New here and an Introduction

[Tharper]

Good afternoon,

I am new to the wonderful world of the Model T. A little background: I have been involved with the Maine Forest & Logging Museum in Bradley, Maine, for quite a few years now. Back in December, we received a generous donation of two Ford Model TT trucks with Virgil White snowmobile conversions. Needless to say, we are pretty excited about this. One is a 1926, the other is a 1927. However, we suspect the 1927 is a bit of a mix and match.

We are currently working to recommission the 1927. In addition to changing out the fluids, etc., we have replaced the bands since the cotton bands were way, way beyond their expiration date. Hopefully, over the next week, we can rack up some running time to work out any remaining bugs.

We are a Living History museum, meaning that our vehicles and exhibits all function and are operated and demonstrated on a regular basis. In fact, the 1927 TT snowmobile will debut during our Winter in the Woods event on February 7th. As we move forward, we will no doubt be seeking advice.

The TT's will be operated alongside our steam-powered Lombard Log Haulers and Lombard Tractor-Trucks.

[Daisy Mae]

Welcome!
Those are some great TT's. My first T was a Closed Cab stake side TT.
And this beast is a hoot!!! I can only imagine what's required to crank this monster!

https://youtu.be/C9Aomol9494?si=FCnQDN1eyfgjrbws

[TXGOAT2]

Marvelous machines! In cold weather, it is especially important to use the right motor oil in Model Ts. In cold weather, a quality 5W20 or 5W30 is a good choice. In milder weather, 10W30 is a good choice. I use 10W30 full synthetic with excellent results, even in 100F + Texas weather. If I was going to drive in very cold weather, I'd change to 5W20. Oil that is too viscous will cause a number of problems with a Model T engine, transmission, and clutch, and may contribute to failed triple gear bushings. Among other likely problems are a risk of inadequate bearing lubrication, especially on a cold start, hard starting, and clutch drag and "creep" in "neutral". Ford recommended a quality "medium cylinder oil" with a low cold test, which corresponds to a high quality SAE 20W. Modern multi-grade oils out-perform the best oil available in the T era. I have run detergent oil in old engines for the last 60 years with nos issue related to loosened sludge, etc. On the contrary, use of detergent oil has shown to benefit dirty, neglected old engines with stuck rings, noisy lifters, etc.

[Tharper]

Welcome!
Those are some great TT's. My first T was a Closed Cab stake side TT.
And this beast is a hoot!!! I can only imagine what's required to crank this monster!

https://youtu.be/C9Aomol9494?si=FCnQDN1eyfgjrbws

Thanks! Cranking them isn’t too bad. Here is a video of a cold start of the 1919 Lombard. The engine is a 964 CID Sterling Model FT. Ryan was feeling strong that day. It does have electric start. It’s dialed in pretty good. Usually just a couple rolls and it’s bellowing to life. Loves lots and lots of gasoline!

https://youtu.be/wNwMQnAhrjc?si=ZJ9LLs5ytXK_hSzg

[JohnM]

Awesome! How fortunate for your organization! You will find a lot of help and information on this forum. If you haven't already, you should reach out to the Down East chapter of the Model T Ford Club in Maine. They may be interested in helping you get them up and running and some tips on how to operate a T. I could only find a facebook page for them. Hope it's helpful.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1915088 ... on/preview

[Allan]

Big old engines like that were often fitted with a decompression device. When it is engaged, cranking is easy, like turning over a T without spark plugs.The moment the engine fires, the decompression device closes or is closed manually and away she goes.

Allan from down under.

