MTFCA Forum

After deciding that it needs more than just a valve job, I pulled the engine out of the Coupe. It's time for a complete overhaul!

Good luck
Andre
Belgium

Pins and bushings for the front axle and seals and de-gunk for the rear axle. Also adjust center main.

Nice looking TT Pat.

Scott - I see some aircraft style jacks in the back of your picture. Do you work on aircraft too?

I replaced a headlight switch. I'm no electrical type at all so I consider this a minor victory. My '14 project car had been converted from gas to electric lights. One worked OK, the other was dim sometimes & out other times. As part of my attempts to generally improve the electrics I had removed the coil boxed and cleaned all the contacts inside & out with a wire hand brush & some contact cleaner. The switch was sealed so some of the cleaner was sprayed onto the shaft and worked back & forth.

I didn't see any changes electrically with anything. The motor started and ran about the same. Only when I tried the lights was there a change. Now neither headlight would work at all. I got out the meter and looked to see where there was 6v but could not understand the readings. The switch, the meter or my brain were out of order someplace.

I ordered a magneto headlight switch which I wanted anyway as its a Ford T part only one year more modern that the car. The new switch, of course, would not fit. The barrel was too big to fit in the hole left by the old switch. Time for the Dremel with a sanding drum which quickly made the hole large enough to winkle in the new switch.

There were two holes in the firewall just perfect for the mountings screws No. 5 x 1/2 from Gatelatch. I wonder if this firewall might have had an original magneto headlight switch on it at some time? If so, why was the hole too small?

The wires were reinstalled and the headlights worked just as they had before I "improved" them. A bit of wiggling of the wires at the headlight end revealed that the problem is in the connector someplace. Next session we'll see if the contact can't be improved there.

The new switch is in now and looks pretty good. The only thing that bothers me is the handle. It looks to be chrome plated. Should it be brass or nickel plated?

The first switch shown is a replacement. It only needs the hole large enough for the thread to go through. The ody of the switch then sits in the engine compartment. Your replacement is correct. The hole has to accommodate the switch body.

If you find a piece you know is chromed, hold it up to your new switch pull to compare the two. I think you will find your switch is newly plated nickel.
Chrome has a blue cast, nickel is yellow, a bit like LED lights compared with incandescents.

Allan from down under.

Clayton and I sent the winter rebuilding an engine and Warford overdive for Tin Tillie our families 1919 touring.

New features include: z head, .325 lift camshaft. .020 over aluminum pistons, modern valves, high flow intake manifold, straight they NH carb, rebuilt transmission and bonded linings, new 4th main, rebuilt the cast iron cased Warford that’s been in her for 40+ years.

Been two years since the old motor died so very much looking forward to driving her again.

We quit driving the Coupe a couple weeks ago. The generator wasn't charging and it also was overheating. Sub-freezing temperatures kept me from working on it. Today it was 46°. I was a bit hasty pulling the generator out. Connecting a wire to the generator post it motored. The cutout cap had popped off during removal and I could now see that the diode wire was no longer soldered. While the generator was out I could see the armature needed a little cleaning. Also the gear pin was loose so I mashed it a bit.
It was obvious that the heating problem was that the fan belt had run off the end of the pulley.
I re-soldered the diode wire and installed the generator. It seems to get a little heavier each year for some reason.
After starting the engine there was no response at the amp meter. Bypassing the cutout gave a good charge. I see some odd texture where the wire goes into the diode and wonder if heat may have made it fail.
I will order a new cutout and also a diode to play with later. Fortunately my '35 V8 had a good cutout on it for the mean time.
It was really a treat to be outside working on cars again. The sun felt good.
Rich

Rich, if the belt runs off to the front, it usually means the fan shaft is pointing down hill a bit. If you take the fan off, hold just the arm in a vice at about the angle it sits in the car, a big crescent wrench can be used to bend the end up a tad. Refit and test run to check the results.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

I helped a mate get his starter motor back into operation. It had gotten slower and slower over time, until it just stopped. The armature was seized in the potmetal bush on the brushplate end. A new bronze bush, some correction to a slightly bent shaft, a cleanup and undercutting of the armature and some new brushes had him as happy as Larry.

Allan from down under.

I removed my winter front and hood blanket and put them away until next winter. In a month or so, I'll remove the carb hot air pipe and replace it with my summer air filter setup.

That's time well spent. Looks like you have the work where it is easy to get at.
Rich

It is a very handy position for these repairs, thanks. jw

After 4 fires in 2 hours this afternoon, I came home and done the chores in time to take the RPU to the fire station for our meeting. Pretty late when I got home.[attachment=0]20210308_213500.jpg[/attachment]

Got mine started the other day and brought it home. Topped off the charge in the battery...
Today it hit 65 degrees and I got some fresh gas and went to the PO and mailed a couple packages.
Ran very good !!

