New to T and Need Advice

pjdeb

pjdeb

Senior Member
I am a Model A guy, but I am in the process of tinkering with a 1923 coupe. My father bought it in 1961. I am not sure how much he did to it as I was away at school. It was not running when he got it. When he was done, it ran well. He passed it to my brother who last ran it in 1993. Now I have it.

Put a fair amount of Marvel in each cylinder. She is not stuck. Turns over easily by the crank.

Gas tank has rust. I have removed the tank and will have it cleaned.

Radiator holds water. I have removed it. Flushed it and will flow test it later.

Changed all the fluids. They were hardly fluid.

Cleaned the carb as best I could, but did not take it completely apart. Later.

Looked inside the transmission, but that is it. Bands look like a hard composite type. Do not want to mess with that now. I will jack up rear wheels when I try to start her.

Coils are the plastic box type. We will see.

Plan to get a new battery and hook up a temporary gas line. Any suggestions on anything else I should do before seeing if it will start?

Not messing with the time or starter or generator right now.

If it shows signs of life I will put more time and money into it.

Am I on the right track or should I do more before seeing if she will start?

Head gasket? Manifold?

BTW, it has a water pump. Good idea or convert back to original?

Appreciate any suggestions.
 
Another question: since I am just trying to see if she will start, I understand it is OK to use a 12 volt battery. Correct?
 
If you haven't already done it, see if it has some compression on all four cylinders. If it does, there is a chance that the valves aren't sticking. This will forgo pulling the head. Hand crank if using 12-volts. The car will run on 12-volts but the starter may not be up for it as mentioned. Check your light bulbs. It may already have 12-volt bulbs.

The carb condition depends on how long it set with fuel in it. It could be gummed up or corroded inside. Depending on what carb it has, it may be simple to clean or it may take some port clearing to get it to function as it should. Some are more simple than others.

Always pull up on the crank and don't lock your thumb around the handle. If it kicks back it generally won't injure the person pulling on it. Retard the timer for starting.
 
Good suggestions all.
My way was, I got 2 books before any disassembly.
"1909 1927 Model T Ford Service" published by Ford Motor Co, available as a reprint.
" The Model T FordOwner" by Murray Fahnestock, check with Ebay.
Several weeks of study gave me the edge to maintenace and adjustments.
Later I found "Tinkerin Tips" by Ted Aschman Great for major projects and fixes for a 100 year old car.
I know you will have fun
 
I have both A's and T's and in my opinion I would drop the water pump. I do not have one on my 15 Touring or my 24 Coupe.....never had one overheat yet.....in my opinion Ford got this design right.
 
The lighter weight, lower horse power, and slower average speeds allow the T to work with thermosyphon cooling. Pump add ons might be OK for higher performance builds but really aren't all that necessary for a stock model T.
 
if the carburetor has not been completely taken apart, it might be worth doing so to make sure it's clean and functioning properly. The coils should also be checked to make sure they're in good condition.

As for the water pump, it's up to personal preference whether to keep it or convert back to the original system. Some people prefer the added cooling capacity of a water pump, while others prefer the simplicity of the original system.
 
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