1925 model T - Barn Find

S

stammy

New member
Hi Everyone,

I have recently purchased a 25 Model T and was told by the previous owner that it was in running condition a few years back. The car was drained of all fluids before storage and I am itching to get it going again.

Can you experts give me a few items to look at before I get it going?

What type of fluids to get (Special type of oil, coolant, etc…). The car has original electric start as well. Should I be looking at or testing anything there? What about the coils? How do I test to see if they work.

Thanks in advance!
 
Stammy,
Welcome to this site. I see it is your first post, and you will more than likely get many responses. If this is your first experience with a T, I would suggest getting as much info as possible about the maintenance and repairing of your 25 T. The Model T Ford Club of America has many publications and videos covering every topic you are looking for. "The engine" publication has a wealth of info. You can also scroll down on the many posts listed here and most of your questions may have already been answered. Always check the wheels, rims, tires, shackles, brakes, wishbone, etc. for safety concerns. Mechanically and electricly it may run fine but the whole picture has to be looked at before you hit the road. Good luck.
Oil 10-30, and plain water for coolant are fine.
 
What luck to have everything drained before storage. You don't know how lucky you are on that score. First: Use water in the radiator as you'll be checking for leaks. You can go to anti freeze later on. Second: Oil: What's actually called for is 30wt. non detergent oil however most guys use a good multi grade of 10-40. Best for cold weather starts. Approx. 4 quarts are needed. Open the top petcock on the bell housing and when the oil just starts to drip out you're full. Third: Fuel: There should be a sediment bulb on the tank. The top lever is the shut-off. If the top lever is down (facing the floor or vertical) the fuel is on. If it's horizontal or parallel with the floor it's off. The lower petcock lever is the sediment drain. Works the same way. It they won't move lightly tap on the spring side of the lever to break it free. Don't force them. Pour in about 2-3 quarts of fuel and open the drain (lower ****). This will flush anything out of the bulb. Of course the upper one must be open when you do this. If it's coming out dirty/rusty flush till it's clean. The carb might have a drain on it too (it just screws open & closed) you might drain some from there too to clear the carb. 6 volt batteries can be a problem because their not big sellers and can go bad on the store shelf. If you can get a dry one where you add the acid it's usually good. If not make sure the store can test it for you. Remember the T is negative ground just like a modern car. When every things full & the batt is in place you can turn the ign switch to Batt & slowly crank the engine over with the hand crank. Listen for each coil to buzz as you do this. If you get all 4 buzzing you can try for a start. There's a carb main jet adjustment rod that extends into the cab. Turn it clockwise to close it until it stops. DO NOT FORCE IT! gently close it then open it about 1 1/2 turns. Spark lever, the left one, down from the top about 4/5 notches and fuel lever about 6/8 notches down. Do not over choke. One or two cranks using the starter with the choke out is usually enough. When it starts advance the fuel and spark a bit and let it warm up. Adjust the main jet in or out until you get the best running and leave it there. Let us know what happens. Good luck. By the way it'll puke out any excess water in the rad through the overflow pipe. It seeks it's own level so don't be alarmed if that happens while running or after you shut it down. The hand brake lever should be all the way back or rearward and some guys jack & support one rear wheel off the ground in case it wants to run off by itself.
 
A supplier of parts that you should get to know is Lang's. Their website is http://www.modeltford.com/ They have the largest selection of parts of any supplier I've found.

Charlie B's instructions were very comprehensive, except I would recommend starting with the spark lever all the way up (fully retarded) rather than 4-5 notches advanced. Less chance of a kick back that might break your starter bendix. As for running water in the radiator, that's recommended too, as water will transfer heat better than antifreeze will. Only don't forget to add a rust inhibitor to the water.

The rear axle takes a heavy oil, and there's no way to just drain it to change it. You'll need a suction gun to suck out the old stuff from the fill hole. I believe Langs has this suction gun, as well as the 600 weight gear oil that's used in the differential.
 
It may help if you let us know where you are at; someone local could come over and help you out. I sell new parts and have lots of used parts and I can get any part that Lang's sells. If you don't know the history on the engine, such as if it was rebuilt or just band aided or never touched makes a difference on oil. If not rebuilt or you don't know, I would run ND 30 wt. If it has been completely rebuilt, I recommend 10w30.
 
