MTFCA Forum

Has this been addressed anywhere in the past?

With new camshaft finally in-hand, I need to do a cam change on an early vehicle. The engine has adjustable tappets, and the head, radiator, front cover, & oil tray need to come off anyway, so my only thoughts are, if the engine is still in the chassis and I were to use cloths pins to hold the tappets...

Just added another.

A new blog on my Centerdoor project. Check it out.

For people with brass era cars, what kind of battery do you use, and what are the pros and cons based on your experience?

Looking for the Mercury Speedster that was for sale at the 2023 Hershey Swap. The mercury was on the field for sale but to the best of my knowledge went unsold. Any help appreciated! David Weber (314) 941-3244 or email: dweber736@aol.com

Hello,
I took the T out today and going into high it seemed rougher and took longer for the clutch to fully engage. It did this the other day once but then seemed fine after that. Today it seemed to do it every time I pulled out. Once it settled down it pulled hills fine and didn't seem to be obviously slipping. I thought I might try to adjust the...

I've always like the looks of honeycomb radiators. I have one for my Mercury project, but it needs to be re-cored. I'm looking for the experience and advice of those who have done this.

Spotted this on facebook thought this group might enjoy. Jim

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As a newer T owner I'm having fun learning about the history of the vehicles, in part figure out what combination mine consists of. Lots of resources out there for dating the vehicle, including here, which I really appreciate. So far I've determined the following - I'm wondering if there are any other obvious portions I can determine:
-Engine -...

I want to put an inline fuse in my 23 . It would be a fuse holder and what amperage fuse should I use?

Hey folks,

I'm getting my T ready for the National Tour and installed a motor rebuilt by my late father. I don't know if he used stock clutches or Watts clutches--he used both at different times. I put the motor in, installed the bands very loose, and drove it around the block. Neutral creeped a little, and I adjusted according to the Murray...

I have an idea for one of our parts suppliers to make a pipe which will thread into the tank which raises the gas station nozzle just enough to be able to use the vapor recovery system and only one hand on the gas nozzle. It is difficult to hold back the recover system with one hand while using the nozzle with the other hand, especially on the...

I drove my '19 around town last Saturday and gradually the foot brake became less and less effective. By the time I pulled in the garage, the pedal would go to the floor with basically no braking. Because it worked well at the start of the 10 mile drive, I was expecting a big oily fuzzball inside the trans, but that's not what I found. The brake...

.still in the process of going thru the mechanicals on the '14 on the way to first crank...
But saw something interesting on the back of the brass radiator upper tank.
I have seen brass rad serial tags, but, hadn't seen one like this before. Also looks like a sloppy braze job, but what do I know, fast wasn't always pretty.....
Or...
Possibly older...

Will the video be coming out soon? Lots of good info will be included.

Looking for information on who everyone uses for repairing and rebuilding their brass lights. The side lamps on my 12 touring are cracked around the rivets making them loose and I would like to get them repaired

Today I line bored out an early open valve T block that had run the crankshaft formerly directly in the block, to accept babbitt. This was easier to do than to post pics on this site so if you want to see more send me a message and we can talk and share pics. I have another one in the queue. I would love to share what we do here with anyone...

Aside for the sticker shock, I need two front fenders for my 26/27 T project. I'm starting with a 26/27 donor vehicle for my WWI ambulance project so it has the incorrect year chassis, but it is what it is. Original car was depot hack so I have no idea if the original fenders were off a touring or roadster or coupe or what. But I've got the angled...

what carburetors are these for? I have had such a carbulator in the past, but do not remember the make or model. I have one of the largest size, marked 5 .
I have perhaps 6 or so of the smaller size. they are different weights and are marked on the back. One is marked 31B,. the other 16A. I may have such a carburetor, but I have boxes of T parts...

In June 1924, something special happened... my Model T rolled off the assembly line! In June 2024, an incredible milestone was reached, Lizzie celebrated her 100th Birthday! I decided to share the celebrations at Mid Coast Ford Motorfest, on the King's Birthday long weekend in June. This annual flagship car show is put on by the Great Lakes...

