MTFCA Forum

Random question. Was there any part of the Model T which was unchanged in design/material and therefore indistinguishably different through 1909 and 1927?

I assume no.

So, then that leads to my next question. What was the longest period of time that a part was manufactured unchanged and what part was it?

A few parts in the dive line come to mind, uni joint, 40 tooth crown wheel and the hyatt bearings. I think the 2 piece valves ran the same for all production.

Define "change"?
Adding the "Ford" script to the water inlet that bolts onto the side of the engine block?

For that matter, define "part"? Nuts and bolts? Even they were changed some over the years.
Records exist in the archives showing changes in castle nuts between rounded cuts or square cuts. However, I am unconvinced that the production lines actually followed those changes very closely.

Frank vE is a pretty sharp fellow! (Totally meant as a compliment!) The two piece valves may come closest to no changes throughout the model T run (although some of the final months of production apparently did get one-piece valves?) The 'crown wheel' (ring gear in American) did have a major change early on. The first year or thereabouts it was riveted onto the carrier!

40 tooth crown wheel?? Do you mean ring gear? 1919 ford offered a 12:48 gear set for enclosed cars. L cant say they did or did not come from the factory or were dealer installed.

Good stuff guys! I was thinking about the hyatts, but totally stalled out on the valves or ring gear.

In regards to Wayne's question on defining change and parts: To define change I'll give an example. If I were to go to a swap meet and hold two parts what is the longest time-frame between those parts where their difference in age would be indecipherable. Could I hold a 1909 part in my left and the same 1927 part in my right and be totally unable to find a difference?

To define part I would say any object that was specially designed and manufactured for the Model T, but others may have a different definition...which is cool too!

John, it depends on what part of the world one lives, at my end, the diff gear set is called crown wheel and pinion.

One piece valves became available very late in T production, or at least were available for service. (Letter to dealers)

Sort of a trick question without the actual drawing or Record of Change card in front of you. If it was only a chamfer add, or something like that, it stayed on the change card and the drawing did NOT become a 'B'

With that in mind...

My vote goes to T-34 (2529) Steel Differential Thrust Washer 3-3/4" Diameter. Thats the lowest number (I think) that never had a 'B' or higher version.

Perhaps safety wire and cotter pins might be the same over the years.
Norm

Thanks Mark! I wasn't around the forum in 2010. I appreciate the link.

I've always heard the washer between the axle ends never changed.

No, even the cotter pins changed. The earliest ones had legs of equal length. Only later were they made with one leg shorter than the other.

Respectfully submitted,

Trent Boggess

Ford was making so many more cars thain the prior year as production kept expanding from the early years, that Ford had a hard time finding enought parts suppliers. Even a part that carried the same exact part number and letter suffix made in two different factories, say in 1915 and 1923, representing 8 million cars, could look different . If they functioned the same and didn't hold up production was the main thing.
By the mid 1920's Ford was taking over in house more and more of the production. So if you look to closely at those two parts you may find differences even if they were made the same year or eight years and 8 million copies apart.

I can think of one part that did not change throughout the Model T production...

And it is still used on almost every car on the road today.

Any guesses?

Townsend---
Spark plugs?

Ford sourced the exact same air for the tires from the same supplier
from the earliest T to the last. Look it up !

Spark plugs changed. Bud.

Having researched Ford factory drawings at the Benson Ford Research Center, I can tell you from experience that every part drawing that I looked up had changes, sometimes multiple changes in a given calendar year. So were there any parts that didnt change over the course of model T production? I wouldnt think so, but we know that many parts were interchangeable over the course of model T production.

Even air was different from place to place and day to day!
Norm

Schrader valve cores

Ding, Ding, Ding.
Hold your calls folks.
We have a winner!

Dang ! I just read this thread and was preparing to jump in with Tim’s correct answer. Congrats to you

We’ll share the prize with Keith, George. Talk about a home run of an invention. These were a bicycle age invention, before horseless carriages were much thought of. Likely Henry’s quadracycle had four of them ,too.

Schrader valves did change over the years, do not know if they changed during model T production.

"Ford sourced the exact same air for the tires from the same supplier
from the earliest T to the last. Look it up !"


However, because of elevation and air density, it required more air to be pumped into the tyres in Denver than in Atlantic City.

Not sure about T parts, but Ford used the same lug nut from 1932 to 1972.

Norman Kling wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:57 am

Even air was different from place to place and day to day!
Norm

True.

Here in Houston, we don't believe in breathing anything we can't see.