MTFCA Forum

R.V.Anderson

During restoration, I replaced the very worn quadrant on my '14 with a new repop. You are right, the hole for the column IS shaped differently from the originals, but it's not so far off that the piece is unusable.You can remove your worn original and use it for a pattern to gently re-work the repop...

R.V.Anderson

I agree with Joseph M. One pint is plenty (but watch for leaks and check the level often). Far and away the greatest cause of grease leaks at the rear wheels is overfilling the differential.

R.V.Anderson

I got mine years ago from McMaster-Carr. I don't remember exactly what type it is but this stuff looks like it would work. Heat resistant to 500 degrees and it runs about $10/ft. Their part number for it is 55125K73.

R.V.Anderson

I don't have the drawing of the 1911 top but I do have the 1914 touring car top drawing. The front and rear bows are driven into the sockets 7" and the two center bows 5". In addition: On the front bow assembly, when the top is up, there should be a 1" to 1-5/16" space between the inside of the wood...

R.V.Anderson

I remember firing up my own '14 for the first time. My father in law was there with me; he passed away a short time later so I'm very thankful he got to share the moment and even got a few rides a bit later on.

R.V.Anderson

Around the time of the T's introduction, the Heinze Electric Co. patented a mortise and tenon joint between pairs of its coils. The idea was to make the units a bit more secure in the box, helping to keep them from bouncing around in the box and losing contact. This joint required that the coils be ...

R.V.Anderson

FWIW, the "transitional" wheel (15" dia./ high 'dished' pressed steel spider/ Fordite rim) was first drawn on November 3, 1919, shortly after the start of the 1920 model year. It was declared 'Obsolete' on June 21, 1921. Its successor, the 16" Fordite rim with the flatter profile pressed steel spide...

R.V.Anderson

My new boxes are mahogany. Not Cuban, but still mahogany. Guaranteed.

R.V.Anderson

Allan, originally the coilbox was made from Cuban mahogany. That exact species is no longer available for making lumber. It's my understanding that, years ago, some priests took seedlings from Cuba to the Philippines and planted extensive groves there, which are now being sustainably harvested. This...

R.V.Anderson

Hap, you're being very kind. While I did write the article, in re-reading it over the years I cringe at some of the errors I made in it, such as mis-identifying the years of component parts such as brackets. I think the main value of the article is the photos. But I do appreciate the generous words ...

R.V.Anderson

There was an article in Vol. 22 #6 (Nov./Dec. 1987) of The Vintage Ford about re-wooding a '23 roadster, with lots of photos. It may be of some help to you. Copies may still be available from the MTFCA.

R.V.Anderson

The 15" wheel that I have (actually I several) and which Steve T. cites is really quite unique. The pressed steel spider has a significantly higher profile, resulting in a deeper "dish", than the familiar 16" spider used in later 1920-25. When I was looking for one of these for my April 1920 touring...

R.V.Anderson

The '14 and '15 mufflers are the same, as Val posted. To remove the pipe, I just take my '14 out on our New York State roads. The lunar landscapes that pass for roads out here will knock it out in about 3 miles. I just have to listen for the 'little 'clang' as it hits what's left of the asphalt. The...

R.V.Anderson

I have heard of a method, but have not yet personally tried, where folks take an irreparably broken Fordite rim and use coarse sandpaper or a wood rasp to make a pile of Fordite dust from it that they then mix with epoxy or other glue and use as filler for cosmetic cracks and dings after cleaning an...

R.V.Anderson

Some genuine Ford parts did have block letters instead of the script. The crank ratchet is one place that that was common.

R.V.Anderson

The stamped design for the cotton web top to windshield strap came out in 1920. Ford designated it "A2" and the earlier forged design, which was continued alongside the new stamped design, was "A1". However, about 95% of 1915 cars had leather top to windshield straps, with the earlier forged buckle ...

R.V.Anderson

I think it would fit OK, but there are some features unique to the '13 top, such as the curvy flap at the top rear sides, that the '14 doesn't have. Larry Smith would know; he is an expert on '13 tops, both touring and roadster.

R.V.Anderson

I would guess that your potted coil isn't working because you are getting arcing between the new primary and secondary windings. You need to insulate them from each other to prevent this. Wrapping the primary in good quality electrical tape should take care of that. Try connecting your windings as y...

R.V.Anderson

FWIW, that one is a late '12 unit: the ratchet spring is angled and the adjusting nut post is about 3/32" closer to the coil's rear panel than the earlier ones.

R.V.Anderson

John, your issue sounds more like it's either in your switch or else a cold solder joint somewhere in the field coil. If it was the rivet/screw issue under discussion here, your mag would work fine when cold and then would fade once it got hot, not work intermittently from the get-go as you describe.