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I'm looking for thoughts from Stipe .290 grind cam users. I have a new Stipe .290 cam and bought it to use in a 27 engine with a Scat stock stroke, undrilled crank, a Prus head, and improved carburetion. I have not decided on the carburetion, yet. I can go with a Model A intake and exhaust with either a Stromberg OE-1 or a Zenith Model B carb, OR...

Thank you for letting join the forum. Been a Model T driver mechanic and owner for over 55 years. Dad and I have had 8 or 9 of them over the years. My regular driver is currently a 25 roadster pickup always been a kind of loner. Never been involved in club activities. Just driven locally with friends and family. All that is changing. Three weeks...

Well, my patience and perseverance and attention to spec'ing every little detail finally paid off. These new brush holder samples cast out of zinc arrived today and they're perfect. I've been working on this project since January. I'm actually shocked at just how well they work. No filing, tweaking, etc. They just work! Predrilled, pre-tapped,...

We removed and replaced a headlight reflector for a Model 16 yesterday. I'll post the pictures here for general interest as I wasn't able to find clear photos of what the logo of an original glass reflector looked like. It's unfortunate that the existing reflector was so badly cracked all the way through in multiple areas, there was no saving it,...

Anyone put one of these on lately? I’ve got an email out to Mike at Classtique but his printed out directions are pretty basic as far as pictures/illustrations. Trying to figure out where to locate the back straps and seems like it would be easier to mock the back window up first, centered, and determine where the fasteners go in the tack rail,...

Picked up four loose wooden spoke wheels and four demountable 21 split rims, two of which are the flat strap and window latch type assembly and two are Canadian split rings and rod insert type locking assembly.
I mounted up two of the typical rims and mounted them on the two front wheels with no more than the usual persuasion. But, after mounting...

I see one of the guys making the Lincoln Highway trip is Mike Bender. Over the years he has been very kind to me. One memorable example was in 2018 when I was contemplating my first interstate trip by Model T. I have learned a bit, but in no way am I a real mechanic. I was apprehensive about driving alone across several states in my 1915 runabout....

1923 is all set for our grand niece’s wedding.

If you might recall (or maybe not, depending on if you’ve followed my build blog on wixsite), when I bolted the body sills of my sedan to the frame along with the cowl and firewall, there was a space of about 1 inch between the firewall and cowl that I couldn’t account for.

The picture below shows a remade sill for the Centerdoor that I did not...

I acquired a Torpedo last fall with Buffalo wheels. I would like to dismount the wheels to touch up chips on the paint. I did an hour search on the forum before making this plea for help. I understand the caps are left and right side specific as they say so. Does the wrench activate the cap release? These notched tabs already look in or released....

24 Coupe
The reflective surface of the inside of the headlight is well 100 years old. I was going to clean it up and spray some chrome paint on that surface to get a better reflection or is there a better way to go? (price is an issue i retired yesterday)

The Henry Head- Full Front of Bust.jpg I'm seeking information for a newsletter article on the Henry Ford Rad caps that were once available. Are there many around? This one appears to be a Patent Pending 1923 (???) original.

Anyone doing Heinze Coil Repairs?

20,000 topics is a lots to keep track of! Just wanted to say thank you to all of the people behind the scenes who work to keep the Forum running smoothly! Let's hope for many thousands more! :)

Wtb 4inch drum style brake light lens.

My 1911 has always started with 2 chokes and then the third pull with the switch on, ALWAYS!!! Lately it won't start until the 10th or 15th pull on the crank. I cleaned and gapped the plugs ( not dirty) and charged the starting battery and still starts hard. Wires are new, coils give a good intense blue spark. This engine was completely overhauled...

Making sure the sill edge is angled at 11 degrees. The number was taken from the remains of my originals.

For my 22 sedan.

