OT---Model T---(one more time)

Questions:: What were the functions of each of the foot pedals? Didn't the "T"'s have a planetary type of transmission? What was their braking system? Wasn't the only throttle control a lever on the steering post? Thanks to all the "T" enthusiasts!!

Left pedal is forward low/high, center pedal is reverse, and right pedal is brake. Brake lever on left goes to rear drum brakes. Friction bands in the tranny. Only throttle on the steering post, with a choke and carb mix adjust on the right hand side dash.

In addition to the throttle control lever on the steering column, there was a lever for mechanical advance of the timing; as you increased the throttle to different RPMs you also had to adjust the timing with the advance lever; which old timers call the "spark". My Uncle and Grandfather together bought a brand new 1925 Ford Model T. Once the reverse went out in transmission, and Uncle put in WWII Army web belt for a reverse band, worked fine. Uncle drove it until 1951 when he purchased a brand new Ford flat-head V-8 pickup; 3 speed on wheel shift, no radio, no heater, no options period. Rode many a mile in both of them. Tom

I don't know if all models had it, but mine has a wire rod thru the dash from the top of the carb, to adjust the needle valve from inside- electric starts had the button on the ... left? side of the floor. And the choke usually went in 2 directions, to the dash, and under the radiator. In general, start in nuetral, so lever is straight up or back- on parking brake. Then lower pedal is reverse, right tranny brake, left low gear. When you got rolling fast enough, you push the lever forward, letting the left pedal up like a clutch. If it wasn't going fast enough for high gear, you'd know it... too much stress on the road nowdays, but as an ATV or replace a jeep, they are still fun! After the MF 50 gets rebuilt, the T is next... btw, if you think a tractor rear is a bear to change, a T is... ??? was a horse really that bad after all???

When I was fifteen, 1955, I bought a T from a neighbor for $10. It had been sitting out for years but was not stuck. Cut the body off and using the gas tank for seat, we tore around the pasture a bit without tires on the rims. Memorable to me, is the fact that the Sears-Roebuck catalog, still listed parts for it and other models of what was later called, the big three. The head gasket I ordered was $2-3. This T had a foot-feed. So many outfits made accessories the car that almost, an industry grew up around it. While it would be good to have it just as it was when I took delivery, I have no regrets, the experience helped to make me what I isn't.

The left pedal was: pushed down for low gear and release up was high gear. Middle pedal applied the reverse band inside the transmission. Right pedal was the service brake inside the transmission.

Until 1926 models the pedals were a diamond shape then in 1926 the two outside pedals were long to fit the foot better. In 1926 the brake band inside the transmission was also made wider and the brake units at the rear wheels were made larger and had real lining on the shoes. This allowed the parking brake to be used for a service brake. Through 1925 the rear shoes were cast iron and were only thought to be for parking and starting but alas many got broke or worn out with the operator trying to stop the car with them. One big problem with the service brake being in the transmission was it performed the braking through the differential and both rear wheels had to have equal traction to stop very well. This is why you can spin one rear wheel backwards while stopping forward. NO brakes on the front until the Model A.

The lever on the left side was for parking and for starting. When starting you pulled it back and the cam on the crossbar under the floorboard pushed (or held if you pushed left pedal down with your foot) the Hi-Lo pedal in neutral. Neutral was 1/2 way down. When ready to get underway you could release the parking lever while holding the pedal 1/2 way down, then push the pedal down, clamping the lo speed band. Releasing the parking lever just enough to allow movement would let you teach the kids how to drive as the car could not go into Hi.After getting up a little motion, removing your foot let the pedal out into Hi (direct) and away you went.

To stop, left pedal 1/2 way down and push right brake pedal. To reverse, left pedal 1/2 way down and push the middle pedal. Pushing any two pedals would stop the car without damage to transmission. It was in constant mesh and was what could be called a "foot operated automatic". Driving the roads of the day after a rain kept the feet busy.

Model T's had two reasons for being able to back up a hill better than going forward. Until 1926 the fuel tank was mounted low and the fuel may not run to the carburator. This was corrected in 1926 when the fuel tank was moved under the cowl in front of the windshield where it stayed until the end of the Model A production. The second reason is the transmission gear ratio is lower in reverse than in Lo. With a whole 20 HP this lower ratio made it to the top of the hill,,sometimes.

Thanks for the chance to help.

Here is a good animated description of the working of the Model T transmission.
Model T transmission

Factory brakes were transmission only in T cars. TT trucks had wheel brakes. So - even when car brakes were working correctly, they were limited by the differential in back. And if the driveshaft broke, you had nothing. That's was quite evident in that once famous movie scene with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. They were hitchhiking - and she exposed her leg to get a guy in a Model T to slam on his brakes. One back wheel spun backwards when he did it (because of the differential).

People who lived in hilly areas often installed aftermarket brakes and two-speed rear axles. "Rocky Mountain" brakes and the "Ruckstell" rear axle. I've got both on my 1918 T.

Good responses, All !!!

Model T cars had rear wheel brakes,none on front.

(quoted from post at 11:14:36 01/09/12) Factory brakes were transmission only in T cars. TT trucks had wheel brakes. So - even when car brakes were working correctly, they were limited by the differential in back. And if the driveshaft broke, you had nothing. That's was quite evident in that once famous movie scene with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. They were hitchhiking - and she exposed her leg to get a guy in a Model T to slam on his brakes. One back wheel spun backwards when he did it (because of the differential).

People who lived in hilly areas often installed aftermarket brakes and two-speed rear axles. "Rocky Mountain" brakes and the "Ruckstell" rear axle. I've got both on my 1918 T.

Click to expand...

TTs don't have rear brakes either unless they were aftermarket. Only the drum park brake. A lot of TTs had auxilary transmissions installed. If the aux transmission got kicked into neutral while driving down the road, there were no brakes at all!

What year model T car have you ever seen with factory equipped wheel brakes anywhere? I've got a 1913 and a 1918 and neither of them have any wheel brakes that came from the factory. The 1918 does have aftermarket "Rocky Mountain" brakes.

I've also got several stripped down TT trucks. All have wheel brakes but they are totally different from T cars.