Recent content by oldmotorsguy

RedmodelT/Rotorwrench: 1. I used to own a Model T with a Ruckstell, for a few years and drove it quite a bit. Shifting from high to low or low to high was quite tricky to avoid the loud bang, which I am pretty sure is not a good thing to do in the long run. These hills really require a good...

THe original spring on the handle works OK, but if this were mine, I would simply go with the aftermarket spring that pulls directly on the pawl. It allows much better lock on the brake lever than the handle spring. That, and you can hardly see the spring behind the brake release handle...

"bend each fin", no. Bend each fan blade.

1/4" clearance between spinning fan and radiator fins sounds good. The closer, the better, as more air is moved through the fins, hence better cooling. You are fine with this amount of clearance. If it really, REALLY bothers you, then simply bend each fin back to allow more clearance. Try to...

Somebody put those in for a reason. Whatever that reason was, you should look into the matter a bit further. Worn bands? Replace them. Old springs that have lost tension? Replace them. Did the former owner lose the special nut and washer? Put them back in. In any event, those lock...

1. Just speculation, but Henry Ford at this point was driven by cost, and not necessarily by what makes practical sense. He eliminated the magneto 5 years later, and by doing so saved money by getting rid of the coil ring and the magnets, a significant savings. But in 1923, he was likely...

I recently moved to the Cumberland plateau in Tennessee from the flatlands of Illinois. Back in the Land of Lincoln, I was perfectly happy driving my 1926 Ford Model T Tudor sedan around the farmlands, with no real hills to deal with. Here in Tennessee, there are hills every 1/8th mile, and I...

oldave: thanks, good to know. It's a very nice car throughout. Chevy orange, who knew?

I am considering buying a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, and noticed that the engine block, while great looking, was painted Chevy orange. This doesn't seem right to me. What color were 312 cubic inch V8s in 1957? Ford Blue? Or was that too early for this color. Chevy orange can't be right...

I've got a newly re-done magneto coil ring, ready to install on my 1919 Ford Model T touring engine. I also have my poorly performing old magneto coil ring. Both are on my bench now; what is the test to determine if a magneto coil ring is functioning properly? This test should be one that my...

I noticed a 1919 Ford Model T on eBay that disclosed his car had wood fellows on his front wheels, while the back wheels had demountable rims. I, too, have a 1919 Ford Touring I just bought, and it has the same thing: was this a common manufacturing practice in 1919, or just a coincidence...

Seat spring compressor: I use 2x4 boards that are approx 1 foot longer than the seat spring length. Two on the top, two underneath the work table (a piece of plywood on top of some saw horses), seat spring in between. With four sliding 12" wood clamps, compress these 2x4s and accordingly the...

Most of these are solid suggestions. I will likely build a plywood wind block on my trailer framed by 2X4's, leave the top down, secure it from flapping in the wind with bungee cords, remove the wing windows and haul it facing forward. If anyone else has a suggestion that does not include...

I am planning on transporting a newly refurbished 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe roadster from Chicago to Pittsburgh....on an open trailer. I will wait for the first nice day towards the end of April, so that I don't run into any foul weather. My question is I can't do anything about the wind. I...

Katy: don't know what kind of 4-speed ******. Reverse is all right and down, then the other 4 are standard: 1st is left and up, 2nd is left and down, 3rd is slightly right and up, 4th is slightly right and down. In any event, got it figured out, thanks to the 1931 Model A Ford that was...