I have a new set of metal stem MADE IN USA tubes I bought several years ago still like the day I bought them….. except for the 3/8” hole a mouse chewed in one. The local tire shop said it’s junk. Is there a way to patch the hole?

I hadn't seen this one before. Kind of interesting?
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One pea picker's home. One-half mile off Highway 101 at Nipomo, California, February 1936 by Dorothea Lange.

The Old Ford car rambled along,
It is getting a bit old,
The paint is faded, tires worn,
It still runs good I am told.

It has had a good life,
Has gone so many miles,
As it runs down our street,
It brings to us some smiles.

Who bought this Ford new
’So many years ago go?
Who drove it first away?
I would like to know.

Who were it’s passengers,...

So after figuring out how long my front top iron is supposed to be and fabricating one, the how long the straight wood pieces are between the irons, now I’m trying to fit things together up top and come to the windshield brackets that came with my swap meet (incomplete) top irons so many moons ago I didn’t know better! Here’s what I’ve got and it...

The poster says the photo was taken in 1936. It’s a family that traveled and worked at different pea farms. Maybe the poster called it a house car. But it is an interesting photo of what looks to be a homemade house set up on a TT chassis. It’s not a aftermarket body for sure. Looks like it’s sheets of plywood nailed or screwed together.
In that...

Question, I had a wobble on the driver side and after removing the outsize bearing, I found that the outside cup was cracked.
My question is this, would the marks as shown on the spindle require that it be replaced?
I have obtained another hub and and replaced all cups and bearings.

George Schmidt

I love the MTFCA homecoming swap meet. Picked up this NH carb for a $1, and all all the rebuild parts needed for $1 each from another table. A gentle cleaning and some paint & clean parts and a perfect spare $10 NH carb for the car. Wish I bought a ton more there….there were great deals to be had

How are the reflectors mounted in the bucket on a 26 Coupe? I tried prying around the edge, hoping to release them, but I was hesitant to apply too much force.

Registration for this years OCF is officially open: check your email’s!!!

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My fathers 27 Tudor, he was replacing the door glass. From looking at other posts, it looks like the metal door panel nuts are not reproduced? He has some broken and missing ones. The plastic ones are OK?
Thank you

I know of several that seem to fit this question, One, in California I beleive, has the original engine and frame. The one Donald B. Hess had did not, I am told. Whar are your suggestions?

We have done this a few times now. Always fun. Took the car apart and then put it together in 15 minutes. Angie is getting good at it now.

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Some video.

I just finished rebuilding my '26 engine for my Coupe. My son and I used the Gene French line boring
jig and poured our own babbitt. At the advice of a friend, I used a Prus aluminum head and one of his new .280 cam shafts.
We dropped the engine into the car over the weekend and got it running. Immediately sounded different than the old
tired...

Thank you for allowing me to join! Tom Doyle.. The Little Wiz Fire Museum, Medina, Ohio ...td

After installing some new LED headlight bulbs, they adjust to dim but will flicker and readjust to bright. By bringing the lever back a few degrees from the complete setting, they will dim again, but that point is very delicate and must be manually maintained. On bright, they both perform accurately. The switch was new a few years ago and has...

My 9-17-23 post regarding this subject is getting long, so I will provide an UPDATE here.

As Criag Leach recommend in the original post, I purchased a laser thermometer and have taken a number of readings after a 20 mile run. During the run, I never applied the brake pedal. As shown in the photo, I installed a shield between the end of the...

I have a head scratcher. 1912 with Heinze coils.
On Thursday I drove the car in a FMC event in Detroit. Car ran well but seemed to hesitate on acceleration frequently.
Yesterday I decided to investigate. Turned crank and #1, #2, #4 coils had very strong buzz, #3 a bit weaker. Took coils out to check points and the lower contact point on #3 coil...

First, my '15 starts and runs on mag.

I live in a hilly area and decided to add a mag post outside oiler. I took off the mag post today for the first time, and expected to see a spring-loaded spike. Instead, I found no spike, but a spring that extended down and makes contact with what looks like a large blob of solder. In researching mag post...