I got tired of fighting the road gear on my original speedometer for the 24 Coupe. So I bought a new setup from John Stoltz at T Ranch. It arrived within a couple of days and I slightly modified the original mounting on the dashboard of the Coupe. It looks great and works perfectly

Just enjoying driving now that the salt is off the roads. I’ve run the car in my my driveway or on new snow (no salt) once a week throughout the winter and kept the plugs, points and timer clean. I also keep the battery on a trickle charger so it’s always ready for those early days of Spring like today. I’m really at a pause for working on my car since mechanically it’s very good and I don’t plan on doing any more to the body. Now that I’m retired (as of December .. much thanks to covid) I am thinking I might rebuild two wheels at a time over the next year and maybe make some side curtains. Otherwise I plan to continue driving it around 100 miles a week.

While waiting for my pedals to return from paint, I had some time to get the full flow float valve installed.

Float set and the carb back on the manifold.

Not much work on the 26 roadster pkup. ... way too cold and windy ... have been getting ready for Chickasha ... did re-babbitt the mains and linebore a 1917 display block ... kinda interesting unit in that it had a "G" prefix to a 3 digit number ... probably a Gleaner combine power unit ... anyway , am busy getting stuff ready to sell ( i hope) ...always an optimist ...Gene French

Checked the oil and tire pressure, went for a little ride, about 10 miles.
A beautiful sunny 65 degrees and little wind.
Rain and cold till the weekend, so today was the day !

Dave, does the wind wing help so the air doesn’t come to the back of your head as you drive, the wind coming back around to the back of my head drives me crazy. I see that you have the roll up back curtain, does that help as well. I ordered a new top but no back curtain, is that a mistake. Can still change the order. Frank

Frank, the wings help some, but the roll up curtain REALLY helps.
Not correct for my 24, but Pop added it later after he made the top.
(yes he made tops from scratch, no kit...wish I was better at it)
The window really cuts down drag and inherent Model T noises also. (Kinda like turning up the radio )
And of course adds much more visibility.

Finally got back to my coil box after months of it sitting. My soldering is getting better with time and practice. I also put fish paper underneath the wires to prevent any shorts to the box itself.

The battery connection is bothering me. The tight wire connection has the switch rubbing against it. I figure it’s a matter of when, not if it rubs right through the cloth and insulation. Perhaps this one is better soldered. And if that’s the case, might as well do the same to the magneto connection. I can’t really foresee any reason not to, as long as care is taken to keep it contained and away from any insulators.

Next step is weathering the top of the box to match the base of it.

I finally got the engine out of the 26 coupe taken apart. Only to discover that the block is cracked in 3 places!!

You will need a Lock-N-Stitch and than sleeve the engine.
Seen this before after setting steel valev seets.

Good luck
Andre
Belgium

Today I finally got around to fitting the H1 Holley carburetor Uncle Stan rebuilt for me some years ago. The occasional leak of fuel when I turned off the van became more frequent, and I was getting T'd off getting under the car to turn off the tap. I'd bought another tap to fit next to the carby to save having to go down whenever I stopped for long, but if the new one didn't leak, that would not be a problem.
The installation went well, but I had to fit a fibre washer under the fuel bowl nut to cure a leak there. While at it, I replaced Stan's nice new screws with the brass originals from my old carby. The linkage needed shortening to get a lower idle and that just meant a little more bend around the back of the manifold. No leaks as yet, and it is much easier to start. The choke and throttle plate shafts on the old one were well worn, and that problematic original needle and seat is also worn.
I'll still turn it off under the car when I put her away when I get home, but I am looking forward to trouble free motoring for a while now.

Allan from down under.

Got both T's off their winter jacks, aired the tires up and lubricated them. The 15 runabout was due for an oil change, so it got that too. It is always nice to take the transmission cover off and see nothing but some fine metal shavings on the magnet! Like opening up a mystery Christmas present, only hoping in this case there is no surprise in the box...

The weather was too nice not to take a drive, so my wife and I took a quick spin after putting in some fresh gas. After a very cold winter for Kansas, it was nice to get out on the road again with the top down.

Made axle holder for engine stand, back in February. Just got batteries so took pictures today. Put some paint on headlights for 1925, but are too glossy for rest of car! Yes I know the one is sideways, it was the only way it would load without major redo.

So far for March, I have found appropriate looking tension springs for the OF
choke, but have yet to install them. Acquired the tune-in instructions for the
OF too, and will do that once the springs are in. The woodstove has emptied
the bed of firewood, so it will be clear and ready for work when the weather
is more consistently nice. Put together several matching sets of amethyst
headlight lenses over the winter. Something I have wanted to have in reserve,
just in case one broke in service. Still need to complete the turn signal system.

Barn find '13 ! I went out to the barn and found Lizzie right where I left her late last fall. I'm not planning a complete restoration, just clean up last summer's mud, and polish the brass to get ready for this season's mud. She needs a new top, that's on order. New brush in the TW timer, she fired right up in two pulls on the crank, on "mag" ! Wahoo !!

My pinion gear broke into three pieces. Had to put a standard gear in that I had until I can find a 10 tooth. The old lift made this a pretty easy job. Going to add safety hubs while I'm at it.