the piece in your right picture fits over the nut and a padlock goes through the upper holes and notches, with a longer bolt than I'm using sticking out of the large hole. I'm pretty sure the bolt is supposed to hold a lug, as in my pictures.

Here's mine. I don't guarantee that all is correct. I suspect there may be a piece missing.

....the “tromp’er down firm” dictum is really hard to hold by when braking.

Quite right. I would apply that only for low and reverse. I apply the brake as little as possible.

What's a "side gear shift"?

... But my question isn't THAT it happens, but WHY it happens with Kevlar and not cotton? [/size] I'm not a physicist or an engineer, so my answer is at least partly guesswork. We know that two moving surfaces rubbing together (like a lining and a drum) produces friction, and friction makes heat. M...

Three were removed by the original poster, I believe because they were no longer relevant. Others may have got the ax because they descended in to trollery.

What Richard said. Use the #2335 wrench and turn until they feel tight.

Normally I would have recommended Kevlar linings without hesitation. Especially compared to cotton linings, which wear faster and eventually rot, they last forever. The knock on them has always been that they allegedly will overheat and crack drums if you let them slip . My answer to that is don't ...

...let me piggyback a dozen and a half pressure treated 2x12's onto the order...

If my figgerin' is right, that's 16½' wide. Should be plenty. Looking forward to seeing the new antique floor.

When I saw Wolf Creek I thought of this. Somewhat different.

https://www.codot.gov/travel/commercial ... creek-pass

Unless it's original paperwork, the title is not a dependable clue in dating a Model T. Many times it's wrong. This car appears to have the 1920 and earlier front spring clip peeking out from behind that Texas plate. A starter engine is 1919 and later, of course. The November 1920 engine (1921 mode...

I use three 24" tire irons from HF to remove and mount clinchers. Easy stuff. But if the tires are old, hard, and rusted on you may have to cut them off.

Seems like when someone owns the rights to something, they believe they are sitting on a gold mine. [/size] Some do, and some don't. When I was manufacturing reproduction signs, licensing for some brands was so expensive that I passed. I never made Ford signs because of that. Others (Phillips 66, T...

I wouldn't count on 2021 either.

You may be right, Tim. If we're lucky there may be a vaccine in a year, but there are some viral infections with no vaccine after decades of research.

So if I get to go in 2021 I'll enjoy it even more.

There is a persistent superstition that you need to "spin" a Model T engine fast to start it, and you need twelve volts to spin it fast. Granted, if you're starting with the hand crank and no battery you need to turn the magneto fast enough to buzz the coils. But starting on battery, with or withou...

A couple of Model T parts that were bronze for years are sediment bulbs and Holley G carburetors. I believe the change of both to cast iron was a cost saving measure.

I suppose I could drive around town and make my own parade.

With a Model T, wherever you go you are your own parade, and wherever you stop you are your own car show.

Handy hint if you're old and feeble: The pneumatic stapler is a must. You can guess how I know this.

If the softer threads of the petcock are damaged and the pan threads are OK, you're in luck. A new petcock costs about $13.

Can one of the moderators please move it to the General Discussion section?

I would contact Chris or Jeff directly. They may not see the request here.

I'm not ready to trust the Indian (Custom Classic) tubes again. According to one of the guys in OZ (Allan I think) there was a run of them folded and packed before they were sufficiently cooled, and they tend to split. Being a slow learner, I patched one seven times before I figured out what was go...

I gather that would be for the #777 stems, and not the more common #724 and #725 stems. Is that right?

Ended the month blasting an oil pan and a pair of engine pans.

I've had the new Riversides on my 1915 for both drives to Detroit and back, first trip by way of Chicago, Wisconsin, Iowa on the way home, second more direct. They appear to have at least two more such trips in them. When it's time for replacements I intend to try the new Blockleys. At £149 they co...

Paul, don't worry about driving. I expect you'll get used to it pretty quickly. Millions of people have. With a TT you won't have to worry about going too fast.

