MTFCA Forum

I just got my first T and have a lot of learning to do. It has a Ruckstell. I have seen original Ruckstell ads that say an advantage is that it has a neutral, which makes cold-weather starting easy without jacking up a wheel. But Chaffin's literature says there is no neutral unless the gears are badly worn, and that's a bad thing.
Also is tire pressure 60 PSI (3.00x30 front and 3.50x30 rear)?
Is 5W30 motor oil OK?

I suggest you repost these excellent questions in the General Discussion Forum.

In the meantime, regarding your questions:

1. No, the Ruckstell is not supposed to have a true neutral. Some folks jack one wheel up off the ground in really cold weather to make starting easier. If you do this, make sure that the front wheels are chocked so that you don't get run over by your own car!

You can also make starting easier by putting the emergency brake lever all the way forward when the car is parked. This will squeeze the oil from between the clutch plates so that they have less drag on the next start attempt. Be sure to pull the brake lever all the way back just prior to starting!

2. My 1924 has 30x3.5 clincher tires. I inflate them to 65 psi and check them once a month or so. If any of them are 60 psi or below, I top them all off to 65 psi.

3. I run 5W-30 oil in my 1924 and it does fine, but folks here run a wide range of oils and viscosities and the T seems to tolerate them all. Personally, I would not run oil thinner than 5W-30.

Thanks Mark!

One other thing - since you have a Ruckstell, you should already have (or need to install) lined emergency brake shoes to replace the factory bare cast iron shoes. Also, auxiliary brakes (AC, Rocky Mountain, or other) that act directly on the rear wheels are highly recommended. The factory service brake is in the transmission, so if you have a driveline failure downstream of the transmission you will have no service brake!

Yes, a neutral in Ruckstell is NOT a happy thing - especially when approaching an intersection....

I endorse the advice to get LINED emergency brakes and even better auxiliary brakes as well.