The Model T, Chapter 2

Well with the help of some luck and gasoline, my Dad's Model T is running again.

This phase of the project began with some basic repairs to the fuel system. I had been concerned that fuel had been left in the tank and carburetor when the car was put away. I was pleasantly surprised that was not the case. I found the fuel tank to be completely dry. There was some very ugly gasoline in the bowl of the carburetor and fuel filter housing. I got these cleaned out and replaced the rubber fuel line. I then added a gallon or so of fresh gasoline to the fuel tank and let is run out the end of the fuel line before hooking it up to the carburetor.

The construction of the Model T fuel tank is very unique. There is a well around the fill neck to catch spilled fuel. Because the tank is such a tight fit in the cowl of the body, there was evidently no room to run the spilled fuel around the tank and down to the ground. Some bright engineer decided that the spill tube should run through the gas tank and out the bottom, and then out to the ground. This requires that a tube be sealed into the tank top and then again at the bottom. Essentially, there is a dry drain tube running from the overflow well at the top, through the tank and out to bottom. As I filled the tank with gasoline, I began to see fuel seeping out of the drain tube and then dripping to the frame and off onto the ground. The fuel in the tank was leaking into the drain tube. Knowing this would be a problem, I began working on a solution that did not require the removal of the tank. I picked up some scientific rubber stoppers of various sizes at Home Depot. My plan was to remove the lower drop tube out of the bottom of the tank and plug that hole. That would seal the bottom of the through-tank tube. I figured that we really don't need the overflow if we are careful and the small amount of fuel leaking into the overflow tube would just stay there in the tube. So far my fix has worked. The leak is stopped and as long as the rubber stopper stays in the fitting, we are good to go. I do think there is a better long-term fix option. I think I can coat the inside of the overflow tube with fuel tank sealer. That would prevent fuel from leaking from the tank into the tube and it would again function as an overflow drain.

With the fuel leak handled, I moved to the next issue. It was time to learn about the ignition system on this Model T. I am not going to take the time to explain the system because it is really non-intuitive. Suffice to say, I got it firing with the help of some inexpensive parts available on the internet. It was time to "twist it's tail" as my Dad used to say.

I turned on the fuel petcock and gave it a minute of so for fuel to go through the freshly cleaned stone filter and fill the carburetor bowl. I set the ignition timing at the most retarded setting. I set the throttle at about 1/4 throttle. I pulled out the choke and hit the starter. The engine cranked over a couple of times and I opened the choke back up. The engine Popped! It took a little while to get the cobwebs out, but soon, the engine was rattling away at a low idle.

It was time to see if the old girl would drive. If any of you have ever driven a Model T, you will know it is nothing like driving a modern car. There is a hand brake and three pedals on the floor. The throttle and timing control is on the steering column. I was lucky that my Dad had taught me to drive this car when I was in high school. The left pedal is the gear shift. Put the pedal in the middle, and the car is in neutral. Push it down and the car moves forward in low gear. release the pedal to the up position and the car moves forward in high gear. The right hand pedal is the brake pedal. It applies a brake band in the transmission, not to the wheels. The middle pedal is the reverse pedal. When you want to back up, you hold the left pedal in the middle neutral position and then apply the middle pedal. The car then moves backward. An alternate method is to put the hand brake in the 12 o'clock position, which moves a cam and centers the left pedal into neutral for you. Then, you can apply the reverse pedal, using the right brake pedal to stop. Easy huh? Although I know how it all works, I still don't drive the car into tight places. 60 years of driving "normal" cars has burned a lot of habits into my brain. When things go bad, you really have to think and not just react with your instincts.

I started the 97 year old motor and slipped into the surprisingly small operator's seat. Hand brake to 12 o'clock, check. Right foot ready on the brake pedal, check. Advance the timing to about 1/2 position, check. Bring up the idle just a bit, check. I released the hand brake and slowly depressed the left pedal and the car began to move forward. I headed out to the street and carefully added a bit of throttle. I made a couple of turns and got lined up on a straight part of the road. Left pedal down, increase the throttle and let the left pedal up. The transmission shifter slowly shifted the planetary transmission into high. Funny thing about a Model T. The low gear is really low for slow maneuvering, but the high gear is very high. I saw a picture of a Model T with a number sticker that said: "If you don't like this gear, you are going to hate the other one".

Once the transmission shifts into high, the car began to chug chug up in speed. You now use the throttle to set your speed with your feet off of all the pedals. You then advance the timing and adjust the carburetor mixture to obtain the smoothest settings. Your are off and running. I have read the cars will top out around 40 mph. I have not been there yet.

I began thinking about taking the car to a car show. There was a show coming up at Feather Falls Casino in Oroville. I decided to get it ready and take it to the show. Don (my Brother) had bought a set of rear fenders for the car at a swap meet and never mounted them. I got them put on and it began to look like a pickup.

Don had told me that he had stopped running the car and put it up on blocks because he knew it needed service and he had not found the time to do it. I did some research and found a check list of all the steps to service the car. There are differing opinions as to what modern oil to use in the engine. Some folks say it is best to use a modern 15W-40 heavy duty motor oil because it contains some additives that are not found in passenger car oils. Apparently the additives are better luburcation for the camshaft and lifters in the valve train. Conversely, many folks believe that you should use a non-detergent motor oil. This belief stems from the idea that if the engine does not have an oil filter, you do not use a detergent oil that try to suspend the dirt and take it to the oil filter to get trapped. The Model T engine does not have an oil filter. I decided to go with the non-detergent oil. I jacked up the front of the car to allow for the oil in the pan to run to the rear of the engine where the drain plug is located. I drained out the oil and replaced it with 30 wt. non-detergent motor oil. I then embarked on all of the other steps in servicing the T. In a nut shell, it is a lot of oiling things with an old fashioned oil can. In those days, there were not so many "zero fittings' as there were little oil cups with a spring loaded lid. I oiled all the cup, greased a few zerk fittings on the " torque tube", which is what the call an enclosed driveline. The next step was to look at the oil in the rear end. The oil was very milky and may have had some water in it. As there is no drain hole, I used a suction pump to remove as much of the old gear oil as I could. All the literature says they used a 600 wt. oil in the rear-end. Most folks say to just use a very heavy gear oil. I used an 85-140. The check list was complete It was time to get it ready for the car show.

I had recently acquired a new 14' car trailer. I had been worried that the car would not climb the ramps and might have to be winched on. I had gathered the parts to install a winch on the trailer but decided to try before I went to all That trouble. I put out the ramps and the car went up and on the trailer effortlessly. A few tie-down straps and we are off to the show.

Upon arrival at the venue, I parked out in a gravel area and unloaded the car. I then rattled up to the show and checked in. The car got a lot of attention from folks who knew Model Ts, but didn't win any of the prizes. When I got the car from Don, it had a ugly pea green hood. My Brother had found it somewhere at a swap meet. After the show, I looked at the photos and decided that green hood had to go. I gave it a light sanding and painted it with a flat black "rattle can". I think that I might change the color now to a red primer. It may match the rest better.

The next steps are to get the lights working and figure out a top. I am thinking of using a tractor umbrella and no windshield. Maybe a WWII leather helmet with driving goggles. We have also entered the car in the local Almond Blossom Tractor Tour around the Sutter Buttes on February 18. More Later!