You can't upload a video here, but you can post a link to it. Just get the video on your screen, copy the URL, and paste it here. Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHZCpzrsdEA

You mean Champion X?

So Balto gets credit but the son doesn't? What's up with that?

The variation among the rules of various states is remarkable. Some states require that YOM plates be restored, and some forbid it. Fortunately for me, Kansas YOM requirements are pretty simple. I do carry a copy of the law along with the registration, for the benefit of officers who are unfamiliar...

I feel, or felt, your pain. It was so excruciating I passed out on the ground. When I came to I drove to the hospital one-handed. Years later my right hand is still numb. I'm pretty careful now.

I got this (note URL). Some links still work, and some don't.

Aluminum doors (and other aluminum body panels) were used on 1923 Fordors. I have been told that some aluminum parts may have dribbled over into the 1924 model year. I believe it was a weight-reduction measure that turned out not to be of much advantage.

I entered just cimorelli.com and got the home page, but the Model T digital library link got this:

: Screen Shot 2020-06-28 at 10.49.28 PM.png (16.54 KiB) Viewed 560 times

The webmaster email link on the home page works. Go ahead and see if you can contact him.

Michael, what is it? The car looks like 1915, but the front plate is 1916.

Neither CO DMV nor my local police will run a plate number for a general public inquiry. [/size] Nor will Kansas or California. But in both states I've been able to use YOM plates after the DMV verified that the numbers were not currently in use. It would be a shame to spend a pile of dollars on pl...

If you want to use the plates, check the number with DMV to be sure it's clear before you buy.

Ford oil cans generally sell for $15 - $35, maybe $40. I saw one at Hershey with a $60 tag on it. I figured I would do better or do without. Later that day I bought one for $2. It's a crapshoot. Sometimes you find the great deal, and sometimes you don't. I thought I was being generous when I offere...

Val is correct, with one qualification. The water pump isn't needed if the radiator still radiates. If it doesn't, maybe the pump helps a little. Over the course of 100 years the radiator fins can work loose. Without good solid contact between the fins and the tubes the radiator is toast. The only ...

Back the way we came, jolly is the game. I've been away, so I have some catching up to do. In #16 we leave the park and head back south and then east on Scout Camp Road. I never noticed that little cemetery before. Toward the end we go south on CR 250 W and then turn east on CR 580 N. #17 takes us ...

Heat to orange, line up holes, let it cool.

Sitting much flatter, hole lined up.

Ditto on this one.

I've spent most of June on other chores, but just did this bit of Model T work. The patient for this treatment was the pan from my 1923 touring. IMG_5261.JPG Before doing the actual job I had to adjust a frame to the correct 21 1/2 ". IMG_5262.JPG There were two problems with the pan arms. 1 The ho...

It's fun when you prime a couple of pulls, flip the switch, go around in front to pull the crank, and the car starts as you're reaching for the handle. I've had it happen many times.

Do you guys know what's the story on 26-27 tanks? I heard that somebody was going to take a run at reproducing them, but no news since. I don't need one, just curious.

Are you sure they were new and not NOS? My NOS white Firestones looked wonderful. They came out of the wrappers gorgeous and appearing brand new. One wore clear through to the tube and blew out in under 200 miles. I replaced those with new Wards Riversides. No more NOS or other old tires for me. So...

I use mine. Installing or removing them is a minor inconvenience. As the other guys have said, Ford put them there for a reason. My reasons: 1 I like to drive on country roads; 2 They often catch the tool or part that I drop so I don't have to crawl underneath trying to find it in the dirt and gras...

Measure the ID of the hole and the OD of the new bushing. If the bushing is only a couple thou oversize, I would go ahead and press it in. If it's oversized a lot, I would make a mandrel for it, stick it in a drill, and turn it against some coarse sandpaper. It could also be turned down in a lathe.

