MTFCA Forum

My commutator was acting up, so I took it apart and found the fiber washers had split.

In the process I noticed a notch in the brass spacer nuts. Not in the Ford parts list for the year of my car so I’m wondering what they’re for and whether they’re Ford parts at all — or just repurposed from something else during an ancient shop repair.

A picture of your commutator would help. There were many styles and I'm just using one as example. Is it like yours?
In comparing to the timer on the left, your timer would need a nut or equivalent to hold the threaded piece in place when the thumb nut was loosened or tightened . So is the mystery piece threaded?

Hey Frank,

Here’s the mystery commutator in situ, with a moderately worn stock example on the right for comparison. Both came with the car. The contact points on both have a smaller surface area than your example.

My initial reaction from the photo is that the disk may have been added to raise the wire contacts away from the timer housing because of the amount of solder on the connectors. Wonder what brand that timer is.

I am not an expert on the early cast timer but my gut is telling me it is one of the many replacement ones made over the years.
The Encyclopedia has some good pictures of the Oil Funnel 1912 cast style and I assume it is built like that one but without the funnel
Look at how the insulators, nuts, and other hardware is done for the terminals.
If it were mine I would make new insulators to replace them and add new brass nuts to replace what I assume is their attempt to be a nut.
It might need a quick trim on the inside but does not appear to have much wear.
Mike