2022 MCCTA
2022 MCCTA
Montana 500 Newsletter
| Jul-Aug 2004 | Volume 4 No. 4 |
Montana Cross Country T. Assn. 7516 E. Mission, Spokane, WA 99212 2004 Officers and Directors: President’s
Propaganda I am still behind. I
will try to get one more newsletter out right before the fall meeting with
information on what we may be talking about at the meeting. The fall
meeting will be at the Lincoln $10,000 bar, near St. Regis Montana on
November 14th, 2004. The meeting will start at 10:00 a.m. MST. They have
an area roped off for us and will provide a buffet. It is not a separate
room, but they say it will be fairly quiet and OK to conduct a meeting.
The cost of the buffet will be $7.95 per person. They are sending me more
information which I will print in the next newsletter if it is important.
You can call me at 1-509-535-7789 during the day or 1-509-922-1805 if you
have questions. Someone mentioned that they don’t have the most current
copy of the rules. The rules are on the website. I have printed them in
this issue, but they may change so please check back to the website after
the Fall meeting. No one stepped up and offered a write-up on the just
finished run, so I will. Thank-you to the folks who have kind words for my
stories. No story this time, but I’ll try for the next newsletter. Thanx, Tom Carnegie
- President MCCTA This is a follow up on last
newsletter’s article. Some folks have wondered about the tow bar. Again
I have draw some really lousy pictures. I hope that they get the point
across. The towbar is bolted to the front axle I beam between the two
spring perches. If the angle to the trailer hitch is close, no hinge is
needed although it might be a good idea to use one. The 2004 Montana 500 was held in
Eureka, Montana. The weather was perfect if not a little hot. Mike Cuffe
laid out an interesting and challenging route. Day one took the 17 T’s
plus several touring class cars from Eureka towards Whitefish. The town of
Eureka gave us a wonderful send off complete with a cannon shot and live
coverage sent out to the world via the internet. We bypassed Whitefish and
Kalispell on the Twin Bridges, then Farm-to-market road. Despite our best
efforts, some folks missed this turn. Next we zoomed over to Happy’s
Inn. There was road construction ahead, so we toured not under time to
Libby. From Libby we drove north back to Eureka. Rob Flesner had a bit of
trouble and his T took a ride on the trouble trailer. Dave Thompson had a
little trouble and other than wrong turns, nobody else had any significant
trouble. At the end of the day Nan Robison was in first followed by Mike
Robison, Tom Carnegie, Rick Carnegie, Garrett Green, Tony Cerovski and
Gary Ebbert. All of these T’s were within 10 minutes of the leader at
this point. submitted by Tom Carnegie
www.montana500.com
President: Tom Carnegie
Vice President: Scott Stubbert
Sec.-Treasurer: Janet Cerovski
Directors:
Tom Carnegie 2005
Janet Cerovski 2005
Tony Cerovski 2004
Gary Ebbert 2006
Rob Flesner 2004
Mark Hutchinson 2004
Doug Langel 2006
George Nickol 2006
Scott Stubbert 2005
Meeting Secretary: Marjean Stubbert
Correspondence and newsletter: Tom Carnegie
Membership dues $10.00
Touring class: $25.00
Endurance runner: $35.00
Cover photo: Gary Ebbert gassing up. Picture taken in 2003 at Ennis
The next day we headed south
toward Libby. We then headed up to the cute little town of Yaak. Along the
way Dave Warhank had some wheel trouble but was able to continue. From
Yaak we then went to the Idaho border where we wheeled around and headed
back to Troy. For me this was one of the most fun legs of the run. It was
great to see the other T’s either coming or going as the route doubled
back onto itself. It was very hot this day. The temperature sign in Troy
said 101F. We headed back to Eureka on the backside of Lake Koocanusa.
This was a winding two-lane road. Some of the drivers just loved the road
and some of them hated it. I was in the former camp even though I drove it
like a little old lady. It was on this leg that we had our only major
breakdown. Doug Langel lost his timing gear and was out of the run. At the
end of the day the first five were the same cars except now Mike was in
first and Nan was in second.
The third day we were going to go
to Whitefish and back, but somehow we lost our connection with the
chip-seal gods. Some T’s got stopped by construction and some didn’t.
We threw out this leg. When we got to Whitefish we decided to call it a
race as everyone was running well and no places would have changed. The
day’s total miles were scrubbed and the run officially ended with 435
miles. This will go down as one of the shortest Montana 500’s on record,
yet if you include the miles from Happy’s Inn to Libby and the miles to
Whitefish and back, it was well over 500 miles.