Should I steal that or make my own? It's too pretty not to, I'm stealing.

Being a near-total electronic dummy, I can't explain why anything works or doesn't. All I can do in this department is relate my own experience. John's plan with the diode and 1156 bulb keeps the little battery strapped in my frame rail charged to buzz the coils if I need it for starting. I don't t...

With that ridiculously tiny base stuck on the outside of the tube it's no wonder the stem popped off. The tube itself doesn't look torn, so I would keep the tube and install a T era metal stem. It has a much wider base that goes inside the tube, with a bridge washer and nut tightened on the outside...

Bet the T mechanics back in the teens thru the 40’s could do it in less than 1-2 hrs.

Time studies in the Service Manual allow 53 minutes for old-style bands, 40 for new style. If I can do it in one day next time I'll figure I'm pretty fast.

Chris, here it is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Fordmod ... SEARCH_BOX.

...makes me wonder why the Club would purposefully divide the hobby into two factions anyway... [/size] Not sure I understand. We're way beyond two factions, if you want to call them that. There are two national/international clubs, MTFCA and MTFCI. Each has its own Facebook page. There are also se...

Saw this on MTFCFB. What do you engine rebuilders think of it?

Some of the comments and questions prompt me to ask: How about some pictures? It might help if we know what we're talking about.

I didn't see that last photo on FB. What a swell old house! Any special history?
The car and driver still look OK too.

For just cleaning up 220 is OK. If the surface is rough and uneven, something more aggressive like 60 to flatten it.

I expect you can use a metal firewall if you want. It will need to be 1923 to go with the low radiator.

Mister Thrifty uses a thick chunk cut from a wood scrap with a hole saw to fit. Being thick it wont cut into the sides of the timer case. The price is perfect.

Looks like a 26 radiator.

Looks low to me. No apron means no later than 1923.

...as long as there was some kind oil in the crankcase.

Or passing through the crankcase on its way to the floor.

I would not use ready-mixed 50/50 coolant simply because it's more expensive than buying the straight stuff and mixing in my own distilled water. (Distilled because you don't want to add minerals.) Antifreeze does not just discolor brass. It etches (dissolves) the surface. So if you spill any on yo...

With that fender brace added, I expect it got rougher driving than just around town for shopping.

A very expert Model T mechanic told me he uses 15W-40. Another, who probably drives more than the rest of us combined, uses Kendall 20W-50. (I don't know why Kendall.) Ford recommended 20W. But 5W-20 is NOT the same as 20W. I would definitely not mix in the 5W-20 at 50/50. Maybe half a quart at eac...

Yes, you want the pan off when you work on the transmission. You also want the stand to rotate so you can turn the engine nose down to work on the transmission and magneto.

Rivets and the tool to mash them are not expensive, and neither are the NOS cross members. I enlisted a neighbor to help with the installation, but two helpers would have been better. You want one person to back up the rivet with a heavy weight against the back end, another to hold heat on the busi...

Hartford tube made in China

That's a surprise. I was expecting Custom Classic. I haven't had that problem with Hartfords, but that may be because I replace the rubber stems with metal.

What brand of tube?

Yesterday I took the short block to Tulsa for an examination by Mike Bender the Model T surgeon. IMG_5223 copy.JPG The cylinders checked out OK for roundness and taper. The pistons are fine. The valves are getting low enough in the block to call for new seats, so we're going with new rings, valves,...

What Allan says about specifications is right. People gripe about junk from China, but Chinese factories generally can make any quality. If you order junk, they send you junk.

Screen Shot 2020-06-13 at 4.32.07 PM.png Frank, before you post a picture, open it on your screen then click on Tools . That should open a menu that includes Rotate . This is how it looks on a Mac, but if you're afflicted with Windows I think you probably have something similar. After you've rotate...

