MTFCA Forum

ewdysar

Hi Ben, Looking at the photo that you posted of your gas tank connection, it raises a few questions. It appears that the tank outlet is too small for the stock sediment bowl. It also appears that the tank outlet is almost directly above the exhaust pipe. I would not expect to find either if it was a...

ewdysar

James, I'm not trying to derail your request, however... While you may be focused on functionality, I believe that the original boots from the factory fit better and were better secured than the reproductions available today. Here's a couple of earlier threads discussing those original boots and the...

ewdysar

Hey guys, Keep in mind that this video, and the entire "Jay Leno's Garage" series, is created for it's entertainment value. These are not really intended as instructional videos. As referenced by previous posters, there are better instructional videos available for those that are trying to learn. Th...

ewdysar

Sorry to hear that. However, Model T's don't require Motometers! Model Ts may not require a temperature gauge. Model Ts don't require flags on the radiator fill neck for a parade, but some folks like them. ;) Just for reference, my family went on multiple 1000 mi. tours in the '60's (Pasadena to/fr...

ewdysar

That's right Pat, you need more Ts!

ewdysar

Please excuse my lack of understanding, I am not aware of the term "lost leader" Could someone please explain; Thank you. Hi Michael, The term "loss leader" describes a product made to be sold at minimal profit to sell to the folks that can barely afford your product. This increases sales and brand...

ewdysar

Allan and Steve, Great work with the bolt based “rivets”. I do believe that the axle tube will need to be separated from the pumpkin casting to get a decent seal. I guess that before rebuilding the original axle, I’ll disassemble, clean, and bolt-rivet the both axle housings to reduce the chance of ...

ewdysar

I went through this scenario in my '14 Touring years ago - complete disassembly, drilled out all the rivets to separate the pieces, hot tanked (was still available years ago), can't recall what I used for a sealer but sealed it with some goop, used button head bolts for reassembly, Loktite the thre...

ewdysar

Number one, those housings like leak on the best of days. 2. What oil are you using in the rear end? Ruckstell need lighter oil than the grease in a standard rear end. Lighter oil equals more leaks. You are fighting an uphill battle. Best answer change to later rear end. Thanks Dan and Keith. I'll ...

ewdysar

Right Pat. That brings us right back to the first post in this thread. Two questions to the broader group: how does one effectively seal the pumpkin to axle tube seam on a 12 rivet axle housing? And for durability, would a regular 6 rivet axle housing be better or just different on a Driver's T? Kee...

ewdysar

I bought Hartford brass stem 30x3 tubes from Coker a few months ago. Their website currently shows them as orderable. They seem to be pretty good at showing out of stock when they are.

https://cokertire.com/accessories/30x3- ... -stem.html

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑
Wed Aug 06, 2025 5:09 pm
Is there any chance that water got into the axle?

Not really.

ewdysar

After driving my ‘14 Touring 100+ miles this summer, she appears to have developed a new leak. When I added the small drum ruxtell a few years back, I swapped out the right hand axle housing with the original 12 rivet one, just to keep the “correct” look. But over the last few weeks in my shop… IMG_...

ewdysar

Hey Mike, This might be old news to you, Ford Wood in Utah still makes and sells Model T wood kits and the door kits are sold separately from the rest of the body. https://fordwood.com/ Pick your body style, then year, and misc. wood kits. The "n" kits have no fasteners, the "F" kits include fastene...

ewdysar

Should have wire spoke wheels and hubs. Are they available with the car? From the 1927 section of the MTFCA Encyclopedia "WHEELS: 21' demountable wheels were standard, wire wheels optional on all models. Late in the model year, black wire wheels became standard on closed cars." Since this is an ope...

ewdysar

The car was last titled as a 1923, with a hand written note by my grandfather that it has a 1916 engine. aha...the plot starts to unwind...thats an April of '26 engine block in there with that serial number if we agree the second digit is a '3'! Perhaps the handwritten note meant to say that it's a...

ewdysar

John Codman wrote: ↑
Fri Jul 18, 2025 12:56 pm
What year is the T touring? It's nice!

From the look of the fenders, cowl lights, hood, and radiator, I would say that it's a 1915 model year.

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

Original Smith wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 16, 2025 4:20 pm
What is a claw?
Never drive out the old bushing unless the front of the pan is held in it's proper location. and use plenty of WD-40.

I believe that the "claw" was a reference to the crank ratchet at the engine end of the starting crank.