[Tharper]

Marvelous machines! In cold weather, it is especially important to use the right motor oil in Model Ts. In cold weather, a quality 5W20 or 5W30 is a good choice. In milder weather, 10W30 is a good choice. I use 10W30 full synthetic with excellent results, even in 100F + Texas weather. If I was going to drive in very cold weather, I'd change to 5W20. Oil that is too viscous will cause a number of problems with a Model T engine, transmission, and clutch, and may contribute to failed triple gear bushings. Among other likely problems are a risk of inadequate bearing lubrication, especially on a cold start, hard starting, and clutch drag and "creep" in "neutral". Ford recommended a quality "medium cylinder oil" with a low cold test, which corresponds to a high quality SAE 20W. Modern multi-grade oils out-perform the best oil available in the T era. I have run detergent oil in old engines for the last 60 years with nos issue related to loosened sludge, etc. On the contrary, use of detergent oil has shown to benefit dirty, neglected old engines with stuck rings, noisy lifters, etc.

All good info! Thank you!

[South Park Zephyr]

Now I have to convince my wife that coming to Maine in the winter is a good idea…

Wonderful to see them preserved and available to be admired

Feel free to post pics for those of us too far away to visit easily

Scott

[Mike Silbert]

The snowmobile club would probably love to see your machine in action @ one of their events also
http://www.modeltfordsnowmobile.com/

https://www.facebook.com/61557244510838 ... 780241483/

[Tharper]

In addition to the two model TT snowmobiles, we were also gifted a 1914 steam-powered Lombard Log Hauler restored by the late Harry Crooker. It’s been on loan to the museum since 2013 and is now a permanent part of the collection.

This shares space with our 1907 steam-powered Lombard Log Hauler which is fully operational and frequently under steam and out and about during our events. On February 7th we will have it out on skis for the first time in over a decade.

We do have another Model T… to clarify, before you get too excited - it’s an eight-ton, 1928 Lombard Model T dump truck. It’s an interesting beast. It has a four speed Cotta transmission. However, reverse is in the differential and is engaged with a separate lever so you have four speeds forward and in reverse. The hoist is a Garwood mechanical unit.

From time to time it does make itself useful.

[ThreePedalTapDancer]

Fantastic pieces of history.

[Tharper]

Back to the TT

There was little left of the bands in 1927. This also presented our first surprise. When Tim opened up the transmission, we found that it's an older version with the narrow brake band. We have not checked the engine numbers. Both TT's have Warford transmissions.

The drums had some scoring and tapper, but not too deep or bad—no deep rivet gouges.

After a bit of debate and going back and forth, we decided to go with wood bands. Our reasoning, whether flawed or otherwise, is that wood bands might be more gentle on the drums than Kevlar, given novice drivers and less-than-perfect technique. Additionally, and thankfully, Winter doesn't last forever, so it's not like we will be touring for thousands of miles.

We decided to replace the springs as well. Big difference in uncompressed length between the new and old springs!

Tim did have a problem with the magneto cutting in and out. It turned out to be a piece of an old band that had found its way to the Mag post.

The 1926: This is a running chassis. Currently, we are debating what style body to go with. Our first thought was a depot hack or bus so we could carry passengers; however, our insurance underwriter would probably not be happy. They have been great to work with, but they would undoubtedly prefer if we were a "normal" museum with all stuffed and mounted (static) and boring exhibits. In short, we are tolerated, which is understandable.

We are open to suggestions!

Here is A view of the 1926 chassis as we found it. The stack of stuff to the right are runners, and bunks, etc, for two heavy Lombard patent logging sleds.

[Mike Silbert]

The above picture of the transmission shows it is an up to 1925 block and transmission and band, not 1926-27.
It is a matched set and goes together.
The magneto ring coil could really use to be rewrapped but that will open up a barrel of snakes for you.

Serial numbers and engines got swapped around as these vehicles passed through their service life.
Trucks and work vehicles were more prone to this since it just had to work!
Since you are not doing a numbers matching restoration make sure to use what you have and not what it is called on the title.

The type of band is your choice, everyone has their reasons and preference.
But you can wreck even the best parts so careful driving helps the vehicle and parts last longer.
Model T't are made to take rough treatment, but it leads to higher maintenance.

Keep up running this living history and showing how it used to be done.
Having them locked up behind the velvet rope is so boring to me.
Mike

[Tharper]

And this would explain why the emergency brake doesn’t work. Good grief! Note the bolt that backed out and was rubbing on the drum.

