Cool as a Cucumber

Cleaned up the original water pump for Clyde, added some more packing to the shaft seal nut to help slow down any leaks, cleaned out both of the grease cups and repacked them full. Then reinstalled the pump onto Clyde. Removed the radiator and flushed it out good with water also flushed out the engine. Reinstalled the radiator and filled up with water and a gallon of antifreeze. Then Janice and I took Clyde out for a ride around town. Went down to Village Market to get some bread and milk, stopped and got about 3 gallons of gas, and then headed back home down Barker street. Got stopped by a long, slow moving train at the crossing. Let Clyde sit and idle while waiting for the train to pass, he hardly raised the temperature on the meter. Continued on down around Grand Ave and back to home. Still running very cool when Janice and I got back. Put him away in his new shed and took the picture of  the MotoMeter after about 10 minutes which shows the highest reading that I got, he ran about half that level around town.

The marking on the pump for the Jenkins Vulcan Spring Co in Richmond Ind. Is the home of the Model T Ford Club of America Museum.

Kids! Kids! Kids!

Mom is here for a few days so Sunday had family over to visit her. My three kids, Debbie with her daughter Elizabeth and grandson Kennison, Dave with his three kids Emily, James and Lucy, and Becky and her hubby Dennis. My sister Linda and her husband Jim and their grandchildren Austin, Kamryn, and Mikayla.

After eating had to give everyone a ride in the T.

Becky Debbie and Kennison

 

 

Becky, Lucy, Mikayla, Kamryn, Debbie, Kennison

Becky, Austin, Linda

 

Becky, Austin, Emily (she's got the wave down good)

Elizabeth and Kennison

Completing another run.

James, Elizabeth and Kennison (and Becky, again)

After five runs around the neighborhood, Clyde was getting a little weary hauling all these kids around, but he was a trooper hanging in there until the last ride was given. Now back in the garage to continue getting the new top installed.
I have installed the side pads, center straps and rear straps. Need to complete the front tie down straps and then the rear curtain and top. His new home in the back is nearing completion, just need to finish the trim and painting and it should be ready for Clyde to move in.

(thanks to Dennis for taking these pictures and Becky for riding herd on the hooligans in the back)

Relay for Life

Took Clyde out for his first car show at the Wellington Relay for Life 'Cruisin for a Cure'.

He was one of 9 cars there and was the oldest. There was a 1931 and 1936 Model A, everything else was 1960 or newer. The 1931 Model A Coupe was owned by Dwight and Elaine Holt, old friends from Kipton whom we hadn't seen for a long time and it was good to sit and talk with them for awhile. He had just purchased the car this spring and wanted it because it was manufactured in the year of his birth.
They had us park on the north side of the parking lot behind the town hall, which was in full sun all the time, so we sat on the south side in the shade of the trees.
At four o'clock prizes were awarded for the top three cars and all the new iron were the winners. But didn't go with any ides of receiving any trophy or other wise.

Long Hot Drive for Chicken

Drove Clyde to Valley City Sunday for a barbecue chicken dinner at Saint Martins Church on Station road. The Bumps and Grinds Model T club was meeting there as they have for many years. The trip was about 20 miles by the back roads and without the top on Clyde and the sun shining, temperature around 90 degrees, it was a warm trip. Took the GPS to measure the speed of Clyde and got him up to 37 mph on a fairly flat section of road. Didn't want to run at that speed long so backed off to around 25-30 for most of the trip.
Clyde is running at the top of the temperature meter when running at speed but actually cooled down a slight bit when he came to a stop or slowed way down. Not sure what the cause of this is. I had adjusted the timing before taking this trip as it was to retarded, and would not even run unless at least half way advanced. Thought that might make him run cooler since I now could advance the spark more, but actually was running hotter than before I think. Also ran the fuel mixture a little more on the richer side, again hoping for cooler running. I guess next I need to pull the head and look at the water passages and flush the engine and radiator as well as I can.
There was about 20 or so members of the Bumps and Grinds group at the dinner. You got a lot to eat for 10 bucks, leg and thigh, noodles mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans (yuck), coleslaw, pie and a bottle of water. More than enough to fill you up. Had an enjoyable time talking with some of the members, and looking at the many old cars there.
After the trip home, Jan had a good red tan on here legs and neck from the hour drive there and hour drive back. She said no more rides until I get the top on, so I guess that will be my next major T project.