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

Did anyone notice the date on the 1912 sheet? Hi D, what caught your eye about the date? If you're calling out April 15th (Tax Day), because it's the modern due date for filing US Federal Income tax, the 16th amendment was not ratified until 1913. The 16th amendment allowed Congress to enact a nati...

ewdysar

Hi Jim, Pay attention to your PT regimen. My sister had her left knee done 20 years ago at age 47. She figured that she could do better by pushing harder and doing “extra” PT. She ended up damaging the repair work, resulting in more damage to her knee than where she started. Since the first fix didn...

ewdysar

Terry,

Email sent.

Eric

ewdysar

Hey Steve. After seeing the terms like "wobble" and "true-ness" mentioned, can you clarify what kind of runout you are seeing/measuring? Axial runout (measured parallel to the axle) will show up as the rim or tread moving side to side relative to the hub while spinning the wheel. I believe that axia...

ewdysar

Weston wrote: ↑
Mon Jul 07, 2025 7:53 pm
From selecting the right materials to the final installation, Genix Flooring handled everything smoothly. Their attention to detail and quality of work really impressed me. Highly recommend!

Apparently, this guy has a 2019 Model T. Very impressive.

ewdysar

Regarding your cooling experience when going in reverse, remember a '14 hood has no louvers to help with air flow, and that may well be why you heated up a bit. If you have engine pans, they add to the issue. In reverse, your fan is actually reducing the air flow - Try popping the hood off and sett...

ewdysar

… Of course, had I known then what I know now, my tank would have been full before I started and the whole tour would have been much more uneventful. Another case of live and learn (hopefully). Eric Hi Charlie, You are correct. I posted that earlier. But the obvious answers are easier after the fac...

ewdysar

Thanks George, I had 5 gallons on the stick before I started, which would have been fine for the planned 40 miles if on the flat lands that I am used to. But with the hills and the unplanned detour later in the day before the real adventure started, things just didn’t turn out as I had expected when...

ewdysar

Could it be that when you go forward there is a natural flow of air through the radiator. In reverse, not so much. Mike That was my first thought too, Mike. And I’m sure that having to rely on the fan alone for airflow didn’t make things better. But the effect of tilting the entire thermo-siphon sy...

ewdysar

Steve, Trust me, it was not my first choice. That was my biggest concern, getting squirrelly in reverse. Surprisingly, that was not an issue. But I was pretty focused and even in ruxtell high, the backing up speed was manageable. I do have a set of running board cans, but all of the gas falls out of...

ewdysar

I guess that I should have mentioned that my ‘14 is running a stock Holley G carb. I do have a high-flow SC float valve on my shelf, but haven’t got around to putting one of those new-fangled NH carbs on the car. ;) Maybe there is a similar option for the earlier carbs. My fuel might have been a lit...

ewdysar

Yesterday, I went on a HCCA tour with my ‘14 touring that had more hills than I expected, and while I had plenty of fuel to cover the distance, there were a number of long, steep hills that caused some issues. The first long hill resulted in a couple of surges as the carb almost went dry, but then t...

ewdysar

Frank, I agree that your pics are pretty much a perfect match to the motor that Andre posted. I like the spare sparkplug rack on the firewall of the race car in your photos. I knew that my photos were not nearly as close of a match, but wanted to share what I have seen in person. The link that I sha...

ewdysar

IMG_0973.jpeg IMG_0974.jpeg My vote is for a giant Fiat 6 cylinder engine too. Jay Leno brought a similar 1917 Fiat racer, the Botafogo Special from his collection to the SoCal HCCA Holiday Motor Excursion on Dec 30, 2012. He always brings something interesting and it always gets lots of attention....

ewdysar

I just sent a PM.

ewdysar

... My USA supplier makes me buy 5000 feet of material, since my specs are different from what he normally weaves. He has to re-calibrate the machines just for me... Frank Earlier in this thread, Frank did say that the material for his kevlar bands was a custom order, not "off the shelf" product. I...

ewdysar

In the early ‘60s, my dad was using a square, dry cell 6v lantern battery with bare wire ends wrapped around the spring terminals. There was an old dead one still attached to the ignition when I pulled our grey ‘16 touring from 20+ years of storage in the ‘90s.

Keep crankin’,
Eric

ewdysar

This weekend I was able to go for a ride in my friend's well sorted '15 Runabout. Afterwards, while driving my '14 Touring around town, the additional rattles in my car became more obvious. I know that the Rocky Mountain brake rods and the regular parking brake rods are close and bang together every...

ewdysar

With any luck at all, I might have finished the fabrication and re-assembly needed to get the Pharis #32, "Frogari", road worthy again before next year's run. Coming back down to California to do this event is now on my bucket list, so if not next year, then another.

