My '23 T runs to perfection when on level ground. When the gal encounters a hill, the struggle begins. Typically as either midway up or just as the top is about to be reached, a wheeze followed by a hiccup and a death rattle. I’ve trued almost anything imaginable to overcome this feature: running starts; revving the engine before punching the ‘low’ pedal; creeping up in low and so on. Invariably the problem is solved by waiting until a kind soul passes and has the time and a tow rope. Thank God for the latter! Surely there;s a magic setting of spark ans throttle or procedure that allows a modest rise to be conquered: What pray tell is it?
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There was a steep hill on HWY 1 between Monterey and Carmel that was notorious for stopping Model Ts in their tracks.
My dad told me about it when he first brought his T home. What jarred his memory was the car’s gas cap.
“What is this?” I remember asking him, which caused him to tell me this story.
What it was, was a tire stem soldered to the gas cap.
When encountering hills, the passenger would use the tire pump to pressurize the gas tank, getting fuel to the carburetor, so climbing hills in reverse wouldn’t be necessary.
Bingo! Now to find a brass tire stem.
I’m wondering if your problem is as simple as not having enough gasoline in the tank when you tackle challenging hills. Back when I first got into the T Model fraternity my mentors stressed never letting the fuel level fall below half a tank if at all possible.
On level ground with the fuel tank beneath the seat and filled to the brim, given the relative positions of the tank and carburetor you only have perhaps a third of a pound of effective pressure pushing the fuel to the carburetor. Less fuel and/or negotiating a hill reduces this modest pressure even more.
As for a valve stem, the stem from a bicycle such as the one pictured can be modified to work. The stem is threaded so its attachment to the gas cap is somewhat simplified. A cycling friend may have a junk tube from which a stem can be pirated. A word of caution: if you go the route of a modified gas cap, don’t over do pressurizing the gas tank and flood the carburetor. What could go wrong with raw gasoline spewing out of the carburetor onto a hot manifold and exhaust pipe? A bit of static practice may be in order before committing to the road.
FWIW, Tom in Taylor Mill, KY 41015