From Whitefish we toured back to
Eureka. The kind folks at the Big Sky Exxon provided us with an ideal
place to hold our post-run teardown. The top three cars were declared OK
and we headed up to the Lundeen’s museum for the picnic and awards. Mike
Robison got the big trophy from Doug Langel who won last year. Nan Robison
who came in second, won the women’s trophy. She also won it last year.
Nan’s second place overall finish is the best ever for a woman.
The next day we had a great time boating around on Lake Koocanusa.
I would like to thank Mike and JoAnn Cuffe for hosting the run this year.
Also thanks to all the good people of Eureka. Thanks too to the Lundeen’s,
the trouble trailer drivers, the timers the flaggers the kind folks who gave us the boat rides and all of
the other people who made this one of the best and most fun Montana 500’s
ever.
Note: All cars that tour along must meet the rules flagged with a *.
Note: Newly adopted or changed rules in italics.
1. * Directors are responsible for interpretation of all the rules pertaining to the Association. Decision of the Directors is final.9.
* All "T"s will be available for subsequent inspections at any
time.
10. * All drivers and relief drivers must sign an Endurance Run waiver and
Inspection Form
11. All T's must be assembled from stock parts or reproduction parts equal
to stock specifications. Cars must have four fenders, splash aprons,
runningboards, front splash apron, dash, and radiator shell and all
replacement body parts must be made of metal, with the following
exceptions:
12. * All competing cars must be equipped with two headlights and one rear
stop/tail light in working order.
13. * Horn of any type in working order required.
14. * Rear view mirror of any type required.
15. * Emergency brakes must be in good working order.
16. Windshields must be stock for year of car. No altering. Must have
safety sheet of safety plate glass top and bottom. Windshields to be
completely closed and sealed.
17. * All transmission bands must be in good working order.
18. * Complete set of floorboards required.
19. Body parts must be stock for year of car.
20. * Padded seat and back rest of any type required.
21. Original turtle deck may be replaced by some type of substantially
built box or turtle deck. Minimal length and width equal to size for stock
turtle deck on that year of car, with floor, sideboards and end-gate.
Sides and end no less than six (6) inches high from the floor and made of
no smaller than 3/4 inch wood.
22. Rebuilt radiators allowed. Must be built to stock dimensions including
tanks and side brackets.
23. Gas tank must be stock for that year of car and mounted in stock
position. Gas strainers allowed. Fuel line not to exceed 3/8" I.D.
24. * At least 36 inches of 1 1/2 inch exhaust pipe required, properly
attached to and extending from the exhaust manifold.
25. Only stock cast iron or aluminum intake manifolds with ports not to
exceed 1 1/8" diameter are allowed. New manufactured manifolds
with ports not to exceed 1 1/8" are allowed.
26. Oiling system options: One outside oil line not to exceed one-half
inch
(1/2") outside diameter. Transmission oil screen allowed.
27. Only stock Ford roller type, New Day, Anderson flapper type timers or
Crystal timers allowed. Ball or needle bearing rollers optional. Quick
couplers NOT ALLOWED in timer wires.
28. Rear ends must have 11 tooth pinion and 40 tooth ring gear. Ruckstell
locked in high.
29. * Body must be painted, color optional.
30. Hoods are not required.
31. Holes must be drilled through the heads of the following bolts for
braided seal wire: Left hand front head bolt, Right hand middle head
bolt, Middle two small pan bolts, and a hole must be drilled through
the threaded end of both bolts that fastens the carburetor to the intake
manifold.
32. Only NH swayback and/or Ford "F" swayback carburetors
allowed.
Must be complete including choke butterfly. The Association's 0.710 inch gauge
MUST NOT go through the carburetor.
33. A restrictor plate with two gaskets provided by the Association, will
be placed between the intake manifold and carburetor, supervised by the
inspectors on the day of the inspection. Plate will be a thickness of 1/8
inch metal with an 11/16 inch diameter hole. Restrictor plates will not
be used on engines with cast iron pistons.
(Also see all other rules)<
TEAR DOWN RULES
34. The top 3
cars will be torn down immediately following the last flag. Additional teardowns
will be put to a vote of the Endurance drivers. Endurance drivers will vote to
accept or reject items of question.
35. The first, second and third place cars will be torn down by a panel of five
inspectors appointed by the Board of Directors. None of the inspectors may be a
driver of the car to be inspected. If a car is disqualified, the next place
lower will be inspected, until three have been found qualified. An inspector who
is the driver of the car coming up for inspection due to disqualification of
another car will be replaced by the directors with another inspector. All
inspectors must vote.