[Mike Silbert]

I see a WTB add coming.
The TT rear brake parts are TT only so make sure not to get 26-27 parts and try to make them fit.
The vehicles have history - Some good, Some bad.
And they will work "fine" in amazingly poor condition.
Keep at it, eventually you will get to the bottom of the list.

Mike

[Tharper]

I see a WTB add coming.
The TT rear brake parts are TT only so make sure not to get 26-27 parts and try to make them fit.
The vehicles have history - Some good, Some bad.
And they will work "fine" in amazingly poor condition.
Keep at it, eventually you will get to the bottom of the list.

Mike

Thanks Mike!
Just to clarify, the shoes for the 26-27 TT are NOT interchangeable with the shoes used on the 26-27 car correct?

[Mike Silbert]

Lets see if I get the 3C's right, if not I am sure someone will correct me.
Concise, Complete, & Correct

Hopefully someone who has one apart can post pictures of a correctly assembled one.

I do not currently own a TT truck but I have seen plenty of their parts on friends vehicles so I am not a TT "expert"
While the TT Truck and the 26-27 Car share a similar looking rear brake drum don't be fooled into thinking they share parts.
And the same is true for A or AA parts.
Other than a bit of hardware there is nothing shared between them.
On the cars the rear brake assemblies got a a major change between 1925 and 1926.
On the TT trucks the rear brake assemblies stayed basically the same for all TT Trucks from 1918 to 1927
The reproduction parts availability for the TT rear and brakes are "minimal" so you will have to dig for what you can find.
I know of a bunch of TT parts for sale in an estate, but for you they are in Maryland and quite far. Let me know if you want to go that route.

On Line documentation is also hard to come by so see:
https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/5 ... 1468073357
https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/2 ... 1342792432

The parts books show the parts but not how they fit together.

Screenshot 2026-01-31 090534.jpg (22.26 KiB) Viewed 453 times

And some other thoughts from your picture:
You have 2 of the 5 rim bolts that have been "Farmer Fixed" with regular bolts and washers.
Plus
The reason your drum was dragging on the bolt could be a couple reasons.
It is supposed to be a thin head and someone put a regular head one there?
The hub and or axle are worn moving the drum in farther making it drag?
There is a problem inside the rear axle making parts move around?
So grab the axle and see if it moves in/out or up/down. Hopefully it will all be nice and secure and no issues inside the rear.

How Far Does The Wormhole Go?
Mike

[Daisy Mae]

The shoes for a TT are completely unique to the trucks, and are different and much larger than the car brake shoes.
They are cast shoes, with a riveted lining.

I don't know what availability exists today, but it took me forever to find a pair in the snail mail want ads world of the 80's.

[Tharper]

The reason your drum was dragging on the bolt could be a couple reasons.
It is supposed to be a thin head and someone put a regular head one there?
The hub and or axle are worn moving the drum in farther making it drag?
There is a problem inside the rear axle making parts move around?
So grab the axle and see if it moves in/out or up/down. Hopefully it will all be nice and secure and no issues inside the rear.

How Far Does The Wormhole Go?
Mike

Thanks Mike,
Very good info! Tim checked for play in the axles and they are good. The bolt either just backed out or it was left loose last time someone was in there. There are a number of farmer fixes on this gem but we are getting there.

Since we are running a Warford auxiliary transmission and have some sizable hills and potentially less than expert drivers, the decision was made to install a set of Sure-Stop disk brakes. Brian and Tim finished up the installation and setup around 2:00 am this morning. I know some folks might cringe at that but we carefully weighed the options including Rocky Mountain brakes. There were concerns (maybe overstated, maybe not) with the performance of Rocky Mountain brakes when packed with snow and rolling backwards down a steep hill shared with people. We operate a lot of old stuff designed under the assumption that people were smart enough not to stick fingers, limbs and other body parts where they shouldn’t. As such, we have the distinct feeling we are not on the insurance people’s “A” list - best not poke the bear. Plus it’s a conversion that is easy to undo should the decision be made to do so. Tim set the system up so it’s biased to the disk brakes which the brake band and drum will appreciate.