Earning His Keep

Yesterday Clyde got to earn his keep. Finally it has dried out enough that we can get into the garden, so we needed to get some tomato and pepper plants, well Clyde was called on for this duty. Fired him up and Jan and I headed out to Hoffman's green house on Bursley road, this way we could get there and back just using the back roads. Hook's greenhouse on route 18 is out of the question, to much fast traffic for an old "T" like Clyde he likes the slower pace (and so do I). This was Clyde's first trip out of the big city, and onto the open roads. He did a very good job. Did notice what I think is an engine knock at the higher speeds which I have not heard before, so didn't open him up to maximum speed, but otherwise the trip was an enjoyable ride in the country. While at Hoffman's an older fellow came up to us and remarked that he remembered his father having a model T pickup and riding in the bed. (this is what it is all about, rekindling those enjoyable memories of the past).
Coming back on Jones road near the reservoir came up on a couple of bicyclist's , this was the winding section of the road with a double yellow line, no way I was going to get around them not knowing what might be coming the other way, so they became our pace car for the next quarter mile or so until we turned off onto Greenview Ct.
Got home and put in the pepper and tomato plants, went to get the hose to water them down, but it would only reach half way to the garden. Forgot last year the extra hose that was attached had sprung a leak, (cheap Walmart stuff, only lasted 2 years) so needed to run up town and pick up a new hose. Clyde to the rescue. Drove him to Farm and Home Hardware and got a new hose, the same as I already had (which I've had for at least 4 years). Got some paint for Jan and a couple bunches of red onions.
All in all a good productive day for Clyde. This is reason I got him, to just jump in a run those quick trips up town or a ride in the country when ever the urge strikes.
16 miles.

Out and About the Town Again

Took another ride around town, this time touched all four corners of the village. Additionally, my wife and I had a new passenger, Buddy Love, my father in laws sheltie dog. He sat on Jan's lap and took it all in as he was the king of the "T". Unfortunately had no one to take a picture of his inaugural ride. This was his first "T" ride as he has never been in my father in laws '22 touring.
Got better at shifting into high gear, need to throttle way down. Still seems to run fairly hot, on the motometer right near the top, but this is short streets with lots of stop and go driving. Probably not a good parade car with out a water pump. Will need to work on the leak in the pump and see about putting it back on and seeing how that works.
7 miles.

Out of the Garage and on the Road

Was able to get out Sunday and go for our maiden voyage in the topless Clyde. It was a beautiful day with sunshine, temps around 80 and it wasn't raining, for the "T's" first introduction to the village streets. The wife and I took drive around the southern side of town, stopped and got some gas and just enjoyed the ride. After that our daughter and her fiancé came over and I took them both for a short ride around the neighborhood, put a total of about 9 miles of travel on Clyde.

He ran very well, and the wife remarked that he seemed a lot quieter than her father’s '22 touring, to which I agreed as you could clearly hear the coils buzzing away, but I don't have a cover for the coil box and we didn't get much above idle speed in high gear as we were on residential streets. Shifting in high gear is not as smooth as her dad's "T", with a fair amount of rough chatter. Transmission brake was fairly good but could use a little tweak and need to adjust for a better larger neutral position on the brake lever as there is not much movement between having the rear brakes on and before high gear kicks in. No major territory marking just a little oil from the rear of the transmission at the ball joint.

Need to get the new top on, pretty warm sitting in the sun. Hopefully we have finally arrived at warmer and dryer weather and we will have many more enjoyable days of driving.