MTFCA Forum

Here are a couple of photos of a test-fit of components on my HCCT project. Hope to have this device operating soon.

I like the start. Looking forward to the process photos and info!

Matt

For the most part, I'm following Gary Tillstrom's plans with a few cosmetic modifications. It's a joint project with my brother-in-law John. We have everything needed to finish it up here in the shop. So, it's just a matter of assembly, wiring, and testing.

I will, Bob. Here is a photo of most of the components minus nuts, bolts, screws, and wiring. Bob (BE-ZERO-BEE) supplied the meters. Got the flywheel and field coil from Don and Steve Lang. My brother-in-law John fabricated the frame. Shoot, can’t remember who supplied the crank and brake drum. Can anyone help me remember? I made the crank handle by drilling out an old coping saw handle. Ron Patterson supplied technical info and diagrams. This is an enjoyable project.

Joseph,
Everything looks nice. How much $ do you have in the project at this point?

Matt

I have some components for one of these I had planned to build if anyone is interested. A nice cast iron base and the two bearings. I bought an original example a month ago so I don’t need them now. Email me at mosterman@eastman.org

Matt, I probably have about $275-$325 all in on this project . . . not too bad for a shop-tool type HCCT. I bought some components a couple of years ago, so hard to come up with an exact figure. Bob, I've tried to surround myself with helpers and suppliers who are smarter and more skillful than me on this project. Seems to be a sound strategy.

Starting to get an idea of what this is going to look like. Today I mounted the big parts, flywheel and field coil, and am still working on alignment. As a side note, if you’ve never lifted one, these things are heavy, so final assembly will happen on it’s work stand. I’m not sure where the meters will end up, but the photo shows one possible location. None of the wooden parts are permanently installed yet.

tgiro wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 08, 2019 6:47 pm

Matt, I probably have about $275-$325 all in on this project . . . not too bad for a shop-tool type HCCT. I bought some components a couple of years ago, so hard to come up with an exact figure.

Joseph,
This looks amazing! You are showing the work of a true craftsman. It makes me tempted to make one, especially since I have all the T parts needed to make one. But on the other hand I am considering a ECCT. Looking forward to see more progress!

Matt

Bob, I see what you mean about coil-level meter location. It certainly improves the scan during testing. Matt, thanks. Good luck with your decision on a tester. I’d like to restore an original HCCT next if I can find one nearby.
Joe

I was pulled away from this project to repair my Model T brakes and a pesky exhaust problem on my ‘32 Chevy, but I’m back at it. The magnets on the flywheel are quite weak, so I’m charging them up today using Dauntless Geezer methodology. Here are a couple of photos of my version of his contraption. Note: his is better, so Google it if you are planning to try this. For newbies, my power supply is 3 three 12 volt batteries wired up to give 36 volts. The electromagnet and switch are explained on the Dauntless Geezer website. I know just enough about electricity to give myself a big shock, so I’m wearing thick gloves, have a fire extinguisher at the ready, and have preprogrammed 911 in my wife’s phone.

I used a single 12 volt battery when recharged the flywheel magnets before installing in my car .. and also when recharging them for my HCCT. Worked great. It does generate some heat on the windings, so it’s best to do a few and take a break.

Mark, Thanks for the tip. My setup really heated up after hitting three magnets, so a break was certainly required to let things cool down. Even with the breaks, my coil is toast and won’t be reusable. But, the job is done. Joe

There’s still a few following along on this project thread, so I’ll keep updating until it’s complete. Today I set the gap between the field coil and flywheel. I haven’t done this since rebuilding my ‘17 motor and tranny, and a clever old gentleman helped me back then. Took a while to set it, but got it right eventually. Also built up the inside of the little coil box with contact tabs, etc, and mounted it to the frame. Started wiring a couple of things, but that doesn’t look like it’s too complicated. Finally, the banjo shaped wooden piece we made to hold the drum is just too thick, so I’m making up a thinner one from a cutting board my wife gave me. Should be making sparks soon.

Before it gets painted black and covered by the drum, I wanted to show those following along the insulator I made from my wife’s cutting board. After trying to make the hardwood version fit, I decided to follow Gary Tillstrom’s recommendation to use the thinner plastic board instead of wood. It fits perfectly and seems like a better option for those planning to build one of these.

Just so you know, your posts and pictures are appreciated.
I too have been following along. I have nearly everything I need to build one, except time and a few extra dollars. If I ever do get the '15 runabout nearly done, I may try to throw one together. I have a whole stack of coils that need proper adjustment! They were all rebuilt (except for proper adjustment) several years ago.
Thank you for taking the time to photograph and post these!

Thanks for the note, Wayne. My recently-retired status has given me the time to finish up some back-burner projects. Good luck with your restoration. The 1915 Runabout is one of my favorite style Model T's. Joe

Very nice work Joe!

Enjoy retirement, now figure out how you had time when working verses retirement! LOL

Hank

Thanks, Hank. Enjoying retirement very much. Joe

Here is the drilled and painted back-panel for the brake drum. I’m using transmission cover screws to attach the drum to the panel. They fit perfectly, although one screw will have to be longer to attach wiring to the back of the drum. The larger holes in the drum give you some wiggle-room to center it up around the “crankshaft”. Waiting for screws, wire ends, etc, to come in the mail today or tomorrow. Almost done.

The remaining parts came in the mail, so the insulator board and brake drum are installed. Here are a couple of photos, one with and one without the crank. The shiny hole in the drum is where the wiring will be connected at the back. All that’s left to do is to hook up the wiring and mount the meter. (Pardon my messy work bench.)

Thanks, Bob.

looks excellent! Where did you get the crank and pointer from?

John

John, For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the gentleman who supplied it. I bought it quite a while ago. Maybe someone else reading this knows. I think I got the brake drum from the same source. Joe

John, The crank came from Bob Scherzer up in Saginaw, MI. PM me if you want his phone number. Joe

For all who showed an interest in this project, I’m happy to say the HCCT is finished. I finished wiring tonight, stuck a coil in the box, and presto . . . sparks. The ammeter is working fine, but the sparks around the drum are a little inconsistent. So there’s still some cleaning and adjusting to do, but I’m done for the day. Thank you to all who followed along and to those who provided parts, advice and encouragement. Good luck with all your Model T projects. Regards, Joe

Hi Joseph.
A beaut project well done, congratulations, -BUT- as you said this unit will only show if the coil sparks.
With your high tension (SPARK) set up, you cannot set the coils visually for correct timing, You cannot read the sparks as is, or I would not be able too. May be one of the coil professionals will chime in.
Again, a well done project, congrats ......Neil.

Thanks for taking the time to share the build, Great job!! Loved seeing it go together. In the day it would have been as good as it gets. Thanks again.

Hi Neil, Thanks. I bought a length of uncut spark/magneto wiring a couple of years ago while gathering supplies for this project. To be honest, I thought I could get away with this wiring as it’s easier to work with. Wrong. I’ll be upgrading it soon. Thanks again. Regards, Joe

Thanks, John. Hope all is well in Nevada. Regards, Joe

As Neil noted above, I wired the HCCT incorrectly in the above photo. After taking another look at the wiring diagram provided by Ron Patterson, I have rewired it correctly and it is functioning properly. As soon as I have a chance to neaten up the wiring job, I’ll post a photo of the corrected setup to avoid confusion for anyone undertaking a build. Thank you to Neil for pointing this out. Regards, Joe

As promised, here is a photo of the tester in it’s final configuration. Again, thanks to all. Regards, Joe

Really neat project and it turned out gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this with us Joe!

My pleasure, Duey. Thanks for the note. Joe