I had a set o[f] NZ Firestones years ago that completely wore out before any cracking... [/size] I bought some of those NOS a couple of years ago. They were gorgeous. Coming out of the wrappers they looked brand new. Country roads ate them up in no time. No matter what anybody says to the contrary,...

I always tell people to have a kid or a grand kid teach them how.

A survey posted on FB asked how many people use 30 x 3 beaded edge tyres. This was to get some idea of the potential US market for the new Blockleys in that size. Since a lot of T folks wouldn't see that survey, I thought I'd post the question here. I expect I will try some Blockleys when my curren...

#10 goes north into Stone Bluff, west on Osborn Prairie Road, and ends going north on CR 140 W. #11 continues north on CR 140 W which makes a little jog west and becomes CR 160 W. Then we turn west on CR 450 N. After crossing CR 250 W we've been here before. The episode ends just as we turn off the...

Lots of gauges you can attach to your tester hardware. https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=0vbiXpeMHsXesAWP7YCICQ&q=100+psi+pressure+gauge&oq=100+PSI&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgGMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADoFCAAQgwE6BQgAELEDULIQWIsmYI5taABwAHgAgAFQiAGuA5IBATeYAQCgAQGqAQd...

Thicker rubber.

Russ Furstnow wrote the book on speedometers, literally. He will do it right.

https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/memberlist.php ... file&u=741

A New Day is neither a flapper nor a roller type. It's a brush timer. You can use this to check and set the timing: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG97.html

All it takes...

Also knowledge and skill. Along with all those things you should have the ability to communicate with customers, as most businesses do.

What goes here?

I suspect a nut sitting down in a recess where you have trouble getting a wrench on it may not be correct.

Why not use brass wire to attach Ford logo?

It wears out and the logo falls off.

I've never had to buy anything from them but I've been reading gripes about the lousy service for many, many years. It's amazing they're still in business. I suspect if they had any competition they wouldn't be.

If the radiator is new it should not be part of the problem. I see a couple of possibilities. 1 Misinterpretation. Is the radiator really at a seething boil, or is it just barfing out excess coolant and gurgling normally after you shut off the engine? 2 If the answer is the former, I think we can r...

Duey, it would be Spanish in Argentina and Portuguese in Brazil.

IMG_5203.JPG Earlier I repaired these rounded-out carriage bolt holes, and today's job was to fill the little craters around them. IMG_5204.JPG Slathering on the flux. IMG_5205.JPG Melting on the body solder. IMG_5206.JPG Spreading it around, trying not to burn up my stick. IMG_5208.JPG Nobody will...

I never posted any T work in May because I didn't do much. Busy with other stuff. Now I'm back in the game, fixing Lizzie's broken windshield. I replaced the broken upright with a piece cut from a junk frame. Did a couple of manifolds while I was at it. IMG_5196.JPG Blasting in the cool of the morn...

My recore was done by Tom Nolte. He did a radiator for Rob's Model K, so I sent mine to him.

TOM’S RADIATOR SERVICE
2341 184th Road
Sabetha
KS 66534
(785) 284-2080
tomnolte@sbcglobal.net

425 X is the current version of the original Champion X. But I decline to pay the crazy price. I buy originals at swap meets or on eBay for a fraction of the price.

http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG95.html

Champion X with a loose collar? The base can be tight but the plug still leak.

I don't know the years, but yes, early steering wheels have two keys.

Here's how I charge the battery in my 1915 runabout. If my memory of the dim and distant past is right, I learned it from John Regan.

http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG102.html

So where are you guys getting your rims? [/size] I get mine at swap meets and auctions. I've sometimes gotten them amazingly cheap at auctions. Good ones at swap meets usually go for more, but still much less costly than new ones. If you can't wait until we're having swap meets and auctions again, ...

When I got an email from "Terry" I played the game just for fun, but I'm not going to waste my time on it any further. I have other things to do. Any more will just be deleted. Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 10.11.55 PM.jpg Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 10.12.23 PM.png Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 10.12.53 PM....

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