January what have you done that's T related

[TFan]

I started off the new year 2025 with a little frozen ride at about 31*. I've already got about 3 1/2 miles so far this new year. My co pilot Hank and I drove down to the Sandusky bay for our annual new years day ride, it was spitting snow and very windy. Fun none the less. Happy New Year to All! Jim

[RecklessKelly]

I ate a huge waffle in Antwerp Belgium and thought about my T all lonely and freezing in the garage.

[varmint]

engine running.jpg (20.41 KiB) Viewed 28049 times

Was supposed to work on the generator as this is my last day of vacation.

[Allan]

I rounded up some tyre problems. One badly perished old tyre bit the dust, to preserve its tube. That had to have a replacement metal stem because the rubber up the stem had let go. It went into a spare for my 1912 van, the spare for it having a patch let go. Then that tube was fixed and fitted into the spare on my tourer, because that tube had developed a leak near the valve stem. It turned out to be a good thing because the tube was a 4.40 oversized item and had a couple of folds when fitted.

The good part is both refits are holding AIR!

Allan from down under.

[Shrshot]

Pulled the rear axle/driveshaft out of my 26. Found my leak right away. The spool has a crack from end to end on the top side. I'm going to guess the radius rods being loose on the front contributed to this. Well continue on, tear it down and see what else I find. Happy New Year T'ers.

[Whitehair]

Maybe this just wishful thinking, I now have a rebuilt ignition switch and a new amp meter to install in my 1924 Runabout. All I'm waiting on Is a couple more 50 degree days and a fish supply of ambition. I'll need the ambition to tackle my first complete lube job.

This is my first Model T and I'll be 75 this month. I'm hoping that good things come to those who wait, don't know how much longer I want to wait.

[Norman Kling]

I have opened the garage a few times to get out the modern car to go into town. At those times I looked at the T's. Last time out, I noticed a small drip at the fuel shut off valve next to the carburetor. The next one generator doesn't work. It will start up quite a few times on a battery charge and as soon as it starts, I switch to magneto, so I can drive that one. Soon I plan to get a rebuilt generator and a valve for the gas so they will both be drivable. Until then will just look at them. I will turn 89 in February and the other half is on oxygen 24 hours a day, so we only go on short runs with the cars. Hard to get up after crawling under. I do take one of them to our local museum once a month for about 2 hours when they have open house, or on other occasions when they have guided tours for various groups. The museum is about 5 miles from home.
Happy New Year to everyone, Norm.

[varmint]

Replaced brake and reverse pedal return springs with the new longer ones. (Clutch/Hi Low selector band spring already replaced.) Did not use rags (living dangerously) but had a magnet at the ready. Did not use socially approved forum tools. Used double lock nuts because they spin when the pedal is pressed. The washer has failed. Result: the pedals actually return.

[ryanf1023]

I extended the stringer on my speedster body. I also took the time to put in some built in storage as space is incredibly limited on a speedster, and I want to use this for touring and travelling.

[NoelChico]

[image][/image]
Getting ready to stain and paint my recently rebuilt Stutzman wheels for my new-to-me 16 roadster.

[Art M]

Norman,
I am happy to hear that you are maintaining and are using your model t's at 89. You might consider getting an alternator instead of a generator. An alternator is about the same price and a lot more reliable.

My car has not had a charging system for 5 years I just occasionally recharge the battery with a battery charger. I don't drive at night. It has turn signals and stop lights. I am planning to install a generator with a fuse on the 3rd brush to protect the armature as described in a previous topic.

Art Mirtes

[RecklessKelly]

I patched a hole in the floor board that was there from a previous owners Ruckstell shifter. Also epoxying the two angle floor pieces together and fix some other imperfections in the boards. Someone cut the top lip of the forward board pretty rough, going to epoxy a strip and plane it to fit so they all seal as best as possible. I am planning on repainting them satin black and screwing them down with thin foam weatherstrip in the channel to stop them from jumping around. This will cool down the inside in the warmer weather but hopefully wont block too much the heat in the winter.
I added some fuel stabilizer just in case I dont get it out right away, started up easily in the mid 30's temp of the afternoon.

[Norman Kling]

This morning I spent about 3 hours standing in various lines renewing my drivers license. I passed, so will now be driving the T's some more this year. Maybe a few more. Mainly on local tours and parades these days.
Norm

[1925 Touring]

Blasting away!

[Corey Walker]

I got a chance to work on a couple Kingston 6 ball carburetors. Don’t see those too often. Had to make a new choke shaft for this one, plus a float.

[Jones in Aiken SC]

Nice job, Corey! Those happen to be my carburators! Did these 6 ball carbs use a stove/hot air pipe? I know the 5 Ball and others did but I have not seen anything about a stove/hot air pipe for these 6 Ball Kingstons.

[RGould1910]

How do tthes 6 ball carbs run?

[John Codman]

Sat on the left side running board yesterday and sipped a Gin and Tonic. Best Model T day this year!

[Mark Chaffin]

Rebuilding '26 engine and transmission for my latest project. Me time!

[RecklessKelly]

Out riding around in my T right now. Sunny day and not windy. Stopped in Essex for a cup of coffee and some time with the ducks.

[Tbird]

Pulled it out of the garage to take a picture…

[Steve Jelf]

Now that we're near half way through January I have something to report. I must confess that since I returned home on February 24, my Model T work hasn't amounted to diddly squat. Some of that inactivity has been due to other chores — learning to walk without a cane, getting back to yard work and trying to keep up with firewood, regaining enough upper body to not be totally useless, etc. My lack of Model T activity has also been due to lack of motivation. There's so much I should do that I haven't had the heart to face it.

