MTFCA Forum

Hello Model T Club, I am a NEW member as well as a new Model T owner. I have a quick question for everyone. I am a new owner of a 1914 Model T, the car starts and sounds great when running however when I place the car in 1st gear the (I believe the Transmission) makes an occasional medal-on-medal thumping sound at times. Can anyone please advise what the issue could be ?? Regards Bob

Does this happen while you are pushing the pedal down, or when you are holding it tight all the way down? Is it at least one inch but not more than one and one half inch from the floorboard when holding it down tight? Or does it make the noise while you are moving in gear? Does it make a similar noise in high gear? I am asking all these questions because there are some things in the transmission which could make the noise, and others in the drive train back of the transmission to the rear wheels, and others which could be in the engine or even in the magneto.
it's hard to determine from your description. A more detailed description and some videos of the shifting and timing of the noise would help. Best help would be to find someone locally who is familiar with Model T's who might be able to drive it or ride with you while it is making the noise.
Norm

My first move would be to pull the inspection cover. Wiggle the tripple gears one @ a time with a screwdriver & visual inspect for bad teeth. Give a general look for any out of place ugly. Try moving the drum pack forward & back. Look @ the reverse drum flange for metal being ground off.
A true 14 has bolts holding the throw out bearing arms that can contact the 3 fingers if not adjusted just rite. Look for wear/contact spots.

Please define the process of "put the car in 1st gear" for us.

Hello Bob.
You said you recently purchased your T and it starts and runs well. When you talked to the previous owner did he tell you any history of the car? Any issues that he had with it? Was the engine rebuilt and any other parts of the car rebuilt?

Since Model T’s are new to you it would be well to get the Model T Ford service manual and other Model T service and driving information. Some photos of your car might help. It sounds like it’s a good car but any info from the previous owner might be beneficial.

Another good source of T information is from the parts suppliers. Go to the resource page page on this website and call the parts suppliers. I would recommend Snyder’s , Lang’s and others.
They will send you a catalogs of parts. They are great way to learn about T parts, what they look like and etc. You can access them on the net also but having the catalog in hand better for me.

Pumping grease into the U-joint may be helpful. I would make sure every moving part, including the springs, is fully lubricated. Check the fan hub for excess looseness. Inspect the chassis from below, looking for any loose or missing bolts.

Kind of sounds like rear end trouble. Do a forum search for "babbitt thrust washers".
Does the noise only occur in low gear, or maybe you haven't gotten it into high yet? How about in reverse?

Related to Wes Thompson???

Pat mentioned the u-joint. My car had a worn u-joint and the driveshaft bushing that is immediately behind it. It made a sound that is similar to what you describe. It is easy to check. The u-joint ball behind the transmission has two small plugs. They are there to access a pin that holds the u-joint to the driveshaft. Remove the bottom plug and press up on the u-joint with a screwdriver. There should be no noticeable up and down movement if everything is ok. Mine had a lot of movement and I replaced the bushing and u-joint to fix it.

Mr. Thompson???

Hello All, thought I would update you as to what was the problem with my 1914 T. The problem was a missing tooth on my rear-end PINION gear !

Well, that'll do it for sure! Happy you got to the cause of it.

Bob - While you have the rear end apart, you should check to be sure that the original Babbitt thrust washers have been replaced with bronze. You can do a search on this forum and after reading a few old threads, you'll be happy you checked...

I broke a tooth off the pinion gear in my 1912 chocolate van, two big pieces, as a result of a panic stop in traffic. I drove on home, with just the faintest clicking, probably not even noticeable to anyone not familiar with the car. The real noise came in under braking! I suppose it all depends on the shape of the break.

Allan from down under.

If this happens while moving in first gear, it could be worn bands. Or as posted above any loose part in the drive train between the transmission and the rear axle. Usually the universal joint or the internal differential parts.
Another thing which can lead to cracked drums or worn out bands is holding the pedal in the neutral position while waiting for a signal. Sometimes it is hard to find the exact neutral point and if too far down you will drag the band on the drum or too far back can overheat the clutch disks. So if it is a long signal or waiting in traffic jam, pull the parking brake into the neutral position and remove your foot. You still keep the right foot on the brake and when you get ready to start out, push the low pedal. Then when you get ready to go in high push the hand brake all the way forward.
Norm

or, it could be a missing tooth off of the rear axle pinion...

Now Scott, you are stating the bleeding obvious, again!

Allan from down under.

Norman Kling wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 30, 2023 8:57 pm

Another thing which can lead to cracked drums or worn out bands is holding the pedal in the neutral position while waiting for a signal. Sometimes it is hard to find the exact neutral point and if too far down you will drag the band on the drum or too far back can overheat the clutch disks. So if it is a long signal or waiting in traffic jam, pull the parking brake into the neutral position and remove your foot. You still keep the right foot on the brake and when you get ready to start out, push the low pedal. Then when you get ready to go in high push the hand brake all the way forward.
Norm

I pondered this all night, and am not trying to be controversial, but what is the difference between guessing where my foot is holding the low pedal in neutral verses guessing which tooth is exactly the most neutral position on the parking brake lever?

The lever will not tire, and its position can be readily checked with a glance, if need be. Proper adjustment of the linkage is important whether you use the pedal or the lever to hold the car in "neutral". Use of the lever prevents an inexperienced driver from stalling the motor by putting the car in high when starting from a stop. If I stop and get out of the car with the engine running, I pull the lever all the way back to hold neutral and set the brakes. To move a short distance, I move the lever halfway forward with my foot on the clutch. To drive off, I put my foot on the clutch pedal and move the lever all the way forward. It's best to avoid extended idling in "neutral".
I can usually get a free start If I stop the engine for a few minutes. If not, one pull on the crank usually starts the car, or else a very brief engagement of the starter.