Meanwhile, we will work on gathering what we need for the emergency brakes so they do more than virtue signal. The wormhole is deep indeed!

[kevinf]

Welcome, we participate in living history as well. People really respond when they actually see machinery in operation, here is a photo of my TT truck hauling wood for the steamer crew.

[speedytinc]

Terry, I dont believe there is an off the shelf sure stop brake system offered for a TT.
Not to say you couldnt build a disk brake system for your TT.

[Tharper]

Terry, I dont believe there is an off the shelf sure stop brake system offered for a TT.
Not to say you couldnt build a disk brake system for your TT.

Already installed! Tim, Brian and James started around 8:00pm last night and had it all done by 1:00am this morning.

Brian had to fabricate some custom spacers for the calipers so they line up properly with the disks. They also installed the reservoir the under the seat rather than on the firewall Brian ran the longer carriage bolts that come with the kit through the CNC lath to shape the heads to better match the originals.

The brakes work great!

Here it is outside for a test run
https://youtu.be/AzZTDmhSBNk?si=gMuH19Yy2LHK7Jqa

[Tharper]

Today Tim focused on running it and finding any more issues that need to be dealt with. One such item was the steering. It wanted to wander all over the trail. A check showed that the skis had way to excessive toe-in. After a bit of adjustment it’s tracking nicely. Tim and Brian made a trip to the gas station and back. It drew quite a bit of attention while at the pumps and ran well. It still needs some fiddling - when pushed it starts running a bit ragged.

It will be heading to the museum on Friday and we have our “Winter in the Woods” event on Saturday where it will make its first public debut. Tim, Brian and James have put a ton of work into this recommissioning. We are fortunate to have such highly talented volunteers. Brian is a gifted mechanical engineer. His company specializes in prototyping, constructing and developing automated equipment for saw mills and manufacturing. He and his son Tim run our belt driven vintage machine shop at the museum and James is a highly gifted fabricator. They are the ‘A’ team!

Hopefully, the next report will be a follow up after the event!

[TXGOAT2]

Since you operate in colder weather, your T engine will perform better with the heat pipe in place. If it doesn't have one, it needs one.

[TXGOAT2]

Running ragged under load could be a fuel issue or ignition. Opening up the carburetor adjustment a little may help. In a 1924 service bulletin, Ford recommended oiling the timer frequently with a light oil, every 200 miles, or even every 100 miles. An ideal oil for a stock Ford roller timer in cold weather service would be Marvel Mystery Oil.

[Mike Silbert]

Since this is a 1926 TT chassis the coil box should still be firewall mounted.
Remove the lid before you start it.
Take it the machine out and "push it"
When it starts breaking down the passenger can carefully hold the coil points open and make sure they all make a difference.
Be careful or you will find out how much that box of angry bees can sting!

All of the cylinders should be contributing or it will never run right.
The passenger can also test other thinks like pull up on the choke a bit and adjust the mixture to see what happens.

Also
Is the timing set correctly? The driver can test this.
Do you get full timer travel with full lever movement?
What is the condition of the timer?
A worn timer will often run fine until the RPM's get up there.

I agree it could also be hot air tube, carburetor, fuel flow or fuel condition, sitting issues, wear issues and more.
If it has been sitting a lot it might clear up after running for a while, but usually not.
The trick will be to separate what is good from what is the issue.
Test things and see where the results lead you.
I am sure others will suggest more tests to help locate your issue(s).
Mike

[Tharper]

Thanks guys!

We do have the heat pipe in place.

We are getting full timing travel. They set it per the manual and adjusted the rod. Before that we had very little retard when using the lever.

