Pan ear hardware?

[Steve1920]

Greetings,

Don't let the low number of post's fool you- I am not a BOT! Lol. I've been a T owner for over twenty years, a member for at least twenty years and I was a forum user way back before anyone had to register. Fast forward to now, after a '24 Coupe project followed me home in June, I'm back on and I have a lot of questions about this car. More questions in future posts, but first, a little about the car itself.

A previous owner/restorer did a lot of nice restoration to it at some point. New wood throughout, new top, tight axles and wheels, new rear spring, safety glass- all in all a good car. However, another restorer lost their way a little bit. No interior, other than the original seat cushions, a '26 engine, and they painted the thing green with cream-colored rims! Tried to make it look like an "A", I guess. Henry would not be happy with it! Anyway, it's black now and I put a '23 engine/transmission in it that I had rebuilt. A lot more to do inside and out, but the basics come first.

Today's question is on the pan ear mounting. I see on page 1, Vol. 2 of Tinkerin' Tips the "new way" of fastening the ears is to omit the wood and through-bolt and use only the top bolt but with a spring installed. (A fairly stout spring, like a wishbone ball cap spring, is suggested) Is this the preferred way to lash down those twenty ground-pounding horses? If not, how are you doing it? And believe me, my loose original bolts and shrunken wood blocks that were also loose weren't doing a thing! The top two bolts alone have been doing all the work there- and for a long time. So, would those bolts and wood really be missed?

Any advice on current mounting techniques would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Steve

[Kerry]

I thought the same way several years ago, what use was the blocks and side bolts until happily cruising along one day with a mate with me and all of a sudden a big bang, looking at each other with the question what the hell was that? not far from home we got back then to find the engine had snaped one ear and fell down resting the starter motor in the frame rail stopping it from going any further, so yes they are there for a reason.

[Humblej]

Steven,
The 2 bolt and wood block mounting is still the preferred way. The horizontal bolt is not tight so yes essentially the work is being done by the top bolt, but does not mean the block and second bolt are not essential.

The engine mounting method with only one bolt and a spring per ear and without a wood block is in fact how the later TT chassis were done at the factory. And although the Ford factory came around to that improved mounting for truck chassis at least as late as 1924 and for subsequent production, it never changed the engine mounting for the car chassis. The original 1925 edition and the 1926 edition of the Ford Service Manual did not show a change to the car engine mounting, and the Ford Service Bulletins never recommend it as an upgrade or as an alternative to a car chassis for engine mounting. Tinkerin Tips is not a Ford publication, some ideas are good, some, well, are someone's best guess. I think Ford correctly addressed the pan ear problem in 1926 by adding the two transmission bolt bosses on the back of the block and adding steel struts directly to the pan ear, it not only strengthens the pan ear but stabilizes the transmission cover and the 4th main.

The attached picture is of the engine pan ear mounting on my 1924 unrestored TT C-cab truck, you can see the spring mounting. If you look closely you will also see a hook for a pan ear truss installed to "fix" a broken pan ear. It does not appear that the spring mounting corrected the problem causing pan ears to fail.

[Dan Hatch]

There is an engineering change in the Ford Service Bulletins about this subject. That is why all the Bulletins are important to have. There are many things in there found out guys that were trying to keep these things running back in the day.

[DanTreace]

That Engineering Change was to delete the wood block used on the TT, and the side bolt and nut. So only the longer, 1 1/16", TT (3074C) top bolt was used. There wasn't a spring part # noted with this engineering change. Can't believed that helped much, but do think 3 months later, the Improved block with the bolts to the block and the braces to the that top bolt on the pan ear rather helped!

IMO, placing a spring under the top bolt, which is to be tight, and leaving out the wood block at the frame and pan ears risks fracture of the pan ear, and would contribute to more frame vibrations and movement of the powerplant, especially on braking and on frame twists over ditches and culverts.

Ford designed the 3 point suspension on the T, both front and rear axles and the motor, without the wood block, the motor 3 point suspension is compromised.

[RajoRacer]

I have a '27 TT in the shop that has no side frame holes for that bolt !

[Steve1920]

Guy's,

Thanks for the replies and information!

Steve