MTFCA Forum

I can't see why, because whichever wheel you leave on the ground will not move and the differential will cause the opposite wheel to turn. However, you would have slightly less friction if you jacked up both wheels.
Norm

In my experience jacking up either front wheel doesn't do no good at all

Happy New Year !

I agree with Norm and Leo....
I will add the important step of chocking the front wheel !

With a bad back I often jack up a rear wheel to make cranking easier. I raise whichever wheel is most convenient at the time and have never noticed any difference. I keep a winter jack in each car and can easily raise a wheel using that. Key is chocking a front wheel on both sides of the wheel so it cant roll forward or back.

As I understand it, in America and places with Left-hand drive (crank goes clockwise) you jack up the left rear wheel.
In England, Australia, etc. where they have Right-hand drive (crank turns counter-clockwise) you jack up the right rear wheel.

I think the left rear would get you away from most of the exhaust?? Bud.

Well I guess someone mis advised me years ago Thanks for asking the question Steve.

I agree with Leo, it has to be a rear wheel.

Andy

Clever idea Jeff5015, but no matter what part of the world they are, East or West, North or South, made in USA or made in Canada, T engines only run in a clockwise direction

OK , one must remember, a secure jack stand should be used in this procedure. By lifting the right rear wheel, putting the leaver in high gear and cranking over the engine thus spinning the right rear wheel, the air should become more turbulent on the carburetor side of the automobile which in theory would aid in atomization of the fuel. Thusly here in the Eastern area of Texas we are inclined to favor the raising the right rear. Of coarse the substitution of solid disk wheels diminishes the effectiveness, and thus with disk wheels, either side is acceptable.

I just jack up the right rear wheel with the handbrake in the center position, and the steering wheel turned all the way to the right so I only get run over by the left front wheel.

Leo has a very good point, and Bud has apparently had to remove a jack while the engine is running Be sure and block the front wheels. Now that the engine is running , in sorta neutral , emergency brake on half way, I mount the Beast and slowly , to keep the engine from stalling, push it into low for a few seconds to brake the clutch free , then let the low peddle up to neutral and slowly put the brake on . With the brake on and wheels stopped I pull the emergency brake all the way on! When the car is finally stable and running, I go after the jack and wheel chocks. Same applys to the starter cars except you can start from the seat. Love you Guys , Be Safe , Happy New Year !!

Just asking. Do you Jack up a wheel due to the temp or from not adjusting a free neutral. I love in California and I think the coldest i have started my car is the high 30's. I've never had to jack up a wheel. It s a 14 runabout stem winder.

Andy

Every one says this works but how about a plausible explanation as to why?

So that you don't have to fight the drag of thick oil between the high gear clutch plates.

Back in the day, and today in 2020, if the oil in the crankcase is either of thick viscosity or if the air temperature is freezing, one would jack up the driver side rear wheel, put the speed lever into high gear, and then either crank or use the starter to start the engine. The reason for doing this was to gain flywheel momentum of the entire drive train system to help turn the engine over to start.

And to continue my post... After the engine starts and runs for awhile you can pull the speed lever back to neutral and that will break the bond between the high speed clutch plates.

Back in the last century ... OK the middle to earlier last century before the days of routinely using multi-weight oils etc. it was very helpful to jack up the rear wheel. With the multi-weight oil is is not as critical -- but still helps if the temp is below 40 F or so. Below is from page 10 & 11 of Philip Van Doren Stern's "Tin Lizzie" where he shares a slightly different version of E.B. White's also used pen name Lee Strout White's "Farewell My Lovely". Complete article is available at: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1936 ... -my-lovely
I like to jack up the wheel on the same side as the pedals/steering wheel. It is much easier for me to lean over and see that I have stopped the wheel from spinning when I apply the transmission brake. And that the wheel continues to stay stationary after I put the hand brake on and release the transmission brake.

Caution thread drift:

And if you want to have some fun when it isn't so cold -- change the oil to straight 30 weight. Have the T in good running order, and get it warmed up to the point where it is easy to start. But not fully warmed up -- as it tends not to want to creep as much if it has been driven a little.