R.V.Anderson

This same, or a very similar, issue surfaced about 8 years ago on the Forum. Turned out that the screw holding the contact button in place was a hair too long. When it got hot, it would expand and touch the iron rivet holding the contact block to the frame, which shorted the whole works. Even though...

R.V.Anderson

I believe that the plastic coils with the yellow labels are 24V units that won't work well in a T. They are for electric fence usage.

R.V.Anderson

I doubt those parts were genuine Ford. Ford, which cranked out reverse drums by the bazillion, had to get a whopping $3.00 for theirs. Likely these parts were part of the many "spurious" ones that Ford waged unrelenting campaigns against. Comparisons of individual "spurious" against genuine Ford par...

R.V.Anderson

Ron P. was right. It was the poor quality of the then-available contacts which inspired Fun Projects to subsequently begin making good ones.

R.V.Anderson

I could be wrong but I doubt they were painted. The main body may have been raven finished but that would likely have been all. The tanks were of course galvanized and not painted, so the whole thing would not have been dipped as an assembly. On my '20 I'm going to just use a clear satin lacquer on ...

R.V.Anderson

Chad, I can help you with the #8s. How many do you want?

R.V.Anderson

"I would probably never find another as good as it if I trade it."

I think you already know what you're going to do.

R.V.Anderson

My '14 will spend the winter in my heated shop, as usual. The car is warmer than I am, most of the time.

R.V.Anderson

It's '11-'12. The '13 and very late '12 style used lunchbox latch clips.

R.V.Anderson

"Curser" is what you become when the "cursor" won't go where you want it...

R.V.Anderson

That's good news; it will save you a lot of work!

R.V.Anderson

When a mag develops trouble "all of a sudden," that is, with no warning and no sputtering and/or running rough, but just dies, and then upon checking it the voltage is there but quite low, usually it's something like a bit of wire or a broken cotter pin shorting it. Most often the offender is found ...

R.V.Anderson

Genuine NOS, but the flange surface has some dents. Will carry extra oil

$30 postpaid in US.

R.V.Anderson

Abandoned the idea of hosting the meet, that is.

R.V.Anderson

It's true, he was considering it, but a reliable source says that he has abandoned the idea.

R.V.Anderson

Steve, I heard that too. A highly credible source says it ain't happening.

R.V.Anderson

What Dan said.

R.V.Anderson

PM sent.

R.V.Anderson

Susie told me last year that as soon as they announced the end of the meet, registrations new and old picked up to the point where they were running 3 times the rate of 2018's. So it looks like it will be quite the celebration and farewell.

R.V.Anderson

TTT 1

R.V.Anderson

May be common as dirt but I've never seen a Wards Riverside plug.

R.V.Anderson

If anyone has one or more of these that have broken or otherwise performed poorly and are no longer wanted, I'd be interested in buying them.

These are the long style tubing brackets that mount to the outside of the body at the front seat.

PM me at rvmodelt AT netsync DOT net

R.V.Anderson

I have them also. Have wound many thousands in more than 27 years. Everything on them is new but the frame itself. Lifetime warranty.

rvmodelt AT netsync DOT com

Shop phone 716-267-3526

R.V.Anderson

"Bows" are the wooden pieces; "irons" or "sockets" refers to the metal parts. Which do you need?

R.V.Anderson

Thanks all. The cap is aluminum and not potmetal. I have a gallon can of Kroil so I will go ahead and try that. I was going to anyway but I thought I'd better check with those who have more experience than I in this area. Will let everyone know how it comes out. Literally.

R.V.Anderson

He may be related. Are they German? Mr. Schmidt's accent was prominent in his phone message.

R.V.Anderson

I have a very nice original 1914 gas cap that is cemented by rust into an un-salvageable tank, so a ring of tank metal around the cap was torched out of it. The heat didn't affect the rust cement any; the cap is still firmly in place. Can anyone recommend any one type of snake oil penetrant that won...

R.V.Anderson

FWIW, the early (brass era) originals were supposed to be a full inch in length, by 3/4" wide and 1/4" thick.

R.V.Anderson

Hi; does anyone know Peter Schmidt in California? He left a message on my answering machine while I was at Hershey, but just as he started to leave his phone number the machine cut off. If anyone knows what that number is, I'd appreciate a PM with that information. Thanks to anyone who can help. rvm...

R.V.Anderson

I don't believe that Ford ever did this but it was commonly done by owners and garages to aid in getting that pesky cotter pin hole to line up, and not have it be half a day's project for the horse-bound.

R.V.Anderson

For this year, and possibly permanently, I have moved from the Red Field South to the Green Field, in spaces GBC 32-34. I will have my line of new parts, early coils and boxes along with their parts, top straps, new gas generators, and an assortment of original parts. In addition I will have some of...

