1926 Model T Coupe update
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2020 11:30 am
Hey guys, Matt here. It has been a long time since I posted on the MTFCA forum. I'm still using the Facebook one regularly but I thought I'd start posting here more often again. Anyway, my 26 coupe! A lot has happened since I last posted here. The car has now been "90%" totally rebuilt mechanically. I located an original large drum Ruckstell unit locally. I paid $600 for it, it was missing the linkage and shifter as per usual. I figured most of the internals would need replacing and probably cost me around 1,000 to rebuild. Nope! I measured everything out and nearly everything was within acceptable wear tolerances. I put four better condition Hyatt roller bearings in, put on new neoprene seals inner and outers. The Ruckstell has a coiled spring on the drive side which apparently was an accessory oil return item to prevent leaks,left it on. I was generously given an 11 tooth original pinion in good shape by Erik Barrett, thanks again Erik! I shimmed the ring gear so that the Ruckstell was giving about .012 clearance. I put new bearing sleeves in, and replaced the bearing sleeve on the drive shaft and replaced most components on the shaft as well including a better condition universal joint that was nice and tight.
Now for the engine.....OK, I won't get too detailed here but I put up with a lot of bull pucky. Short synopsis is the guy I used did a terrible assembly job, this could have been forgiven but he also stole some rare and valuable parts. He moved after I picked up the car. Suffice it to say I'm looking for him and that's that. Once I addressed the assembly problems (given the next statement and what I later learned I doubt this guy did the mechanical side of things), wow! what a sweet engine! I'd been collecting parts for two years so here's the laytout: Prus high compression head, .040 over aluminum Jahn's pistons with new rings. .300 lift cam and adjustable lifters, oversize 1.540 valves from Lang's and hardened seats. The car has a late period Sure Mike counterbalanced crankshaft that needed .010 cleanup but looks to have been NOS. This is apparently the later version of the sure mike where they addressed the breakage issues by adjusting radii. Replacement transmission from pops that cleaned up very nicely. New Field coil ring. I'm currently running a Simmons carburetor and a Chaffins high flow intake, stock exhaust but I put a tractor muffler on the back to lessen back pressure. I'm running an Anderson timer for timing. I bit the bullet and got a Bergs flat tube radiator for cooling, next part may step on some toes but: I put a very nicely made original water pump on along with a 180 degree thermostat.
She now fires up and has tremendous power. I bet I'm somewhere in the 35 to near 40HP range. She climbs almost any hill in 2nd, with only the most steep ones making me have to shift to ruckstell low ford high. Oh, and the Ruckstell. I was nervous given my amateur nature of mechanical rebuilding but wow! She works beautifully! I find I'm much more confident in my myself on that now, it has driven and shifted wonderfully. I babied the motor for the first 500 miles, never driving above 30mph or so, usually 25mph. One time only on a flat I opened her up just to see what she is capable of. WOW! I have a speedo app on my phone at 55mph her front end was getting squirrelly so I backed off, but the throttle had only been 3/4 open! This means my ultimate goal with this car has been successful: plenty of power to pull the hills in the Catskills and Adirondack mountains where I live and drive regularly. Actually I haven't made it to the ADK yet but I plan to climb her up Whiteface mountain. She now has between 1,100 and 1,200 miles on her since getting the engine back. I feel so much better about the fiasco earlier this summer with the motor right now. Honestly it had made me so angry, so upset, that it was slowly killing my love of the Model T hobby which I have enjoyed with my grandfather pretty much since I could walk. I had never had a bad experience with a T guy before and had always known them as kind and amiable people. One of my lifelong problems is even though I expect the worst from people I choose to trust people too easily despite this. Life's too short to think everyone is out to screw you. My faith has been bruised, but restored. Several of my local club guys came to my aid, helping me to replace stolen parts and offering sympathy and advice. Right now I need to rebush the front end and replace the front spindles: she has early front spindles when I need the lowered 26 27 style. As I address the front end I'll also be adding a set of brake equalizers to the rear. With great power comes great responsibility. I generally keep her around 35 to 40mph, but I want better brakes. I am very excited for this touring season. It wasn't until late July that she was broken in so I missed most events this Summer. My calendar is already full of events!
Now for the engine.....OK, I won't get too detailed here but I put up with a lot of bull pucky. Short synopsis is the guy I used did a terrible assembly job, this could have been forgiven but he also stole some rare and valuable parts. He moved after I picked up the car. Suffice it to say I'm looking for him and that's that. Once I addressed the assembly problems (given the next statement and what I later learned I doubt this guy did the mechanical side of things), wow! what a sweet engine! I'd been collecting parts for two years so here's the laytout: Prus high compression head, .040 over aluminum Jahn's pistons with new rings. .300 lift cam and adjustable lifters, oversize 1.540 valves from Lang's and hardened seats. The car has a late period Sure Mike counterbalanced crankshaft that needed .010 cleanup but looks to have been NOS. This is apparently the later version of the sure mike where they addressed the breakage issues by adjusting radii. Replacement transmission from pops that cleaned up very nicely. New Field coil ring. I'm currently running a Simmons carburetor and a Chaffins high flow intake, stock exhaust but I put a tractor muffler on the back to lessen back pressure. I'm running an Anderson timer for timing. I bit the bullet and got a Bergs flat tube radiator for cooling, next part may step on some toes but: I put a very nicely made original water pump on along with a 180 degree thermostat.
She now fires up and has tremendous power. I bet I'm somewhere in the 35 to near 40HP range. She climbs almost any hill in 2nd, with only the most steep ones making me have to shift to ruckstell low ford high. Oh, and the Ruckstell. I was nervous given my amateur nature of mechanical rebuilding but wow! She works beautifully! I find I'm much more confident in my myself on that now, it has driven and shifted wonderfully. I babied the motor for the first 500 miles, never driving above 30mph or so, usually 25mph. One time only on a flat I opened her up just to see what she is capable of. WOW! I have a speedo app on my phone at 55mph her front end was getting squirrelly so I backed off, but the throttle had only been 3/4 open! This means my ultimate goal with this car has been successful: plenty of power to pull the hills in the Catskills and Adirondack mountains where I live and drive regularly. Actually I haven't made it to the ADK yet but I plan to climb her up Whiteface mountain. She now has between 1,100 and 1,200 miles on her since getting the engine back. I feel so much better about the fiasco earlier this summer with the motor right now. Honestly it had made me so angry, so upset, that it was slowly killing my love of the Model T hobby which I have enjoyed with my grandfather pretty much since I could walk. I had never had a bad experience with a T guy before and had always known them as kind and amiable people. One of my lifelong problems is even though I expect the worst from people I choose to trust people too easily despite this. Life's too short to think everyone is out to screw you. My faith has been bruised, but restored. Several of my local club guys came to my aid, helping me to replace stolen parts and offering sympathy and advice. Right now I need to rebush the front end and replace the front spindles: she has early front spindles when I need the lowered 26 27 style. As I address the front end I'll also be adding a set of brake equalizers to the rear. With great power comes great responsibility. I generally keep her around 35 to 40mph, but I want better brakes. I am very excited for this touring season. It wasn't until late July that she was broken in so I missed most events this Summer. My calendar is already full of events!