Be in a wide open area -- clear of obstacles -- especially young kids. Be on smooth level ground. A little grass or dirt helps keep the car's speed slower. Put the car in neutral, (hand brake off). Don't chock the wheels. Retard the spark, advance the gas a little above idle, switch on, and go hand crank it. Step aside and let the car creep --- roll by you. As you learn this, have a qualified T driver in the front seat. But after you see how your car responds. You can do it without anyone in the car. (Be sure the gas lever isn't loose -- you don't want the throttle to open up.) And you can watch it roll off and then go catch it. It usually gets a good response from on lookers. And when I was in my teens our 1918 would usually give you a free start. And we would set it up for the free start. Put the switch to battery. Get out of the T and go hit the front fender. The spark would move just a little and the coil would get electricity. The engine would start and the car would start rolling slowly away (don't give it a lot of throttle). Caution -- don't loose your T. I can't do that any more as my knee goes out every now and then. And that would not end well if I couldn't catch the car as it went rolling away. And with a non-starter car -- it is even more impressive -- they usually would ask, "How did you do that."

Disclaimer -- I was a bullet proof teenager -- there are probably countless reasons that is a dumb idea. But I really had fun with that one.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

Always great to hear from you Hap, Love your wisdom. Happy New Year to you.

Hap"s story reminded me of a mistake my dad made 60 years ago.Our crank start tractor liked to start with the spark advanced and the throttle wide open.Dad forgot to check if it was in gear and spun the crank!! He managed to jump clear but the F-20 had ran over a 3 section spike tooth drag,through the barb wire fence,and was in the middle of a 10 acere field before he could catch it!! Do what ever floats your boat! Bud.

Jeff5015 wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 31, 2019 7:37 pm

As I understand it, in America and places with Left-hand drive (crank goes clockwise) you jack up the left rear wheel.
In England, Australia, etc. where they have Right-hand drive (crank turns counter-clockwise) you jack up the right rear wheel.

Jeff,

Actually it's much easier for us down here - we just need to kinda hang off the crank to start, rather than stand on the ground and pull

I kinda thought it was something like that, but had no proof.Thanks, Luke.

The Driver side wheel, should always be raised.

1. easy to see, if the wheel stopped, when the brake lever is pulled.

2. if the right wheel is used, you have to walk around the car to see the wheel, in many cases, just because the hand brake lever is pulled, doesn't mean the wheel stopped.

3. The most important reason is, if the left wheel is used, the drive train, consists of Drive shaft, Pinion, ring gear, axle, wheel.

If the right wheel is used, you have to go through the slack, of the spider gears, to the wheel. So when the power pulses happen, the wheel has a tendency to jump forward, and then backward to minimize, the Gyroscopic, or Flywheel effect.

Herm.

Herm, us Aussies have the best of both worlds using your principle. Our drivers side wheel is also the right hand wheel.
Bonus!!! Personally, I’ve never had to raise any wheel to start our T’s as they all have a relatively “clean” neutral
(Well as far as Model T’s go anyway)
Alan

OK, thanks, Alan, I don't have to do that any more either, I don't use Ford stock clutches.

Herm.

Kohnke Rebabbitting wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 01, 2020 6:17 pm

3. The most important reason is, if the left wheel is used, the drive train, consists of Drive shaft, Pinion, ring gear, axle, wheel.

If the right wheel is used, you have to go through the slack, of the spider gears, to the wheel. So when the power pulses happen, the wheel has a tendency to jump forward, and then backward to minimize, the Gyroscopic, or Flywheel effect.

Herm.

The Drive Shaft Bone is connected to the, Pinion Bone. The Pinion Bone is connected to the Ring Gear Bone. The Ring Gear Bone is connected to the Differential Case Bone.... whereby the spider is turned and drives the axles.

It doesn't matter whether the ring gear is placed left, right, or center -- both axles are driven off the spider.

Spot on Walter, regardless of which wheel is on the ground the drive of the lifted one is 100percent through the spider gears.

Just willing to wish you all a happy new year .

I add this to the discussion:
It makes no difference which wheel you lift up.
The movement of the drive shaft will always go the same way to the wheel that is lift up and will run forwards as the transmission is in low or high gear.
The only thing that will happen in the differential is that the lift up wheel will make the double of RPM as the differential housing.

Sometimes I use the lift up wheel to start the engine. No kick back. Just set your foot on one of the spokes and kick it.

Andre
Belgium

Alan Long wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 02, 2020 1:36 am

Personally, I’ve never had to raise any wheel to start our T’s

Me too, Alan! I moved to Florida... No more thick oil or hard starting.

If you view the action of the Differential centre, spider gears and axles from a different prospective, they are always
rotating unless your driving in a very straight line. Maximum “on road” speed / rotation difference when circling dictated by how fast you want to drive your T on full lock!! You will do your head in trying to work out direction and speed of the gear set
with one wheel raised.. Jeff, Florida sounds like a great move to me and with our Summer climate engine oils are still warm
the following morning is common. Alan