Help with a 26 model T truck

[Cessna Pilot]

Hey Guy I just picked up a 1926 Model T truck. Runs great and starts even better. But have 2 problems.

1st I think it is overheating. I say think because from what I have read it is ok to boil over sometimes. It gets Darn hot. I get steam at times running around town (say 2 miles or so on a 75 to 80 day, have not tried to drive it farther). It still runs great but I am not sure if this is ok. I can tell you it has no Thermostat installed. I have 50/50 mix of antifreeze/water in right now. I now read it can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask. Should I see a power drop/detnation before I should worry? What is truly better? Straight water or the 50/50 mix. How full should the radiator be when cold (how far from top)?

2nd I start the truck on the Bat. But when I switch to mag it dies. What should be the trouble-shooting steps I should take to find the problem? Is it bad to run on the Bat? I have read that the spark will not be as hot. I show charging on my Amp gauge in the car when running. So the generator is working (I would think anyway).

I have lots of auto experience with cars from the 30’s on into today’s cars. I also work on Aircraft from the late 50’s (Lockheed Super Constellation Starliners, 4 engine piston airliners making 3,400 hp per engine) I also hold a Pilot’s license (starting the ford is a lot like starting those big R3350-988-TC18EA2’s on the conies) So I am not scared of machinery but this little Ford has got me worried. I don’t want to hurt it by doing something silly. Any help on this would be great. Thanks Guys. Great Site.

Cars in the Family

30 Ford Model A

36 Buick 60 Series

49 Ford F-100

55 Buick Special

55 Pontiac Cheftion

56 Olds 88

75 Pontiac Grandville

And now the 26 model T

[Larry Halter]

I have a 1922 Depot hack that originally gave me fits..I had the radiator cleaned by a so called professional and it still overheated. Finally had it recored and when they did it they found a bees nest in the top of the old radiator. Have not had any problems since although on hot days she wil get a little warm but not loose a lot of water. Mine has a water pump on it. It had it when i bought it and i never took it off and it does not leak. A lot of T guys say you do not need them. This unit is all wood and fairly heavy besides it needs some engine work as it is down on HP.I took it on the Ohio Jamboree over Labor Day and i did not have any overheatig problem. Maybe I am lucky.

[Larry Halter]

As far as the Mag, mine would not run on the mag at all at first. The transmission went out so I pulled the motor , had the transmission rebuilt , sent the Mag out to get it rebuilt as it was shot. I put the rebuilt one in and it works alright. I ran it on battery before all the time and it was OK. I run mine on Mag most of the time now and it seems to run better, but I have a bad motor with about 35 thousand clearance on the crank which I have to fix. The Model t guys say it wont run with that much clearance on the Mag but this one does. It has a knock which I think is the rear main which is bad causing the excesive clearance. We ran it Labor Day weekend and took it to Detroit for the Old Car show at Greenfield, and it is still running, little noisy but still running. I plan on rebuilding it this winter.

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As far as the Mag, mine would not run on the mag at all at first. The transmission went out so I pulled the motor , had the transmission rebuilt , sent the Mag out to get it rebuilt as it was shot. I put the rebuilt one in and it works alright. I ran it on battery before all the time and it was OK. I run mine on Mag most of the time now and it seems to run better, but I have a bad motor with about 35 thousand clearance on the crank which I have to fix. The Model t guys say it wont run with that much clearance on the Mag but this one does. It has a knock which I think is the rear main which is bad causing the excesive clearance. We ran it Labor Day weekend and took it to Detroit for the Old Car show at Greenfield, and it is still running, little noisy but still running. I plan on rebuilding it this winter. </div></div>

Geez! Only .035"? Back about 1963, while in college, my roommate (another 19yr old, like me) bought a 28 A Special coupe with an annoying knocking in the engine. No problem, we drove it from Charles City Iowa back to Fairfield--where we were in school, noticing that the knocking was pronounced while the engine was running free, or decelerating, but disappeared under acceleration. After a couple of months of hearing old-timers comment about a bad water pump, and finally one commenting that it sounded like the flywheel was about to come loose (80lbs of steel flywheel breaking off or apart next to our feet didn't sound like a plan at all!), we decided to look into it. Taking the valve chamber cover off, we discovered that not only was it dry, there were cobwebs! We'd checked the oil regularly, nary a problem there. So, we dropped the pan, where to our amazement, there was a quarter-inch play in all three main bearings, and an eighth-inch in all 4 lower rod journals--but the thing had run like a top (oh, and the cylinder walls were as perfectly polished as show chrome!). For all these years afterward, he and I (we still keep in touch) still refer to that as "The most important quarter-inch in driving today"! (But, I wouldn't do that again!)

Art