MTFCA Forum

Hi All,
I have this timer on the 27 Tudor and would like some idea of its usefulness. It says on the front "The Recto M..... (the rest is worn away); Cincinatti. It has some wear on the round contact points as you can see in the photo. And the contact points are worn in a concave (uneven) pattern. Is this from normal use? The car is a barn find and been in storage over 30 years. Should I reuse this commutator, or replace it. Next big question... if I replace it, which type would be the best? I've seen rollers brushes and flappers and don't know the pros and cons. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
John

There is no "best" timer...only opinions of owners who are happy with "theirs". For you, the best timer is one which will work for you without a bunch of frequent fooling around. Avoid purchasing an older repro New Day timer off of someone's shelf...these are prone to rapid wear, while new ones now do not seem to have that problem and should be just fine. Take that to heart and you'll likely be happy with what ever you buy.

That timer is too worn to use. Most of the reproduction timers sold by the vendors will work fine, the real difference between them is how long they last... but they all wear out eventually, some sooner than others.

I would not reuse it, at least not as-is. It could maybe be resurfaced to remove the steps. However, I would opt for an Anderson style timer.

https://rectomolded.com/history/
The company that made your timer is still in Business in Cincinnati. Says it opened in 1919 for the automotive industry. I'm sure someone would be interested in adding it to their timer collection!
I would agree not to use it as is... but
You definitely could resurface it with a light cut in a lathe... then finish by lightly sanding with fine sand paper on a flat disk.
Bill Coyle

Thanks all,
I really appreciate it.
John

Your timer is another version (sort of) of the New Day timer that’s still being used by lots of T owners. It’s been reproduced over the years and some aren’t as good as others.
The originals can still be found are considered the best. The ones reproduced now are pretty good for some.

The Ford style roller timers, Anderson Timers, and the New day are the best to use if you want to have an original in style timer. Opinions will vary as with anything concerning a T!