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

And remember, when the tool was made, there were no tires that had petrified on the rim for 30+ years. Using tires that were made in the same decade as when they are being removed or installed, is probably a more reasonable use case to determine the efficacy of the tool. Given road conditions at the...

ewdysar

Massachusetts does love their DMV code book. I think that most other states are a bit more relaxed (maybe not California). Since I just swapped a new set of the focused LEDs into my '27 runabout headlights, my first thought is to keep the old bulbs in my "road kit", so that if an officer wanted to d...

ewdysar

are balance beads a new thing I seem to have only heard of them in the last couple years. my shimmy doesn't start until about 80-85 It depends on what you mean by “new”. The motorcycle community has been discussing the pros and cons since at least 2008. And while I take your “80-85” comment as jest...

ewdysar

Hi Steve, My 30x3 1/2 T383 Hartford tube from Coker with the vulcanized brass metal stem for wood wheels, as shown in one of my posts above, is Shrader 12V1 which is almost 1/2" (apparently 12.2mm). This stem is threaded almost its entire length. From the Coker website "TR383 stem is brass stem 3 1/...

ewdysar

I've been told that all Schrader stems and hardware are not a standard thread size, which is discussed in more detail in the following discussion: https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=36089&p=279598&hilit=12V1#p279598 While my measurement of M12-1.25 apparently falls within the manufactu...

ewdysar

I’ve got a new Hartford 30x3 1/2 TR383 tube here in my office with me. The stem is vulcanized to the tube. The bridge washer and lock nut were included in the box when received from Coker. The stem is unmarked, the bridge washer is marked “himile” and B5. I checked the thread of the lock nut which t...

ewdysar

Hey Craig, I recently took my 10-15 year old HF click-type torque wrenches to have them re-calibrated. Surprisingly, both wrenches (3/8 and 1/2") were tested, confirmed to be spot on, and returned to me "as found". Additionally, the company chose not to charge me for the testing, I believe the charg...

ewdysar

The tires are not ruined. I've seen worse hack jobs on tires that I have removed. But those tires worked well as modified, well enough to wear out the tread before any other failure. I have also notched that edge for clearance around the valve stem (as told to by my dad), but I was a bit more carefu...

ewdysar

That looks great, Michael! Great job!

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

OK, I am used to running with the oil-soaked felt pad in the valve cover with my iron Rajo head, but as I am setting up my new (to me) iron Roof 8 head, I am considering routing some of the oil pressure up there. At the business end of things, I know that one runs pressure to a hollow rocker arm sha...

ewdysar

In one of the threads that Shannon posted, the Patterson version of the transmission drive speedometer had various combinations of gearing to suit different Ford configurations as noted here: Patterson speedometer notes.jpg In the same thread, the original Patterson documentation shows what speedome...

ewdysar

Good info, Frank. I have a 4 pole solenoid mounted on the bottom of the frame rail in my '14. I have the start button on the bottom of the coil box where I can hit it with the tip of my shoe, very handy if the engine stalls at a traffic signal. Because I'm using the regular T ignition with coils, ti...

ewdysar

Do you have any idea about the tire size for the Nash car that the speedometer set up came from ? That will give you an idea of how much of a correction that you will need. The only thing that a speedometer cares about is the tire circumference and therefore, the number of rotations per mile. If the...

ewdysar

Based on the thread so far, the T in question is a Depot Hack, and therefore is not stock from the get go. If the gas tank is in a custom location, maybe lower and/or farther back, the gravity feed is less effective while going up inclines, leading to common fuel starvation. Many folks go with a mod...

ewdysar

Hi Dan,

Thank you for the confirmation. I’ve sent you an email for more specific information.

Keep crankin’,
Eric

ewdysar

Second email sent for the cam.

Eric

ewdysar

Hi Hank, I don't really want to hang an oil pump off the back of the cam timing gear (where the generator usually lives) because that's where I want the generator or alternator. I have a strong dislike for belt driven alternators. But I am not opposed to a front plate oil pump. My '27 Runabout with ...

ewdysar

Hi Jeffrey,

No box of loose engine block parts. Just the assembled short block as seen in the pics.

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

Actually, the camshaft is too long to use a VW oil pump. With the existing length, there is not enough room left off the end of the camshaft for the pump to clear the flywheel. I was already prepared to add the slot in the end of the shaft that drives the oil pump, but at this point there is less ro...

ewdysar

Thanks for the tappet info, John. That is 1 mystery solved.