Found this on the internet today. Dealership was in Black Creek, WI. Perhaps it has been posted before, but I have never seen it. Great large sign on top of building promoting the New 1917 Ford Touring for 360.00

Is there a book on model t and model a tools or where they can be found

Triggered by the post about a lightweight trailer, I would like to ask for inspiration of how to make a hitch for Model T.
The above thread have a reference to a post in the old forum, where we see this picture:

Now - the regulations over here in Europe are a litle more restrictive than in USA, but to a large extent, when dealing with cars as...

I have been out of town for work and am back on assembling the rear end.

I am setting the side to side play. All the parts are new and I have machined a couple of bronze thrust washers in trying to get it to fit properly. On turns freely using my thumb with a smidgen of drag and no side play (I can’t move it side to side in the case with a screw...

Just wondering if there are advantages of the x rods. I’m needing to order a set of rods for my 1915, just want to know to best ones to get.

Coupla years ago Mike Parker our club Prez worked up one of the nicest tours we've done. So this winter yours truly asked if we could do it again..of.course he agreed! This is one of the prettiest most scenic tours following a good portion of the Sandusky River. Takes us through a gorgeous covered bridge and last time we toured a grist mill, if...

On the way back from a car show yesterday, the generator on my 27 quit charging. Stock generator and diode type cut-out. Tested with a test lamp and no voktage at generator post when car is running. There is power coming to cut-out from battery. Generatotr had new 3rd brush insulators and new brushes about 2 years ago. What should I look for first?

9A217B45-BB02-41A4-B7BC-D7F34A4EF787.jpeg I have a speedster with reel rotary oil and looking for a pressure regulator.

A few gents from our T club is looking into reproducing the Stevens Axle repair tool and wondering how much interest there would be if we made a dozen.

This tool would be for cutting the axle to install the inserts Dan Hatch makes. Would be great for clubs to invest in since Most axles are in need of repair. It will not be cheap but with the...

OK, While I have my gas tank out fixing the leaking flange that the previous owner paid to have fully restored I thought I’d check out the sediment bulb that was supposed to have been gone through. Guess what!! It was packed full of stuff! I got most of it out by pounding the end on a 2 x 4 and running wire through it, but can’t get the bigger...

Make sure to be there.

Kudos to Kim & Terry Masserant of Maumee Valley club for hosting another great tour. This time we toured to a brand new classic car museum, Millbury Classic Cars & Trucks. Gorgeous place.Now were taking a lunch break at a pizza place/pub near there. Afterward on our way back to our starting point....the Masserants place...we'll stop at an ice...

Hope you're making plans to visit the Museum during Homecoming, May 29 - June 1.

Swap meet spaces are filling up and you won't want to miss your chance to peruse the many vendor spaces for that perfect part for your T.

You'll see some familiar faces again this year including Scott Bittner, Sam Atkinson, Kevin Prus, Jack Putnam, Dave Nolting,...

Can running a T engine with spark plugs gapped at .030 run hotter and almost be overheating vs. running with a gap of .025? Will an .025 gap run the engine cooler?

My '23 would always run with the moto meter half way up the circle. This year it's running at the top of the circle on a 65f day. The only thing different is that I gapped the plugs to...

And, if so, anything special? This came off my 26/27 depot hack project donor that is now my WWI ambulance project, so no door hardware needed. But, before I store it away in the parts stash, just wondering if someone else could use it.
I'll hang up and listen. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Raining here in ATL. door handle 1.JPG door handle...

I need to replace the inner (middle) and outer muffler shells on my late pressed steel muffler; the muffler that used the extra long exhaust pipe that formed the inner tube of the muffler. The middle tube (shell) measures about 3 3/16 in diameter and the outer measures 5 in diameter. Neither Snyder's or Lang's have these listed. Any suggestions...

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Looking for someone that could do maintenance & repair on a T in Salt Lake. Please see services.
Craig.