We will check the coils

The mixture/choke control rod is missing. It’s got a hokey wire setup so you can operate the choke from the cab. That is on the to-do-list. I am assuming this is the correct setup?

Yes, it pays to be methodical. What isn’t the problem is just as important as what is!

[Mike Silbert]

The picture gives lots of information, thanks

You have an up to 1924 (& some of 1925) carburetor so it takes a mixture and choke setup not like in the drawing you sent.
It could be converted if desired but that means more parts.
The dashboard and control rod slots in the firewall determine what pieces you need.

Screenshot 2026-02-02 092401.jpg (11.61 KiB) Viewed 147 times

You also do not have a mixture adjustment control inside the cab hooked up.
This will prevent you from adjusting it while driving to test and fine tune what is going on.
See: https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/7 ... 1506901129
If it were mine I would make something work with what you have and look good.
There are several styles over the years and I don't know your exact combination of parts.

Your carburetor fuel shutoff valve:
I recommend installing a shutoff valve on all but the show winning cars but..
That style is not known for flowing very much fuel.
If it acts like you are running out of fuel, it might be the problem.
This can be tested by adding a bit of choke when it is acting up to see if it fixes it.

I think I see a missing pan bolt, and it's not leaking?
The missing generator band and cutout cover are not a big deal. You might want to upgrade the cutout in the future someday.

Make sure your rubber fuel line stays far away from the exhaust pipe or you may have an "overheating" issue.
The route places them closer than comfortable causing problems sometimes
The metal line won't melt and may be in your future someday.
Steel brake lines work fine but sometimes more expensive than buying the correct part.
I prefer the reusable rubber seals over felt if you go that way.

I like it!
Mike

[Scott_Conger]

Mike is correct - as best as I can discern from the photo, that "shutoff" is really a plumbing needle valve for water lines to refrigerator water dispensers. The flow path is tortured and very very tiny. With trucks being geared down, and higher RPMs standard, you will most certainly be starving for fuel to some extent, quite often. Change it to a 1/4 turn ball valve and be done with that weak link in the system.

Over the years, I've come across this valve on 3 occasions. In all instances, the car did not really run "right" at any speed over idle. Changing it out fixed that problem in each case.

[TXGOAT2]

Gravity flow fuel systems will not tolerate any added restrictions to the fuel flow. That includes added filters, many types of non-stock shut off valves, dents in fuel lines, improperly routed fuel lines, low float level, plugged gas cap vents, and incorrect carburetor needle and seat sets. That's in addition to dirt, rust, moisture, gum, or anything else that might in any way obstruct the free flow of fuel. It's best to keep fuel tanks at least half full, and more is better.

[Mike Silbert]

A few years ago we were working on a TT truck that would run fine then go for about 1/2 a block and die.
In a minute or two it would restart and run great then die when you drove away.
Frustrating!
After going through everything we discovered the problem.

The replacement ball valve right angle shutoff was drilled off center blocking 1/2 the hole, and 1/2 the fuel flow.
And it was a brand new part!
When we replaced it the truck ran all over the place with no problem.
So:
Proper fuel flow matters and even new parts can be defective.

I have also seen damaged fuel lines cause similar issues.
It can be smashed from bends or impacts plus also smashed from tightening the compression fittings at the end closing the diameter.
Mike

[Tharper]

Awesome! Thanks, guys! This is exactly the input we need. These details make the difference between just being functional and actually reliable and enjoyable. No leak from the pan, but we do have a persistent drip when running - from the hog's head near the starter.

Gravity systems... we have had to deal with several of these. The last one was from a 60-gallon tank to a massive Stomberg NS for the 964 CID Sterling T-head in our 1919 Lombard Tractor-Truck. 3/8" fuel lines and a mondo shut-off did the trick. It sucks down 8 gallons of gasoline per hour quite well now!

Our gut feeling is that this truck was assembled and never really run. There seems to be a lot of little details that are not quite right. We are getting there!

[Dallas Landers]

Seeing these machines work is a joy. My TT does its job when needed.