MTFCA Forum

Below find pictures of the gull wing radiator cap and fix.
The threaded radiator top cylinder is cracked and until I solder it again, (it was repaired at least once), this will have to do. I tried to epoxy a brass strip around the opening but the Apoxsee did not hold. This has worked but the wings are backwards. I may try to thread it from a different start spot, if that doesn’t work I guess I’ll have to release the nut inside of the cap.

On another question, if you notice One of the wings is bent down can I simply bend it back should I use heat what’s your suggestions?

This is why I like the flip tops, once its secured it stays secured. Ive used an o-ring and set screw.

What’s a fliptop?

Better gets those turned around or they might take off and fly right thru your windshield.

Bob - I have no idea the best way to straighten up the "bent wing", but this thread reminds me of something kinda' strange that I've experienced:

I have similar "wings" on one of my Model T's, and over the years, I've had numerous people advise me that my wings are "backwards", and should be turned around. To this day, I'm not sure which way is correct,....all I know is that no matter which way I position those wings, I have two different groups of people telling me that they're postioned "backwards"! I've actually considered positioning them sideways so that I'll then just have a bunch of people telling me,...."that's just wrong"! (???) (....to which I'll just reply,...."I know,....I just like 'em that way!

I have gone to the hardware store in the pluming department and bought a rubber washer made for (I think a toilet flush valve) It fits right in the filler neck and will compress a bit so that you can turn the cap to the position you want.
Norm

A flip top has the base secured and a catch that releases the top. I wasn't going to mention the wing direction as I know there are people that advocate both directions. My vote is they are backwards, and here is why. I have a fliptop and have seen many. With the shield/emblem in front the cap opens so that you can refill from the front of the car. On every fliptop I have seen with wings they are orientated like the picture.

My vote is they are backwards. If the threaded area is cracked I would find a different cap without the wings or just use a original style cap till it's fixed. The extra weight vibrating might not help things. Unless someone has one in their back uncataloged stock, the later nickle style neck are out of stock at most dealers so you might have to rob one from another radiator to fix yours.

If the replacement radiator necks are like the one on my new radiator, you need a well worn cap before the threads will allow it to be screwed on. My good cap would only go on 1 1/2 threads.

Allan from down under.

Its backwards. Easy way to tell is the "feathers" are on the wrong side. Picture a bird flying the same direction as your car...the feathers would tale toward the rear.

First comment. The "thread" is singular. The neck and cap both have one "start point" and the cap will always end tight at the same (wrong) direction. So yes, the aforementioned plumbing gasket, or a cut small amount of the right size radiator hose, as a compressible gasket will hold the cap the right direction. I have used radiator hose on a few Ts. Trial and error to get the best length/thickness. Caps and necks both vary somewhat, the right thickness is usually somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Use radiator hose scrap from a small modern car that has just the right diameter to fit in the neck.
I also used radiator hose in an original after-market radiator with a straight sided neck (no flat spot with a tapered bottom to seat the cap. Took two inches of radiator hose for that one.

And yes, the bird's wings are supposed to face forward as in flight! And Motometers are supposed to be seen and read from the driver's seat, ALWAYS! It annoys me to see dealers listings trying to sell cars with Motometers on backwards. They claim to be "knowledgeable", yet don't understand that a backwards Motometer would only tell a driver why he just toasted his motor after it has quit, and he steps out to read it from the front of the car. The whole POINT of a Motometer is to warn the driver of trouble before the engine is destroyed.

I ordered a bunch of the paper gaskets from Langs and just kept adding them until it was pointed in the right direction.
As my wife would correct me the correct direction.

I've read of filler necks cracking loose from all that weight vibrating on country roads, so I use this type of cap.

If my radiator boiled (it doesn't) it would soon let me know.
Yes, I know it's not an original cap.

Never heard that Steve. But it certainly explains my crack in the filler neck on my car.