The previous owner of my ‘14 must have had a gas leak at the flange on the gas tank. Looks like their first fix was to seal it up with J B Weld… That must not have worked because on top of the J B Weld was another layer of a clear epoxy. That didn’t work either, so I’m trying to fix it correctly, but can’t get all of the epoxy out of all the nooks...

Dave Hjortnaes has done it. Others have too. How many are leaving the trailer at home and driving to Dearborn?

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Hi all,
I noticed in an old Mac's catalogue that for touring top material you had a choice of cobra short grain or colonial grain. Anyone know the judging standards for top material for a 25 touring? I have a source for the short grain cobra and will use it if it's not incorrect. Thanks all,
John

Just a reminder that the Auburn swap meet, hosted by the Mother Lode Model T Club is this Sunday. Always penty of T parts at this meet. 4C96C047-621D-465C-995A-70767799B681.jpeg

Since I bought my Model T a dozen years ago, my engine has always idled faster on battery than on magneto. I have always suspected that my magneto's output might be a little bit weak, but that condition has gotten more noticeable lately.

Today I was driving the car and it was running just fine. Then suddenly, the engine backfired and quit. I was...

First time on the ground so I pushed it outside to have a look. I’m happy. With a 2 1/2” dropped axle and 26/27 spindles, I had to really flatten out the rear spring to get the car to sit level.

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I'm putting together an engine and would like to used my Anderson flapper type timer. The Anderson or Anco timer needs to be retarded more than a New Day or roller timer, so the timing rod needs a little straightening. However, this engine also has an outside oiler with a tube that enters in front of the timing cover. There is not enough length in...

When I was a kid, my dad bought several boxes of carbs from a long time family friend. Dad had no interest in the accessory ones. He never looked at them. When I would come home to CT from college, or from MI, I would go thru that box every time. I remember there being a few Stombergs, a few Zeniths, an Air Friction, a Griffin, some others.

Then...

I sold this chassis to a young man early this spring.
He claimed he wanted to build a vintage race car.

He surprised me this week by sending a progress report.

It's great to see the younger generation interested in this hobby.

It has been an awesome hobby for me and can't think of a better one.

I asked him to keep me posted with progress and...

In the process of rebuilding my 26 transmission and the driven plate rivets are all loose and the holes were not round anymore. It is
virtually impossible without the proper equipment to replace the rivets and get the shaft properly aligned.
I called Dave Nolting who is machining drums and asked about the driven plate. He confirmed about the...

Thanks to Charlie Russel for the painting.
Just a sobering reminder that the transition into the “motor age” wasn’t without its casualties.

A reminder for 21st century drivers to be cautious and courteous if you find yourselves sharing the road with horses. They are not machines, and their riders or drivers have to share control with the...

Has anyone else been contacted by Gilbert Arnold?
I requested a check from him for $240 for parts and he claimed his secretary made a mistake and sent me a check for $2,800 from a company in Illinois. I called and talked to the owner of company in Illinois and he said someone tried to cash a check last week for $4,000. Needless to say I did not...

Sometime in February of 1911 the wider hogshead replaced the narrow hogshead though it had a similar look to the later narrow pan hogsheads. This design continued until # 39000 ish when the more familiar style hogshead was introduced. For you 1911 guys/gals, how many of you have a 1911 with the narrow pan & narrow hogshead. How about with the...

I recently ran across this adapter that lets one torque bolts that can’t be accessed with a socket. Seems it would useful to torque that back head bolt that is under the firewall in my ‘15.
I’m not affiliated with this company in any way, but I do have some of their other tools (motorcycle related) that seem to be high quality.

Anyone use one...

It’s a ford puller , similar to 5Z362 3 jaw cam gear puller but this is 4 jaw and has no number.

I noticed this statement from a forum inquiry about a recent purchased coil tester:

And it's definitely not suitable for finding matched coils since it cannot show firing characteristics of the coil.

At the time Henry and company put their latest to the public were they concerned with matching coils.

Considering that the induction coils used...