But while I've been out of the fray, others haven't forgotten about me and my situation. Something I learned this fall is that David Hjortnaes plans to trailer the carcass of my runabout to the midwinter model T clinic in McPherson next Saturday. As if Dave going to see Dallas Landers and haul the car to Kansas wasn't enough, this week I learned that guys in our local T club have volunteered to trailer the car down here to my place after the clinic.

The kindness I've received during the past year and a half is astonishing. Some of it has come from Model T folks I know or have never met, and some from people who wouldn't know me from a hole in the ground. They just saw an old man and wanted to be kind. There have been so many acts of kindness that I can't remember them all, so I'll tell just one. At DFW the arrival gate and the departure gate were far apart, and making my connecting flight was the question. One of the guys who works at the terminal saw an old man dragging a case behind him and carrying a cane. He put me in a wheel chair and pushed me at a run to catch a tram that got me to my flight in time. When I think of the many blessings I have, and the many large and small acts of kindness I've received, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

So what have I done, and what Model T activity am I doing? Getting ready. I need to clear some space in my shop, which looks like it's been stirred with a stick. When my cousins moved me into a downstairs bedroom, some of the stuff that was in the way got moved into the shop. Now I'm writhing in the throes of cleaning up and deciding where to put things. Will I have it done before next weekend? We'll see.

[George House]

Well said Steve. You’re deserving. And I’m confident you’ll quickly attain the necessary motivation to solve the ‘15 runabout dilemma.

[NU2theT]

been meaning to do this after my last drive in December, pulled my plugs and oiled the cylinders then several more revolutions and now we are waiting for spring

[mbowen]

Drove it!

[Humblej]

Your a braver man than I am Miles.

[mbowen]

Your a braver man than I am Miles.

Not really, I stayed on the airport (where salt is taboo) and drove a half mile across about 4 inches of virgin snow on grass to our weekly airport breakfast, then the long way home: one mile of packed snow on a gravel road and paved taxiways.

[Norman Kling]

Saturday, I started 2 of my T's and got out the one which needs the generator. I charged the battery with the charger. It already had enough charge to turn the engine but I charged it for a while longer, then cleaned it up and drove it to the museum for open house which we have every last weekend of the month. I take it on Saturday for 2 hours. It will start many times when the battery is fully charged. As soon as it starts I switch to magneto, so it does not need the battery to run. It sputtered a bit when cold but as soon as I had gone about a block it smoothed out and ran fine. It is about 5 miles each way to the museum. Downhill to the museum and one Ruckstell hill for about 1/4 mile of the distance. I would send pictures, but since I am old fashioned, I don't have a camera in my phone!
Sunday we drove the modern car to the annual installation banquet of our local club. Model T Ford Club of San Diego.
Norm

[Craig Raynor]

Painted more and more and more parts they seem to be multiplying

[Tbird]

Finished nailing all the side sheet metal on.

[RecklessKelly]

Looks amazing. I like the detail, a true art form.

[John_Aldrich]

Continuing to build our Depot Hack.

[Joe Reid]

Is that a 40 LaSalle outside?

[Gracie'sDad]

Watching the snow melt.

[John_Aldrich]

Is that a 40 LaSalle outside?

Yes it is.

Series 52 and my daily driver

[Mark Gregush]

Finished pouring my block and bored it. Next step is to get the crank seated. 4th main is poured ready to bore it as soon as I know which output shaft drive plate I am going to use.

[John_Aldrich]

Finished pouring my block and bored it. Next step is to get the crank seated. 4th main is poured ready to bore it as soon as I know which output shaft drive plate I am going to use.

Do you pour Babbit for anyone or just a select few?

[49willard]

Well it is the last day in January. I have the chassis in final paint to be assembled and restored the top irons and fit up new bows. It has been a busy month!

[George House]

Had a wonderful 4-5 mile drive on mag around sundown this last day of January on lovely bucolic country roads in the ‘26 roadster ——
——-until the transmission grenaded. Nothing visible externally but the most gawdawful noise coming from the tranny. Thankfully, a friendly tow truck driver stopped, tied on a tow rope and towed me 3 miles to the barn. Another challenge for Lilleker Antique Auto…..

[varmint]

Charged the three year old battery after a long rest. Glad it still passed as "good".

[A_E]

January 2025 will officially mark my project kickoff, first month working on actual Model T parts after a bit of prior work on making arrangements for the workspace - it is a fun story about a leaky shipping container stuffed with many thousand lbs of tangled locomotive parts and termites. With a patched up dry box and some nominal organizing of the debris field, I hereby declare the project officially underway.

I'll likely be back here posting progress and consulting the oracles for advice from time to time, and I will sooner or later offer more details on what our target is - the short story is I am helping a nonprofit with a long dormant project for a replication of a historic rail vehicle made with a TT chassis, circa 1920. There are also probably enough spare odds and ends kicking around the place to also assemble a car or two, which may present some interesting targets of opportunity. Anyway, this forum seems to be the place to be for this kind of thing, my posts should be good for a bit of entertainment, if nothing else!

Aside from the culmination of several months mobilization work, accomplishments this month included procurement of an engine and lining up a reputable shop to fix it up, so we may keep our focus on custom chassis work. First item of business was separating the inseparable very stuck rusty TT hubs. With liberal applications of "brute force and ignorance", as another volunteer aptly described my efforts - our rear wheel hub assemblies are disassembled and we have a new set of nuts and bolts on their way.

Here's some photos - If you spot any notable nuances, I'll be interested to hear them.

PS. Nothing gratuitous with that vise, nope. It is just the right size for the job, maybe a little on the small side actually