MTFCA Forum

Hello everyone.
I just bought a 26 speedster with a Ruckstell in it that is having shifting problems. The car sat for 3 years covered in a climate controlled shop. The story on it is that the owner changed out the rear end just before he died with a Ruckstell from another car. The rear end is running fine in low gear, no problems there at all. When I attempt to put it in high I loose forward ability. Shift back to low and I can go just fine. Doesn't matter if I am rolling or shifting from a stop, no high gear. Everything seems to snap in just like a normal Ruckstell should but I can't quite get high gear.
I first thought maybe it was the shifter rod length and I tried to adjust it a little. No difference. I then adjusted the tension screw. No difference. I dropped the shifter link out to take it out of the equation and shift it by hand at the rear end. It snaps in like a Ruckstell should but still no high gear. It almost sounds like it is very lightly grinding the gears a little in high but not a loud obnoxious noise.
The truly puzzling thing is that I have reverse just fine when I am shifted to high gear.
I am stumped! I would love to get it working without a rebuild if possible. I have read Glen Chaffin's Ruckstell book through and through but can't seem to find an answer. Any advice anyone could give would be appreciated.

Thank you.
Joe

Joe
One of the 3 bolts keeping the gear rod in place keeps also a gear ring in position inside the Ruckstell.
I think this bolt is too short to do that and now this ring is moving instead of keeping still in the body.

Hope you understand what I mean.

I take my ruckstell apart, pitty that you can not see the ring I meant before.

https://youtu.be/IbOIl8dHq4k

But also another advise, I don't know if you already have but install always Rocky Mountain brakes in combination with a Ruckstell, its a safety must
Regards
Bert

It sound like maybe it still has a babbit thrust washer and when you put it in high it shift everything to one side and the ring gear moves away from the pinion, when you put it in low it holds the ring gear into the pinion. you might be able to see excessive movement like that through the fill hole with a flashlight. Good luck.

Gentlemen, thank you very much for your reply's. Either way it looks like I am going to have to do a rebuild on it. I was hoping to get lucky with some easy adjusting to get going fast. At least this way I will know exactly what I have going forward in the future.

Thank you again.

Joe

Bert

nicely executed and edited video of your Ruckstell rebuild. Thank you for sharing the video with us.

Thank scott,
Didnt know I would have so much fun with this historic car
I planed to make a big trip true Scotland this summer with it, just installed the rocky mountain brakes and need now side curtains also for the trip

Don't be afraid

Ruckstell rebuilds are not that hard to do. Recommend that you get the MFTA booklet on the job though, this is an excellent guide through the process and common faults.

Cheers

The way I understand the Ruckstell works, the plate P147 is used when in Ruckstell low gear. The high gear locks the internal gear together to get the direct drive. You mention that the high works when in reverse and there is a gear noise when using high moving forward. This could indicate the gear being very worn and slipping then moving forward and operating correctly when moving backwards.
It’s probably the end teeth on the sliding gear and to get there is a 100% pull down. It’s not too difficult, I’ve done about 45 over the years and only had one failure when a pinion gear drive into the Ruckstell bell housing and cut it in half. The cause, no pin in the UJ because it had a modern pinion gear with a collar that slipped. Now I weld them.

Tony is right.
Also, a worn babbitt thrust washer in a Ruckstell is usually not a major problem. There is a large ball bearing that takes all of the thrust from the pinion/ring gear. If the ball bearing and the bronze plate are in good condition there is really no way for the ring gear to move away from the pinion. The babbitt thrust washer keeps it from moving too far into the ring gear teeth and will make it howl but the ring/pinion will still function.

My guess is that the sliding clutch gear is worn and the bronze plate and thrust plate that fits inside it to keep everything in alignment is not in good condition and is not allowing the sliding clutch gear to engage the plate and the thrust -- which have to lock together to have high gear.

I agree with Tony and Stan.
The part to look for is P146 it is a sliding clutch gear which has a groove for the fork on your shifter. If the teeth are worn on the end which locks into high, you will encounter the very problem you described. Also look at the teeth into which it slides at each end for wear. Replace all worn parts and it should shift correctly. You can get the book "Ruckstell rear axle which explains with pictures and great detail how to rebuild the Ruckstell rear axle. I have done several myself.
Norm

Replacing the bronze plate and the thrust plate that runs inside it with new ones will solve about 90% of the Ruckstell shifting problems and replacing the sliding clutch gear will solve another 50%. The other 75% of problems can be other things. =)

Joe, Run the Ruckstell Shift Lock Function Test on page 27 of our Ruckstell Repair Manual. If it passes this test you are good to go. If it doesn"t pass fix it. Glen

I have one question. With the ruxtal in low, will the T transmission shift from low into high? Les

Yes, it will

infotfordnl wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 18, 2019 9:18 pm

I take my ruckstell apart, pitty that you can not see the ring I meant before.

https://youtu.be/IbOIl8dHq4k

But also another advise, I don't know if you already have but install always Rocky Mountain brakes in combination with a Ruckstell, its a safety must
Regards
Bert

Excellent video, truly appreciated, thanks!