MTFCA Forum

Last fall I started the T (1914 Touring, stock, no starter except me) and after idling a minute it sounded like something came loose in the transmission. It sounded like when you put playing cards on your bike to flap on the spokes. I shut it down and could hear some sort of mild abrading when I turned it over on the crank. So I took off the hogshead, took out the bands and the noise was gone. So I put the band backs and the noise was still gone hand cranking. Put the hogshead back on and the noise was still gone hand cranking. When I started the car the noise was back - cards on spokes when it was running. Back to the mild abrading when hand cranking.

So I took all the bolts off the hogshead again and loosened it up but didn't remove it. There was maybe a quarter inch gap at the front of the cover. For giggles I gave the crank a spin and the mild abrading noise was gone on hand cranking. Cinched the hogshead down again and the mild abrading noise was back on hand cranking.

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when I had the hogshead off but since it was quiet I didn't look as hard as I might have. How much tolerance is there between the hogshead and the magnets? Am I looking for a magnet or something that has moved and maybe I dodged a bullet? Anything else I should be looking for? I have had the car a long time, but never had to do a lot of repairs. It has always just run (except for the time 12 years ago it ate the inside oil funnel).

Oh and last fall before all this happened it felt like the car was missing running on magneto at speed. Switching to battery seemed to make it run better.

It would be great to have some more experienced views.

Rick

1914 Touring, stock

Possibly one or more of the coils on the magneto ring has vibrated loose and and is being hit by the magnets on the flywheel. It happened to one of my Ts and created a birds nest of copper ribbon.

Interesting - I took the transmission cover off again and don't see anything going on with the magnets. Everything looked normal.

I took the bands out and clamped down the cover and there is no rubbing. So it is related to having the bands in the car? They look to be cotton and are 40 years or so in the car at this point but don't look worn out. Since I have everything out I'm going to reline the bands (kevlar - good for another 40 years for sure) and reinstall to see where that takes me. The detachable ears on the bands were on the passenger side of the car which I understand is incorrect. Don't know if that could lead to a problem.

I assume I'm correct that even though my bands have detachable ears that does me no good since I have the long low speed peal shaft and the wrong low speed adjustment screw. I have the one without the pointy bit. Looks like the low speed shaft disappears into the adjusting screw.

Thanks for any other thoughts.

Rick

Cotton bands that haven’t been changed in 40 years? Do you only drive it five mikes a year?!

Mine had those symptoms about 3 years ago. The noise, sometimes would run on mag then sometimes it wouldn’t. I kept thinking it was the mag post shorting out but never found anything there, then the noise got worse and it wouldn’t run on mag. I guess this screw has been coming loose and finally broke. The noise I couldn’t exactly pinpoint, it sounded sometimes like the fan hitting the radiator. It was right after I removed the fan belt and the noise persisted that it finally broke.

More than five miles a year but less than a couple hundred. It was rebuilt in 75, was driven occasionally for a decade and spent a decade on display. Now I drive it to the post office every so often during the summer.

Corey, I was looking for something like you show. I felt all the screw heads, looked at the peenings on the flywheel and tried wiggling things but found nothing that seemed out of sorts.

Thanks,
Rick

Have you checked triple gear bushings for excessive slop? Wiggle each one.

So after a lot of taking the transmission cover off and putting it back on I established that the noise was not present with the bands out. I relined the bands, reinstalled everything and the noises are gone. I can only assume that even though it wasn't apparent, the old linings had worn badly enough that the metal band was rubbing on something. Now it is taking forever to adjust the bands because I am scared of overtightening the new kevlar bands.

Back on the road!

I had a magneto suddenly stop working, but the engine would run on battery and ran on the battery for about 10 years until I needed to pull the engine. I found that the magnets had hit the funnel on the oil line. The funnel had come off and was laying in the bottom of the crankcase. Fortunately, the T had an outside oiler, so the engine ran for many years after that. I had been driving for at least 10 years on battery and no noises or problems except that the magneto didn't work. I found that the funnel had cut the copper windings on the magneto ring and I replaced the ring and recharged the magnets and the magneto works fine.
Not saying that is your problem. Sometimes a broken magnet will sudden come loose and fly right through the hogs head. When that happens it could also cause other parts inside the engine or transmission to be damaged. It could even go up through the floorboard and hit your leg. So be sure to inspect very carefully to be sure the source of the noise and magneto problem. Sometimes it is just end play in the crankshaft which causes the magnets to be too far from the coils. Sometimes whatever was making the noise has settled to the bottom of the crankcase such as what happened to my funnel.
Norm

rlwellman wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:51 pm

So after a lot of taking the transmission cover off and putting it back on I established that the noise was not present with the bands out. I relined the bands, reinstalled everything and the noises are gone. I can only assume that even though it wasn't apparent, the old linings had worn badly enough that the metal band was rubbing on something. Now it is taking forever to adjust the bands because I am scared of overtightening the new kevlar bands.

Back on the road!

I can help with your low pedal adjustment. (left hand drive)
Adjust with the motor running. tighten untill you start to hear faint noise of the tripple gears starting to engage. Back it off 1/2 turn. It will take a minimum of 3 adjustments before they take a set. Drive between adjustments.
This method will give you "perfect" adjustment. Kevlar feels soft & mushy, like soft cotton. As long as you are getting "lock up" before the pedal hits the floor, you are good.

How does the magneto work now?
Norm

Norm,

Just getting back to this project. Like so much of what I undertake, what I thought was the problem is unrelated. I fixed the magneto "problem" by replacing the 50 year old spark plugs with some new $3 jobs from Napa. Not authentic but idles smoothly, runs smoothly at speed. That was easy.

Thanks for your interest,
Rick