(Also see all other rules.)
CHASSIS RULES
36. Zerk fittings in place
of oil and grease cups are optional.
37. Only Model "T" wire, wooden spoke or disk wheels allowed. May use
Model "A" 21 inch wire wheel or 30 by 3 1/2" wire wheels.
38. Only stock Model "T" or Ruckstell rear-ends and axles with:
-standard eleven tooth pinion
-forty tooth
ring gear
-stock roller
bearings
Options: Bronze or roller thrust washers. Neoprene
seals.
39. Bolts on wishbone at rear of pan must be safety wired. Front wishbone
accessory braces on pre-1920 cars allowed. Use standard wishbone sizes.
40. Shock absorbers are optional.
41. Use stock configuration spring sets with a minimum of seven leaves per
spring set.
(Also see Inspection Rules.)
ELECTRICAL AND BATTERY
42. Use a group 1
six volt wet cell battery for magneto system back up, lighting lamps, running
horn and starter. Six 1.5-volt dry cell batteries may be used in lieu of the
above 6-volt battery. (Also see Inspection Rules.)
POWER UNIT RULES
43. Cylinder bore
not to exceed 3.825" maximum or 3.750" minimum
44. Cast iron or aluminum pistons of stock Model "T" type required.
Cast iron pistons must have a full set of .250" width rings in place.
Aluminum pistons must have two (2) .125" width compression rings and one
(1) 0.1875" width oil ring in place. Knurling of piston optional. Refer to
Illustration for Piston Dimensions
45. There must be one stock piston, rod and cap assembly in the engine.
Exceptions: Cap may be drilled for dipper, and grooved for oil. Choice of rod
bolts and nuts optional. The other three (3) assemblies can be balanced to this
one.
46. Rods must be Model "T" Ford script. Maximum center to center
distance of 7.030" measured from center of rod journal to center of
wrist-pin.
47. Only Ford script high heads allowed with the following exceptions: No limit
to amount of milling of mating surfaces; Removal of metal in combustion chamber
may be done to allow clearance for shoulder of piston and head of valves. Refer
to Illustration for Head
48. The crankshaft must be Model "T" Ford Script with a stock stroke
of four (4) inches. Chroming, hardening or grinding of journals allowed, not to
exceed 1.250" maximum or 1.208" minimum diameter.
49. Counter-balanced crankshaft not allowed.
50. Valves: Stainless steel and swirl polished valves are optional. For all
valves use a minimum stem diameter of 5/16", a maximum head diameter of
1.500" and seating face of 45 degrees. Use either pins or two piece
keepers. Hardened valve seats are optional. Radiused, 45 degree or three angle
seat grinds allowable.
51. Use of offset key between crankshaft timing keyway and the crankshaft timing
gear keyway is optional. Camshaft timing gear material optional. Camshaft gear
may be drilled to realign camshaft pins for valve-setting purposes only.
52. Any cam that doesn't require modification of the block may be used. Bearing
bores must be standard size, no relieving of the bearing bores. Camshaft
bearings and seal optional.
53. Type of fourth main is optional.
54. Type of band material optional.
55. Gauges are optional.
56. Design and use of water pump optional.
57. "V" type belt and pulleys optional.
58. Adjustable flat tappet lifters (push rods) of stock dimensions, stem
oversize to 1/32" allowed.
59. Balancing of rotating parts is optional.
BODY RULES
(See Inspection Rules.)
TIMING RULES
60. * Each car will
come to a complete stop before starting at the timers direction. PENALTY
RULES 62. Removal of
head or pan while at stop (not under time) or on tour day will impose a time
penalty of 1 hour. Report this infraction to the inspectors immediately. Removal
of head or pan under time must be reported to the inspectors at the first
opportunity for replacement of seal. (end of rules) Tailgating rule clarified. Balancing specifically allowed.
61. Timing will begin as designated for each car whether or not the car is on
the starting line. Starting times can be adjusted at the timer's discretion. If
the timers recognize a beneficial savings in time, a lagging car may be sent out
ahead of its designated time. Usually this will be discussed with the Directors
ahead of time. Time will start for this car when it leaves the starting line.
63. Changing the carburetor imposes a time penalty of 15 minutes. Report the
infraction to an inspector immediately. Replacement carburetor must meet the
requirements stated in the Inspection Rules.
64. Disabled cars may be trailered in and will receive the following penalty on
a timed day: Slow time for the day plus a one hour time penalty. In addition,
cars trailered in on the last day are not eligible for prize money or trophies.
65. Replacement of complete engine is cause for disqualification.