Fan Lubrication

We were on our merry way to attend the Texas T Party without benefit of a trailer. There was a new and untried brass radiator on the 1915 touring. This is only one of the things done to make sure we could go the whole way without any problems. It may have been ages since the fan was lubricated. Some of the Model T's have a grease cup at the end of the fan shaft. I filled the grease cup with a good grade of chassis lubricant as part of the preparation to minimize the opportunity for failure. A bit of belt dressing would help drive the fan and avoid the application of excessive belt tension. While performing other necessary services, I forgot about both the belt dressing and the tension adjustment.

It was a cool, brisk morning when we left town. Soon we collided with a cold front. Up to this point everything except for chattering teeth (ours) went just as I knew it would. Soon a glance at the motometer showed rising red. We quit glancing, we stared! The red kept rising nearly to the top, then dropping a little. It mattered not whether we were driving with or against the wind, the pattern kept repeating. Had not the fan been freshly greased it would have indicated that the fan was turning only intermittently.

The entire tour went off without a repeat of the high temperature. Sunday we started home. By the time we reached Athens the temperature had moved up but not down. It was a cool morning and we were driving into the wind. About eight miles before we got to Emory we heard a sort of chirp and squeal just once. The red line sat at the top of the little round window, and it refused to go down. When we stopped at the Dairy Queen in Emory, the Ford looked like a steamer blowing down the boiler. A look under the hood after lunch confirmed that the fan seemed bound up. This seemed out of character considering that it had been adequately greased less than a week ago. A quarter turn backward freed the fan and revealed a need to tighten the belt. After only two miles the squeal came back and the temperature went up again. When we lifted the hood, we found splotches of melted red rubber inside the engine compartment. The fan belt had started coming apart because the fan was not turning. Soon it was clear that the fan shaft had clamped the fan against the fan support bracket. This stopped the fan from turning. The cause: the base of the grease cup also acts as a locknut to prevent the fan shaft from turning. Somehow it had loosened, possibly when I greased the fan. A new fan belt and tightening the locknut with the fan shaft properly adjusted got us home without any more problems. We did lose at least an hour getting things sorted out, and it is far easier to do this sort of maintenance while the car is cold. Incidentally, very few wives enjoy standing in the cold wind beside a car with an open hood. (From Lone Star T's Newsletter, Contributor Unknown)

Front Water Pump Bushings

While rebuilding some components of my most recent acquisition, a 1913 Runabout, I found the front water pump bushing, where tension from the fan belt is the greatest, was quite worn. I thought about a small needle bearing, but then went to my local NAPA dealer and asked if had any bushings in stock, He went immediately to the bin for modern "starter motor" bushings and came up with a perfect fit, an Echlin bushing #4278. Both inside and outside diameter fit perfectly and the cost was under $3.00 for two bushings. This water pump had a shaft diameter of 5/8" or .625", yet there is a wide variety of sizes, so if your water pump has a smaller shaft, there is a good chance a bushing is available. Check your NAPA dealer for one that fits your water pump. By the way, the Echlin 4278 bushing is the same inside diameter as the pedal shafts on the transmission cover. With some machining, the pedals should be sleeved so oil leaks would be minimal. (Submitted by Bill Peterson, Lone Star T's News, June 2001)

Radiator Cap Gaskets

The stock paper gaskets sold to go under the radiator cap don't last very long. A gasket made from 1/8 inch thick neoprene or silicon rubber sheet seals the cap and makes the overflow go down the tube instead of all over your brass or nickel part. (Jphn Witt)

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The modern Model T radiator cap gasket supplied today is stamped out of thick paper or cardboard. As it turns out, when the paper is steamed it will dissolve and eventually turn to mush. Some have been found in the engine block lodged in a water opening. The quick fix is to insert a 1-7/8 inch O.D. "O" ring in the filler neck. Depending on the individual radiator neck and cap, you might need a thick or thin "O" ring. (From the Kerrville Hill Country Chapter, MTFCI)

Radiator Overflow

The overflow pipe leading from the filler neck to the base of the radiator is perhaps the last place one may expect to find trouble. It's purpose is not only to carry off overflow of water, but it offers the means of escape for steam when things start running hot.

Most of us have a good gasket under the radiator cap to prevent "spew" from messing up the brass, so if this pipe gets plugged up with sediment, or a "critter" sets up housekeeping, you're in trouble. To be on the safe side, check it out occasionally with an air hose. (From the Flivver Flash)

Thaw Frozen Radiator

Once in awhile the radiator of the Ford car freezes across the bottom while one is driving along the road. When this occurs, it stops the circulation of water, and the water in the top of the cylinder block boils violently, while the lower part of the radiator continues to freeze.

We all know that the overflow pipe of the radiator throws out volumes of steam on such occasions. If one takes the rubber hose from the tire pump, and slips the end of this rubber hose over the end of the overflow pipe, then one can direct the flow of steam against the frozen parts of the radiator. The engine being kept running of course, to keep up the supply of steam. In this manner, it is surprising how quickly the ice in the radiator can be melted. (A. Sutherland, Jeannette, PA)

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