R.V.Anderson

Erik is correct. I'm accustomed to dealing with the earlier sockets which use the straps. I apologize for causing any confusion.

I don't see the clip; your eyes must be better than mine.

R.V.Anderson

To fold the top, you pull out the key strap, then remove the front bow assembly from the upper hole and place it in the lower hole, then replace the key strap and drop the whole works down onto the saddles.

R.V.Anderson

The front socket assembly should have two pins in the ends that fit into the upper hole on the upright socket. The pins should each be drilled for a key strap which holds them in the hole when in the upright position. The position that the front socket is in now is correct for when they are folded, ...

R.V.Anderson

Dan, I will take them. Just saw your ad. Aren't you in the Orange field?

R.V.Anderson

The correct dash has 1/8" cherry veneer over a solid hardwood core, which I believe could have been cherry along a number of other woods.

R.V.Anderson

Reminds me of a coil I once had sent to me to rebuild from a guy in Brazil. At least I think it was a coil. It came in a Ziplock bag containing some tar, a few wires, some hardware, some partial wood panels, and about 2 cups of dust. Termites had almost completely devoured the wood.

R.V.Anderson

I have one of those too, on my '14. I finally had to get one, as both rear wheels were canted inward about an inch at the top. It doesn't look as out of place as I thought it would. When I rebuilt the axle, I soaked the housing assemblies in kerosene, then in xylene to get that out. When I was satis...

R.V.Anderson

I don't believe that Kingston ever put their ID tags on the lid; always on the box above the switch as in your example. It was Splitdorf and Heinze (pre-T) that did that. If your '10 is late enough in the model year, that box and switch could be correct, though I wouldn't swear to it. If you were to...

R.V.Anderson

It's very late '10 through '13. The basic box was identical from '09 through '13; what changed was the switch and the mounting brackets. The early box used a small round brass switch (the very earliest used a fiber switch) mounted rather low on the box, and the mounting brackets were the wraparound ...

R.V.Anderson

According to Bruce McCalley's Encyclopedia, the last non-starter engine was built on May 29, 1919. Starter type blocks were first made on Dec. 11, 1918, so both types were in production for about 6 months. The serial number of the last non-starter engine was in the 3,136,XXX range, so from your cast...

R.V.Anderson

Of course, all this hoopla may be entirely superfluous: to paraphrase E.B. White: The Model T driver seldom bothered with a rear-view mirror. He wasn't concerned about what was behind him because he'd soon enough see it out in front.

R.V.Anderson

FWIW, a state legislator representing the North Tonawanda area of NY is introducing legislation that would require the state to collect no more than their actual cost to produce new plates (65 cents per plate). I doubt it's going anywhere, but it puts the governor, who hotly denied that his scheme i...

R.V.Anderson

Couldn't take a photo, but I liked this sign on the back of a pickup truck I followed for a bit on the way to the OCF this year:

IF IT AIN'T BROKE
IT AIN'T MINE

R.V.Anderson

I use and like the one made by Antique Motor Sports. Here is a link to their ebay store: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Model-T-Ford-rear-view-mirror-1916-1927-POLISHED/380674250371?epid=914103218&hash=item58a1f41683:g:G2AAAOSwTO9aFFGC I use the polished brass version, which is otherwise identical to the ...

R.V.Anderson

Steve J. is correct; the repros are nice and will fit fine but are the later style. I have several original '14 manifolds and will be happy to part with one to a good home

R.V.Anderson

Russ, FWIW, my late Dad's original '23 Canadian coupe has that same lead/brass trim, with embedded nails, as you describe. The former owner removed it to install the new top material, but fortunately he removed it carefully and saved it.

R.V.Anderson

Mine has been spoken for. Thanks for all the inquiries.

R.V.Anderson

An issue worth considering but I don't think you'd get quite the benefits you are looking for. It would be difficult to hold such a minute adjustment for long, what with the front of the rear axle putting added downward pressure to the area. As long as the engine and tranny have both been balanced a...

R.V.Anderson

Instead of permanently altering an original box, it would be a lot better to have a set of coils built to fit the JB box, but which have the later style points.

Original JB coils are excellent, however. One of the best of the early coils.

R.V.Anderson

I have a nice one, just what you are looking for. Complete with sleeve and bearing, though I can't vouch for the bearing's condition. $125 plus postage. A lot, I know, but it is very nice.

R.V.Anderson

PM sent.

R.V.Anderson

I have a restored Service Products tester and use it constantly.

The Service Products Company was formerly the John O. Heinze Company, formed after he left the Heinze Electric Company.

R.V.Anderson

Mark S: I am currently making the Watts style clutch.

rvmodeltATnetsyncDOTnet

R.V.Anderson

Mark is correct. Chaffin's makes the heavier spring.