As far as the camshaft goes, it looks pretty much like a cam. More pics here:

: Timing gear end

: Cyl 1-2 part of block

: Cyl 3-4 part of block

: Flywheel end

Maybe there is some subtle clue about this camshaft in these pics.

Keep crankin’,
Eric

ewdysar

I recently bought a speedster project and it came with an assembled short block with a drilled “C” crank (counterweighted Model A crank) and insert rods. The closer that I look at it, the more questions that I have. I don’t necessarily want to change any of these parts, but I would like to know what...

ewdysar

Ford made a tool to adjust caster...

(picture lifted from Lang's Old Car Parts online catalog)

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

Let's "pave paradise and put up a parking lot..."

Keep crankin'
Eric

ewdysar

I was just getting ready for a similar question. Brent asked about the T pulley in his first post. My new C crank block already has the timing gear installed. IMG_3626.jpeg IMG_3627.jpeg With no hole for a “T” pulley for a wide belt. My ‘27 runabout with a Rajo and A crank, the pulley is for a V-bel...

ewdysar

The Atlas is in my hands. Thanks Hank! On to the next challenge...

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

Thanks Steve. I'll keep that in mind when everything is coming together. I hope that this will be one of the answers for getting Robin Pharis' #32 back on the road with a "C" crank and Roof 8 "Liberty" head. However, all the mounts are custom (motor, R&P steering, suspension, radiator, etc.), so I'l...

ewdysar

Done deal. Thanks, Hank!

ewdysar

email sent, Hank.

ewdysar

I'm looking for an Atlas water pump, as seen in this photo:

: Atlas water pump.png (258.05 KiB) Viewed 2678 times

Does anybody have one gathering dust on the shelf?

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

I’m looking to put together a reliable engine together with an oil pressure system, drilled “C” crank, and a Roof 8 “Liberty” head. It’s my understanding that the various OHV engines had issues with sufficient cooling for the rear (#4) cylinder. This was known, even back in the day, so Frontenac inc...

ewdysar

I'm the friend that Keith mentioned, and while shopping for tubes on the Coker website on 4/11, I happened to notice that 30x3 black Non-Skid tires were $78, marked down from $500. I ordered 2, texted Keith, and when I checked on the Coker website about 5 hours later, those tires were now on backord...

ewdysar

I recently acquired a Roof 8 "Liberty" head with the original intake and exhaust manifolds. However, it appears that the valve cover has had the lower edge trimmed off. So now it is too low to fit over the valve train and there are no provisions for securing it to the head. This is one of the "egg c...

ewdysar

Gerald, It is simpler than that. Most pictures posted here are .jpg format and you can add files bigger than 1MB. Open the "attachments" tab in the lower part of the message editor, pick "add files", select a picture on your computer and hit "open". The file name and size will be displayed in the "a...

ewdysar

I’ve been getting Hartford tubes from Coker Tires. I’m waiting for an order delivery that includes a couple of 30x3 tubes right now.

Keep cranking’
Eric

ewdysar

Steve, That section of Frank's post was an "AI overview" so the strange wording and incorrect translation of the HCCA acronym is just part of the game. Our current guidelines at work are to proofread any AI generated text before sending it out, to catch this and many other types of errors. Personall...

ewdysar

email sent for 2 drag link ball caps.

ewdysar

Read the original post. He signed it "Abe Pro Full"

Eric

ewdysar

That particular wing nut is none other than the famous wing walker Lillian Boyer, and she is on her Curtiss JN "Jenny" biplane. Lillian was a pretty amazing person, performing stunts like this from 1921 through 1928 until Federal regulations concerning low flying and unsafe planes ended her performi...

ewdysar

WOW! Although I have heard of this extremely rare item, I have not ever seen a pic of the actual thing. That is quite the opportunity for someone to own a piece of history.

Eric

ewdysar

Dang it, another one that got away.

Eric

ewdysar

generally Model T cold engine starting is much better accomplished with mixture control manipulation. most T guys won't or are scared to fiddle with the mixture ! OK, just for the record, it's not that I'm afraid, but spending my first half a century of messing about with T's in SoCal, I found that...

ewdysar

I have found that starting my '14 cold is pretty difficult to do on mag. It is a little better on Battery. Once she's warmed up, mag starts are easy. That said, I've never gotten a "free start" on mag.

Keep crankin',
Eric

ewdysar

Hi Tom

In the last week, I've left multiple voice mails and sent you a PM here about getting more info on #32. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Eric
Six 26-497-Seven 013

ewdysar

I ordered a pair of these last week and they are currently crawling their way across the country to get to my house. I am looking forward to seeing the improvement. I’ll try and take before and after pics inside my darkened shop.