There's a method I use to drain the rear. It's a bit of a pain in the rear and it takes some time but it beats buying a suction gun which may not work anyway if the stuff is really thick. Spread a large plastic garbage bag on the floor under the rear end. Remove the fill plug and place a pan under the diff. Wear rubber gloves. Take a 3/8" dowel about a foot long and stick it in the fill hole. Pull it out & wipe it off into the pan using your gloved hand. Just keep doing that until you reach the bottom. You'll get almost all the lube out this way. It took me about an hour to complete it but as I said you'll just about get it all. Re-fill with the 600 wt. stuff sold by the T parts houses.
 
Not to boo-hoo yer method Charlie, but I loosen all the joint bolts, and put a jack on each side by the outer bearings. Thatll cause the joint to split
(be reasonable, I mean like .020" !!!!!) and put a heat lamp or heat gun on the reservoir with the pan underneath. Go have a smoke and a few beers, or better yet wait over night once its warm, then re-tighten and refill.
Even after the overhaul on mine, I had a kinda stripped bolt at the 3 oclock position. The very first test drive around the block left a 25 cent piece (a quarter) sized drop overnight. All the other bolts were tight AND a new gasket in there! For liability purposes I wont tell anyone to warm the reservoir with the propane torch, but 150F makes that 600W run like warm honey! ws
 
Like I said Bill, it's a pain in the butt to do but if you have no leaks before you'll have none after. I think heating the goo would make a suction gun work also. Hell, I'm retired. If I get a chance to sit on my tail for an hour and do something totally mindless I'm not going to pass it up!
 
Hey Guys,

First off, Thanks to everyone!!

Just to give you all an update...

I've finally gotten some free time and gotten the T ready to start. Had to get a new battery (6v) as cranking was getting difficult especially if i didn't know if it was going to run...

Items i completed thus far...
- Jack the car and place on stands
- I replaced all the fluids
- Checked for spark at the plugs
- Prime fuel line and made sure gas is getting to the engine...
- Follow CharlieB's method for the Spark and Fuel lever

So i turned the key to "Bat", lights to off and press the button for the starter. Engine turns, but no ignition... I got cranking, a miss fire and some weird knocking noises when it stumbles. I played with the choke lever and we had success for all of 10-15 seconds. It ran rough then died. it did that for the next few times i tried, then i stopped. just wanted to get some more ideas from you experts before i do some damage as an excited egger school boy can sometimes do...

Some Questions:
- Should the starter button get hot? Mine got pretty hot to the touch...
- My buzz boxes didnt always buzz.. i get a small buzz from each box when it seems to sends a spark off to the plug, but no continuous buzz. (I only got a long standing buzz 2-3 times after i stop using the starter)
- Anything i could do to get the engine idle?
- Anyone have this problem before, is it just a timing/tuning issue
- Next steps...


Thanks guys... Almost there... I hope..
 
To start mine, spark all the way up, throttle about 1/4 to 1/3 open, (2) 1/4 turns with the key off and the choke on full. Then turn key on and (1 or 2) 1/4 turn pulls, no choke, start it. Don't flood it. Mine will flood with a few full turns and the choke on. You can open up the mixture by turning the knob counter clockwise. 1-1/2 turns out is a good start.
 
The heating of the switch could be from poor connections. It is wise to take all of the battery/starter cables off & clean the contact surfaces well with emery paper or a file.

The ignition problem could be caused by dirt in the timer. Take it off & wash it out well with gasoline or "brakeclean" add a few drops of motor oil to the roller bearing. Check the wires where they connect to the timer as well. Sometimes they can break inside the insuilation & cause an intermittant problem since they flex as the timing is changed.

Until you know the car always start with the spark lever at the top. It can break your bendix but more importantly it can break your arm if it kicks back when hand cranking - even slowly.
 
The coils should not buzz all the time, only when the piston is at the top so what you describe sounds normal to me. 2.5-3 turns of the mixture knob works for me but needs to be wound in after startup or it floods in about 4 seconds.
 
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