Overheated!

[Thorlick]

I went out to visit with a friend and have donuts this morning. I drove there in "Rusty", my 1927 L.A.F.D. Mountain Patrol Vehicle, in hopes that it will spur Bill on to finally change out his worn out bands in his '23 touring. BTW, after looking at "Rusty" can you figure out how he earned his nickname? Yes that is correct it is a shortened version of his full name "Russell T. Phored"

After munching and solving all the world's problems we parted ways and I stopped by my Sister-in-law's house to complete a short visit. Since her house is on a bit of a hill and I didn't want to have to hand crank on the steep hill as that can sometimes cause the parking brake to pop forward into neutral... just think of trying to stand there in the street holding the car by the crank and yelling for someone to come and re-set the brake! So Rusty was left with the engine idling while we talked for about 5 minutes. When I returned I jumped into the car with DD (DD, "Deaf Dog", is my deaf Border Collie... she never responds when you call her unless you also use her hand signals) and started up the hill. To my surprise the engine stopped. I got out front on the crank after chocking the front wheel and applied my perfect form to crank starting. To my shock it was too tight to turn and the coils were buzzing. Hey, coils don't buzz on Mag!!! A quick investigation proved that the noise was the head boiling off water, not the coils!

That was so unusual for my car I threw open the hood and found the rubberized Gates fan strip laying on the left hood sill. Hey, that fan strip was a fan belt this morning! The radiator cap proved too hot to handle and so I discovered that the hubcap wrench is perfectly sized to be a radiator cap wrench... an 8 point wrench nicely doubles on a four point bolt head like a radiator cap.

After changing out the radiator fan belt I jumped aboard with DD and drove home with no further turmoil. I had no noticeable head damage as I seem to have caught it at only 1 gallon low so there was still water in the head. Had I not let the car idle with no air going through the radiator I would not have been aware of the belt failure, a Model T doesn't really need a fan or fan belt if it is moving relative to the air.

I have posted a short video of how I now remove a hot cap without burning my hand... please be aware that you can launch a radiator cap high into the air and into the proximate ivy beds if you are not careful. It is also important to stay clear of the radiator neck in case of a boiling geyser occurring!

IMHO, TH

Click here for "Overheated T - cap removal"

[TeveS-Nor Cal]

Was the fan belt original to the car or a used swap meet "deal"? Most important, did you get your donut munchen buddy to commit?

[Thorlick]

Steve, after 93 years I suspect neither belt is original (actually I am pretty sure as I bought both at the Grass Valley Napa store). However, Rusty may have some of the original air in the tires.

Bill has not committed to band replacement just yet but he did spin a fable about a Salt truck changing hands. I hope he is wrong as Salt trucks are essential for transporting bicycles to speed week!

TH

[Bill Robinson]

Good tip, Terry. But I hope I never need it!
Tbugger

[Kerry]

I hope you didn't up-end that gallon of cold water straight into a boiling engine

[Corvette Guy]

That's a cool tip about the hubcap wrench...

[TeveS-Nor Cal]

SALT TRUCK has changed hands; but, it's still in the family and I can visit it. It was built 15 years ago to be used as a trash hauling truck at the Bonneville Salt Flats and I am done with that job! Might just get to be driven in the Trans Sierra 88 Rally by an all girl crew. You should see the pile of speedster parts I got as partial payment!

[Thorlick]

So the rumor was true! I bet you got a really cool oval speedster tank in that swap. It was dented when I got that tank in a swap meet deal! You will have to decide where to cut for the filler.

Hey, if Jennifer and Karen are driving I bet my daughter would love to crew!

TH

[TeveS-Nor Cal]

I think they are taking applications! Going to start moving parts in the next few weeks. Also may have a FAST Hill Climb to do. I think that tank is there!

[RustyFords]

Your "pristine" replacement belt is downright luxurious compared to the belt that was on my car when it was pulled out of the hay shed. It's a bicyle tire, stapled together.

I'm a big fan of your Rusty....he looks great in his work clothes. Glad he wasn't harmed in the overheating.
.

[Tmodelt]

I loved the idea of the hub cap "force amplifier" for removal of a hot radiator cap. I watched the video too! I would caution everyone concerning reaching across the steam path for removal of the cap. If the cap suddenly exits the filler neck a very nasty steam burn could happen. Just my opinion as I used to work in an electrical generation facility. We NEVER entered a known steam area without a rag fastened to a broom stick to wave in front of us to warn us of a steam leak. High pressure steam leaks were usually heard but not seen.