Eric

ewdysar

Just to pile on, this is what my ‘27 Runabout spare tire mount bolts look like.

Keep crankin’
Eric

ewdysar

I've read posts here where folks have used a distributer diagnostic machine to check the overall health and possibly tune their advance curves. If anyone has access to one of those machines in the greater Portland, OR area, I will gladly pull my distributor to document its specs. My distributor does...

ewdysar

Thanks Frank. Great info, especially the green box of regular operating instructions. Hi Keith, I agree, I am a solid timer/coils guy, I even have a set of fresh RP wood box coils in my '14. However, my '27 runabout (built for John Conners) came to me with a Rajo with a Winfield S and a "3 in 1" fro...

ewdysar

Thanks Craig, So the mechanical advance arm was to provide additional retard for starting only, leaving the centrifugal advance for regular advance curve beginning around 6-8 deg btdc at idle to whatever the top of the curve (maybe 26 btdc at 2000rpm?) I have read that the rule of thumb is 10-12 deg...

ewdysar

I know that there were some period centrifugal advance distributors with mechanical advance arms too. What was the purpose of both methods of advancement in one unit and how would it be used in practice?

Eric

ewdysar

This is what I bought… https://www.signaldynamics.com/01007 designed for motorcycles that had few/no signals and no dashboard for mounting. integrates with brakes, adds emergency mode, is self-cancelling in use. compatible with LED or incandescent. very inconspicuous installation in cockpit using sm...

ewdysar

This is another thread that points out how this hobby discourages younger, regular working stiff participants. If one has a M-F 9-5 job, one has little access to model T events or parts, other than online, through the vendors, classified ads here, or ebay. My father says that back in the ‘60’s, when...

ewdysar

Eric, lots of older postings about removing stuck wire wheel hubs, but I do not know how to attach a link. Whatever you use for a puller will still require pounding the axle shaft. If your puller has a big screw on the axle, wack the head of the screw repeatedly with a large hammer. A simple wheel ...

ewdysar

I was more taken in by the stretched limo. The destination sign on the vehicle is clear. All the printing in the background is reversed, suggesting a negative reversal. I can't reconcile this. Allan from down under. The reversed printing looks to be the back side of printed curtains/banners on the ...

ewdysar

Just to bolster your optimism, Steve, here is my story: When I took my rear wheels off a couple years ago, the regular puller worked like a charm on the first wheel. The second wheel was a different story. I tightened the center bolt on the puller until I was afraid that I'd strip the threads on th...

ewdysar

First off, they are trying to sell cheese, not make a historical documentary. The theme of “old ways” includes a text response “LOL” sent by post and other silly perceptions of modern lifestyle using early technology. But focusing on the Model T “5 seconds of fame”, my first thought was “that’s a pr...

ewdysar

duplicate post, sorry…

Eric

ewdysar

So this is off of some car of the era 1920's? But perfect for my 1927 RPU on steroids! I purchased this from another club member as after he received it and blasted the crud off, he noticed the repair and breaks. Disappointed in his decision of the buy, we agreed on a price. This size box will fit ...

ewdysar

More oil is better, too little is bad! In general, I agree. However, in my experience with various infernal combustion engines over the years, I have had problems arise from both not enough oil and too much oil. Hence my question about the oil pad for Model T overhead valves, how much oil; a tables...

ewdysar

My Rajo valve cover has no oiling holes and the pad is not secured to the cover. I simply remove the cover to re-oil the pad. My question is, under normal operation, how often should the pad be re-oiled and how much oil should be added? To date, I’ve been guessing and it is likely that I’ve been add...

ewdysar

IMHO, Mr. Tothill’s outfit is much more refined than a typical golfer. The pith helmet really makes a statement.

Eric

ewdysar

If you squeeze the handle when you apply the brakes instead of dragging the ratchet along the quadrant, both ratchet and quadrant will last longer. Always in my Ts, and my father taught me to do the same with modern cars too. Even as a teenager, I always held the button in while pulling the parking...

ewdysar

Thanks for the specs, Frank.

Mark, it looks like your estimate was right on. Thanks for your input.

Eric

ewdysar

Mark Gregush wrote: ↑
Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:39 am
I was replying to your question about shoulder length, yes I am sure. They have to be longer so can be swedged down when assembling the brake drum and hub.

Thanks for the confirmation, Mark. Does anyone know how much longer the rear bolts are?

Eric

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