Repair and Maintenance of the Model T Ford – Page 2

June 28, 2019

Rebuilding the Holley NH Carburetor for your Model T Ford

The most common of all Model T carburetors is the Holley NH. It was first used in the 1920 model year, the primary carburetor supplied for all Model T Fords and TT fords. This advertisement shows the earliest version used by Ford which has a so – called “straight thru” venturi throat arrangement. It also uses the earlier style float bowl with side drain.

In this issue we will examine the simplest (and some say best) carburetor ever used on the Model T Ford. The Holley NH was introduced around 1916 as an accessory for the Model T, sold by Holley along with a special intake manifold. Eventually the NH replaced the earlier Holley Model G in regular production some time in 1920. Read on to see what a typical overhaul of one of these carburetors entails.

June 23, 2019

Replacing the Exhaust Manifold Glands and Exhaust Pipe on your Model T Ford

In our most recent tech article we rebuilt the muffler. After the new muffler was in place we were able to enjoy a much quieter T driving experience. But now we could hear exhaust leaks under the hood. Clearly a more exhaustive examination was in order. In this issue we will show how to make this common job easier and how to get great results every time.

A 3Z624 Ford Exhaust Nut wrench was used to remove the exhaust pipe from the manifold. If you own a Model T you need one of these. Reproductions are sold by all the Model T part vendors. There is no way to properly tighten a T exhaust nut without one.

June 2, 2019

Rebuilding the Model T Ford Muffler

The typical Model T Muffler used from 1914 – 1917 has cast iron ends, rolled steel shells, and three bolts securing the parts to one another. Earlier mufflers are similar except that the mounting brackets are separate pieces of stamped steel. Later Model T mufflers have no tail pipe and use only a single bolt through the middle to secure all the parts together.

Our 1914 Model T has gotten louder over the years. So loud that it sounded as if there was no muffler. A quick glance under the car confirmed that there was indeed a muffler. We decided it was time to take it apart and see why it was not doing its job any more. While this is a 1914 muffler, the process of overhauling a muffler is essentially the same for all years.

May 26, 2019May 28, 2019

Changing the Oil on your Model T Ford

First thing we did was elevate the front wheels so that most of the oil from the dips in the pan will come out. You could also drive the front wheels up over a curb, or park on a steep incline with the nose high.

Touring season is upon us. One of the things we do every year to get the cars ready for extended driving is to change the oil. Our cars are all equipped with an oil screen in the transmission, so this is also a good time to clean the screen as well.

May 21, 2019

Swapping a Rear axle on the Model T Ford

A huge fallen Sequoia tree in what was then known as General Grant Park provides a nice backdrop for a Model T photo in 1914. Today the park is known as Kings Canyon National Park.

We built a replacement Ruckstell axle for our Model T a couple years ago. See the articles here: https://modeltfordfix.com/the-ruckstell-two-speed-axle/

Finally the time has come to install it. The Ruckstell axle in the car worked fine, it has the standard 3.63:1 gear ratio. The axle being installed has the optional Ruckstell ratio of 3.25:1.