Category: Repair and Maintenance of the Model T Ford

Want to know how to do it right the first time? Your Model T will be reliable if you use these informative articles.

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Rebuilding the drive shaft

The weakest part of the Model T Ford design is the rear axle. OK, sure, it was well designed for its time, and perfectly adequate when the car was new. The fact is, if any part of it fails, the car won’t go forward, and it won’t stop either. People have been killed or injured because their rear axle failed in a Model T.

This article is about the drive shaft assembly. We are going to rebuild it as a Ford mechanic would have done back in the day. First let’s take it apart and see what we have to work with.

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How to: Stretch an old clincher tire

1909 advertisement for Firestone Non Skid tires

 

Clincher tires can be tough to mount sometimes. One thing that can cause trouble is when the tire sits unused in new condition for a few years. The tire “shrinks” somewhat, and it also gets hard. One enterprising Model T mechanic developed a solution years ago. We don’t know who he is, but thank you who ever you are or were! Continue reading “How to: Stretch an old clincher tire”

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Time to Re-Tire : Model T Fords and Clincher tires

1912 model t rh drive ford

Ford used clincher tires on the Model T Ford from the first 1909 passenger car built in the fall of 1908 until the end of production on the TT truck.  There is a lot to know about these tires for the person new to the hobby, and perhaps even for those of us who have been around the block a few times. Let’s examine them and see what we can learn. Continue reading “Time to Re-Tire : Model T Fords and Clincher tires”

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What Kind of Gasoline Should I Use In My Model T Ford?

When the new 1909 Model T Ford first came out of the Piquette assembly plant in the fall of 1908 it was a much different world than today. Gasoline was originally produced as a by – product of kerosene production. It was marketed as a cleaning fluid and sold in drug stores and hardware stores. You could generally buy a gallon can of gasoline for about 30 cents, which sounds inexpensive, but in 2017 currency it is equivalent to about $8.07 a gallon! We have much better quality gasoline today, and it is much cheaper.

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