MTFCA Forum

I attended the Model T Ford Homecoming last weekend and had an opportunity to drive the museum’s depot hack. It was a lot of fun, but I was surprised at how much vibration there was while the engine was running and while I was driving.

Also had an opportunity to ride in a friend’s Model T and, again, I was a little surprised at how much vibration there was and also how the transition from low to high was so shaky.

Steve Jelf often says that every Model T is different… So I’m wondering if this goes for the engines as well. Maybe there are Model T’s out there that run a whole lot more smoothly? Or is this just pretty much typical for all of them? It seems kinda hard to believe that they would’ve been this rough when they were new.

Have any of you done anything to smooth out the running and eliminate some of the vibration? I guess I’m mostly curious because I’ve ridden in and driven Model A’s that were only a year or two younger and they ran much more smoothly, both while idling and also while driving, even though their engines aren’t really all that much different from that found in a Model T.

You might want to find a T that has a counterbalanced crankshaft, and a transmission that also has been balanced. This makes a huge difference in in the vibrations.

My '27 runs smoothly (for a non-counterbalanced crankshaft engine). I have no reason to believe that the engine has been apart other then my pulling the head just to see what was going on inside. The only thing that I replaced was the headgasket and two head bolts.

Balance, balance, balance.
Nice to have a counter weighted crank, especially for hi rpm running.
Balance rods, crank, pistons.
Balance flywheel after magnets are installed. Balance triple gears, drums & output plate.
Drums must run square. (many have warped from heat cycles & time.)
Output shaft needs to have no run out.
Ignition firing must be precise.

Any good resources out there, either in book form or on the Internet, that show balancing of a Model T engine and transmission best practices?

I've converted well over 100 sets of triple gears to my needle bearing setup and as part of that service, I balance the triple gears. It is not uncommon for the early three piece triple gears to have a 20 or more gram difference in weight between the gears in a set. Take that unbalance and spin it at a modest 1500 RPM and you can imagine the shaking force generated. Then consider that this is only one possible source of unbalance/vibration out of many. Connecting rods and transmission drums are probably the next biggest areas of unbalance. Just food for thought.

A balanced T engine/transmission with aluminum pistons will run fairly smooth up to about 1950 RPM.

the comparison with an A model is a bit unfair on the T. The A model has benefits earned with T model experience. No longer is the motor hard mounted to the frame. That makes a huge difference to vibrations in the car. If Float-a-motor accessory is fitted to the A, even better.
After almost 20 years of production of any vehicle, one would expect great advances.

Allan from down under.

The Model A also benefited from a 67 lb flywheel.

My engine had a bone chilling vibration over 30 mph. It's the only T that I've driven, so I asumed that was normal. I discovered (and remedied) that problem last winter. I had one heavy connecting rod that weighed 42 grams more than the others! On our first spring drive, my wife immediately commented on how smooth the engine was running.

Is it only shaky when moving? Perhaps the tires/wheels are out of balance. I have a stock engine but it's pretty smooth. I balanced the tires with balance beads and they roll smoothly down the road.

No, it was vibrating and shaky when idling and driving. The problem is not the wheels. It really just sounds and feels like the engine/transmission is not in balance. I am not expecting “subaru smooth,” I have ridden in plenty of old cars, this is my first time riding in a T and it is just so much rougher than I expected… someday I’d like to experience a T that has been balanced to the nth degree…

I've been driving my 1912 for 50 years I can't tell you if it's shaky it just drives like a Model T . I know my cars sounds if the sound changes I have a problem. Yes I think it would be hard to find 2 T'S the same. How if you have not driven a Model T much Yes the car would seem to be shaky vibrating . I love the look on a first time rider when they take the first left turn and they are hanging on for dear life thinking there going to tip over.

Besides imbalance, loose motor mounts, as well as other fasteners, can contribute to excess vibration, noise, and rattles. Model T's can usually benefit from a general "tightening up" which consists of checking all bolts, screws, and fasteners and snugging up any loose ones. It's also a good opportunity to oil and grease everything, including the springs, and check that cotter pins and safety wires are in place. Things like linkages, door latches, door hinges, hood latches, top iron joints, and other moving parts will benefit from a few drops of oil from time to time. Loose parts will tend to squeak and rattle and make vibration more annoying. Loose chassis parts can be dangerous, besides contributing to poor handling, rougher ride, and annoying noises. Dry springs will cause a rougher ride and degraded handling.

I cannot think of any Model T in the Milwaukee club that sounds like that or shakes like that.
I am sure there is a club in Ohio that would be willing to have you join them on their next tour to see
how well their cars run.