MTFCA Forum

I wonder how many current Model T owners follow the T era recommendations.

UPKEEP AND CARE

Every Fifty Miles:

Look for oil, water and fuel leaks.
Shake rear wheels to see that they are tight.
Shake front wheels to test bearings for looseness.


Every Two Hundred Miles:

Oil the front spring shackles.
Oil steering spindle bolts.
Oil ball and socket joints on steering rods.
Oil rear wheel brake cams.
Oil rear spring shackles.
Put Vaseline in the commutator.
Turn grease cup on fan hub.
Turn grease cups on rear axle.
Test steering gear ball and socket joints for looseness.
Put kerosene in engine cylinders while hot.


Every Four Hundred Miles:

Oil brake rod brackets and support.
Oil hood lacing.
Oil the starting crank.
Oil the door hinges and locks.
Turn grease cup at bottom of steering column.
Turn grease cup on universal joint.
Turn grease cup at forward end of drive shaft.
Put grease or Vaseline in front wheel bearings.
Examine wiring for loose connections.
Examine ball joint under engine for looseness.
Test the compression of each cylinder with starting crank.
Test inflation pressure of each tire.

Every Twelve Hundred Miles:

Clean spark plugs and set gaps to 1/32 inch.
Clean inside of commutator.
Flush the cooling ysstem.
Test the fan belt adjustment.
Examine engine bolts for looseness.
Test the spring shackle bolts for looseness.
Test the spring clip nuts for looseness.
Test the front wheel alignment.
Repair cuts in tires.


Every Five Thousand Miles:

Test body bolts for looseness.
Put grease in gear case under steering wheel.
Lubricate spring leaves.

If the above outline is followed it will mean that the items under the fifty mile heading will be cared for every time the speedometer shows that this distance has been traveled. At two hundred miles it will be necessary to go over the points under the two hundred mile heading and also those under the fifty mile heading, because two hundred is a multiple of fifty. For a similar reason it will be necessary, when the four hundred mile list is cared for, to take care of those specified at two hundred miles as well as those called for at fifty. At twelve hundred miles the lists for four hundred, for two hundred and for fifty will be called for. At five thousand miles all lists need to be followed.

From Ford Motor Car by R.P Manley, 1917.

I do most of these recommendations. My spindle bolts get oiled every 100 miles.

The big question in this topic is. At what point should the engine oil be changed. I am interested what others think

Art Mirtes

Looks like I’m a bit behind… except for the check for oil leaks part. But my question is… am I supposed to confirm that oil is leaking? Cuz if it isn’t, that’s a bad sign right…?!

Oil today is much better than what was available 100 years ago. Add an effective air filter and a transmission cover screen and magnet, and drive the car at least a 10 miles or more whenever you start it, and manage the fuel mixture properly, and a T engine in good condition need not have the oil changed more often than every 1,000 to 1,500 miles. If your car leaks or burns much oil, you could probably extend that, as long as you use quality oil. Oiling chassis parts often is a necessity to prevent wear. I oil springs frequently to maximize ride smoothness and oil body hinges, etc often to prevent squeaks and wear. I've never oiled the hood lacing, though I have oiled the hood latches and hinges as well as the radiator mounting bolts.

I do most of them. However with the rocky mountain brakes it is very hard to oil the parking brake cam so I only do it once and a while. Since I have no speedometer, I oil everything when I leave for a tour or drive if not done just a few days before. I change the oil every time I work on the engine and about once or twice a year unless I am going on a long tour of several days, then I change it before I leave. When I change the coolant, I put in one gallon of anti=freeze (the green stuff) and top off with distilled water. Then when I add, I use 50 50 mix.
Norm

Every 5000 miles! I wish. Maybe next year...

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:52 pm

I wonder how many current Model T owners follow the T era recommendations.

UPKEEP AND CARE

...
Every Five Thousand Miles:

Test body bolts for looseness.
Put grease in gear case under steering wheel.
Lubricate spring leaves.
...

We do not drive the bumpy, dusty roads or 2 foot deep mud roads like original Model T owners had to do so most of us “baby” our Model T’s. I pay a lot of maintenance time on my T’s but not to the extent your list shows….

Yes. Muddy, rough and unpaved roads do make a difference in the way T’s respond mechanically. Driving on a gravel road for 20-30 miles and avoiding the chug holes in dry weather does too. Most of us don’t treat our T’s that way theses days. The paint jobs cost to much and especially under the fenders. But we do need to maintain oil and lube levels and watch the rest.

Adapting the chassis lube points to grease zerks might be the best choice for dirt road operation. Grease, then wipe.
Keeping the springs well lubricated spares the rest of the car from much of the road pounding and needless chassis flex by allowing the springs to absorb more of the bumps and jolts.
Modern rings and aluminum pistons reduce operating strains on the engine and help keep the oil cleaner.
Modern gear lubricants probably do a much better job than what used to be available for the rear axle, and also flow more freely, which saves some horsepower loss.

There is no question that modern anti-freeze, used as directed, is a better choice than water for the cooling system.

Modern fuel, in most cases, is better than what was commonly available in the T era, even though it stinks to high heaven, and is not without other drawbacks.

Using modern type seals and gaskets can help keep fluids and lubricants in and dirt and water out.

If you follow the directions in the Ford Manual, that's good enough.

More than good enough, in most instances.

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 06, 2022 10:35 am

More than good enough, in most instances.

Same here.
To answer Art M's question:
The pic shows my '13s oil when I put some on a paper towel last week as well as the screen, when I changed it at 1014 miles. Pretty clean still, but I did it for winter layup.