R.V.Anderson

Spoken for; thanks MTFCA!

R.V.Anderson

R.V.Anderson

Thank you for the kind words; very glad you are pleased.

R.V.Anderson

Tim, I have one set of slightly rusted Hayes and several sets of Kelsey seals, but all Pruddens are rust free. The rusted ones are half price, $22.50, and the rust free ones are $45 per pair.

R.V.Anderson

I believe that what Mario has are custom built units made to fit an original 1911-1912 Kingston coilbox but are made with adapted later style KW points. Most likely this was a one-off deal and duplicates don't exist. I could certainly build him some spares but due to the custom nature of the work in...

R.V.Anderson

My brother Jon makes them from the Ford prints. His email is jpautowood@gmail.com

R.V.Anderson

Because the Red Field South vendors will all be re-located this year, I am now in the Green Field, spaces GBC 32-34. Right on the north end of the row.

Much more centrally located. Since I will have the option of keeping those spaces permanently, I'm thinking I will probably do so.

R.V.Anderson

I may; check back with me later this evening.

rvmodeltATnetsyncDOTnet

R.V.Anderson

Sold to Russ; thanks! I have a few more sets in similar condition; Prudden and Kelsey besides Hayes. Same price if anyone's interested.

R.V.Anderson

Brand new, complete, fully functional as is. Just bolt it on and go. Works great (I have one on my own '14) ; show quality. Made in Sweden by the same craftsman who built the T-100 bodies. The gentleman is now in his late eighties, has retired, is in fragile health, and is not making any more; when ...

R.V.Anderson

New pair. Some rust as seen but will clean up nicely. Half price: retail is $45, sell for $22.50 plus $4.00 postage.

rvmodeltATnetsyncDOTnet

R.V.Anderson

Another possibility would be to take it to your local plating shop and have them strip and buff it for you. In my town we have a metal finishing shop that does great work; they've done my radiator for me, buffing out quite a large and deep scratch at one point.

R.V.Anderson

Lacquer thinner and Scotchbrite should do it, though it may take patience and a bit of elbow grease. You wouldn't want to take a chance using a harsh paint stripper; it might discolor or even attack the brass and leave you with a far worse situation.

R.V.Anderson

FWIW, the change in 1913 that Larry mentions took place right at the end of the model year, in late June/early July.

R.V.Anderson

The long bolts that Adam mentions were a combination hood board and engine pan bolt, in a carriage bolt configuration, that began to be used about July of 1913. They came in "short" (3-1/4", used in front) and "long" (3-5/8", used in the rear) lengths. Until then, the (separate) hood board bolts wer...

R.V.Anderson

All of these responses about the oil pan are right on. The slope of the flywheel pocket allows the field coil to clear until it's pulled down by the bolts, thereby springing the field coil into the magnets. Remember there is very little clearance between the magnet clamps and the pole faces, so it d...

R.V.Anderson

What Steve said.

If it wasn't for the gasoline stoves on the farms, motor fuel would have been a lot harder to come by.

R.V.Anderson

This may be sorta off topic, but I very recently learned something about gas headlamp repop and modern glass lenses. I was out driving over the lunar landscape that passes for one of the main roads around here, and hitting one pothole caused the passenger side lamp door to come open and the lens to ...

R.V.Anderson

First, what Mark said.

Next, I do rewind field coils; have done many thousands using all new copper, insulators, contact blocks, etc. Everything is new but the frame itself. Surface grinding available. All units carry a lifetime warranty.

rvmodeltATnetsyncDOTnet

R.V.Anderson

I have the same issue with my '14. Kevlar lining, non-demountable bands. No chatter until the last few feet, just before coming to a complete stop. I tightened up the brake band and it definitely helped, although it's still there. The issue started last year, after 10 years of chatter-free driving. ...

R.V.Anderson

Hi Mario: PM sent.

R.V.Anderson

The point about today's cheapest oils being better than yesterday's best is pretty accurate. I use straight 30 weight in my '14 as I remember once reading from an authoritative source that today's multi-weight oils are about 1/3 non-lubricating additives.

R.V.Anderson

Ignacio, I am the one who makes the cotton web strap sets that Martin showed you, and which Lang's and Snyder's carry. As he and Russ have pointed out, the set with the D rings was used 1915-21 on cars that used the L-irons to hold the top rest saddles. On your '22, the bottom strap has no D ring bu...

R.V.Anderson

I bought a set of Rootlieb fenders for my '14. After hearing so many stories about how everything would need to be fit to the car, and how difficult it was, I was pleasantly shocked to find that everything fit perfectly just as it was. All I had to do was drill the mounting bolt holes.

R.V.Anderson

The thread size is 3/4" x 16.

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