MTFCA Forum

I am helping a friend with a Model T huckster and am perplexed by the timer pull rod lever at the end of the steering column. The car is a 1927 has a stock frame, cowl, (supposedely) stock steering column and engine and I am perplexed by what I am seeing. Can someone please post a good photo of (an original) timer pull lever at the end of the streeing column spark lever on a stock 1926/27 Model T?
Ron Patterson

Here ya go…,

Took these as replacing shaft and re bushing frame bracket on the 27 column. Used for ref to show position of the tiny lever and spark rod on retard.

Ron that is OK there.

Note the gas rod is half way up the other side to go through the engine between cylinders 2 and 3 to get to the carburetor.

Are you able to post a picture of the problem lever? Now that you have a picture of what it should be like it would be interesting to compare the 2 set ups. It is always very interesting to see what sort of things people do to get something done and think it is correct.

Ron, I have 2 26-27 columns that are loose. Let me know if you need more pictures. Steve

It would be interesting to see what you/he has got. You're as much an expert as anyone I know of. I wonder if the column you are working with had a magneto drive above it? There were several types of those that required unusual spark linkages.

Dan
Can you take a close up photo of both the throttle and timer pull levers on column on the garbage can. I am trying to determine the approximate length/ relationship of the two levers and the hole center to center of both pull levers.
Ron P

There are also assemblies for vaporizer carbs that are slightly different.

I am aware of the Vaporizer diferences.
This car has a Holly NH carb with thru block hole between cylinders 3 and 3.
Ron P

Ron Patterson wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 26, 2025 10:06 am

Dan
Can you take a close up photo of both the throttle and timer pull levers on column on the garbage can. I am trying to determine the approximate length/ relationship of the two levers and the hole center to center of both pull levers.
Ron P

Clarity please. Do you mean the 3525 spark rod and 3524 throttle rod distance from bend at quadrant to location of holes in the rods to mount the 3530 spark rod lever and 3531 throttle rod lever?

The throttle lever hole is 29” from the quadrant; spark lever hole about 1/2” or so from the end of the rod

With the help of Steve Miexner I found the problem with 26/27 steering column control levers I was struggling with.
Steve sent close up photos and measured the Spark and Throttle levers center to center length.
The Spark lever is 13/16 inch c to c and the Throttle lever is 1 1/4 inch c to c length
At some point the steering column I was struggling with had had been previoulsy disassembled, the throttle and spark levers removed and subsequently reassembled reversing the location of the levers on the throttle and spark rods.
I never expected that possibility and just goes to prove one of John Regan's favorite admonitions; "The car is years old and 100 people have been working on it, what are the chances they all actually knew what they were doing?"
Thanks to all for the help.
Ron Patterson

If the longer lever is attached to the timing rod on the column, then the lever will hit the frame when attempting to advance.