MTFCA Forum

In the middle of a complete restoration of a 23T and dropped approx 45 pieces off to be sandblasted with instructions to stay away from joint areas. Rookie mistake

The question now is what can be done about the joints on the Front Spring Perch, etc. (pictured below) to salvage? I lightly polished a couple of them and as one would expect, they have imperfections, small pitting, etc. and I can't imagine they will ever smooth out totally. He also blasted the inside joints to several pieces as well.

Am I overthinking this? Will a light polish and lots of lube when reassembling be good enough?

Thanks
Karl

If you are talking about the bushings, just replace them. If you “polish “ them they will be oversized, if they aren’t already from the blasting. Dan

Dan Hatch wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:43 pm

If you are talking about the bushings, just replace them. If you “polish “ them they will be oversized, if they aren’t already from the blasting. Dan

Dan

Good point on the bushings. What's your thoughts on the neck portion which was sandblasted to a rough finish?

Karl

While it is unfortunate the blaster ignored your instructions, I see nothing to worry about. The perches have bushings that can be removed and replaced with pressed in new ones and I see no problem with the other area you show that were sandblasted. Even the sandblasted bushings would not pose a problem for me for I don’t believe the blasting has removed enough to make any difference in the performance of the spring hangers. Just grease them and they will smooth out soon enough. Jim Patrick

PS. Personally, I do not like sandblasting, especially to body panels, as it can warp the sheet metal beyond repair and destroys the original smooth surface the Model T came off the assembly line with. While it is more labor intensive, I remove paint with paint remover, sandpaper and elbow grease and rust with muriatic acid and sandpaper.

Your over thinking this. The paint will adhere better, and the joints will polish themselves.

That's what I was hoping to hear....Thanks guys.

Cheers

Karl

Those parts look fine to me. The bushing should be replaced any way. If the rod fits into the axle snugly the nut will hold it in place and the spring will keep it from rotating. Looks fine to me. As to body parts. When you are working with a body like mine was, sandblasting is about the only way to go. I did it myself and the next day I primed it with epoxy primer and over that sanding primer followed by finish coat. I did not clear coat. The car is parked in a garage unless I am on a tour and 16 years later still looks good. I did all the body work before the sandblasting and primer and just used filler in very few places. I also did the epoxy primer in the inside of the body parts too. The important thing is to use the primer sealer soon after the sandblasting so it will not rust. I didn't sandblast the chassis parts. Just cleaned it up good and sanded it before painting. Parts such as the axles, and other suspension parts are not supposed to be polished up like the body. Same goes for the engine and head. The sand pits were original.
Norm

I agree that chassis parts should not be glossy. Leave that for the body and wheels. I use a satin finish for the chassis, including the engine. For those parts I use Rustoleum satin black in a rattle can. It needs no Primer. Just blast, wipe clean, prep with 50/50 phosphoric acid, dry, and shoot. I hang small parts in the oven and bake them overnight at 180º-200º. It shortens the drying and curing time from a week to a few hours.

Even some very pure purists forego the stock steel perch and spring bushings and use bronze instead. You can buy them by size on the net, and a large town may even have a shop that sells them. I would rather wear out easily replaced bushings than expensive shackles.

Pressing in a spring bushing. A little grease doesn't hurt.

Reaming for shackle fit.

Installing the perch bushing.

If you have the later style perches with oil holes you need to drill the bushings.

It is wise to remove any bushing before sand blasting and painting. Doing it after painting will invariably cause damage to the fresh paint. Using Steve's method to install them will be OK, so long as you don't get paint in the holes. I'd much rather sand blast,etch prime, fit bushes and then paint.

Allan from down under.

Just seeing the responses to my questions reinforce my feelings that I chose a my new hobby well. I truly appreciate all the info shared, and so quickly!! Can't wait to meet my Spokane T-Club in person once this "thing" is behind us.

Cheers

Karl

Karl, I would not wait until you have the problem fixed before meeting with the Spokane club. Get in first and you will find help with any problems you may encounter.
Allan from down under.