New to the T

Popeye31

Popeye31

Senior Member
Ok Im new to Ts. let me give you a little of my background. Im a moble mechanic and have built up a good clientel with the old car crowd. in fact I have gone exclusivly classic and antique cars. I get more enjoyment out of it and I get to work on and drive all kinds of vintage tin. form 59 caddies,a 55 tbird,a 57 vett,a 55 nash ambasitor, multipule As and the list goes on. but enough of tooting my horn.one of my customer has two Ts one of wich is a 1914 T. my question is how do I check the firing order Im assuming the stud on top the bellhousing is where the triger is for the coil boxes. and do I set the coil boxes with a feeler gadge like points and what is the setting for them and the spark plugs.
 
First, you would be best off getting a Model T service manual. They are available at most Model T parts houses. Firing order 1243. Lay plugs on head connected to wires. Turn motor over slowly with key on bat. The stud on the bellhousing you refer to is the magneto connection. Be careful there. Coil boxes get adjusted on a HCCT hand cranked coil tester or a Strobospark. These are not like the distributors you are used to. Adjusting without either of these will cause more problems then you have. Start with the coils getting adjusted as I mentioned and then start from there.
 
It's hard to picture someone owning a T and not understanding enough regarding how to set the coils and that it takes a special piece of equipment to do it. They get set with one of the old original coil testers or a stroboscope. There's more than likely an enthusiast in your area wirh one or the other. They are used to power the coils to set amperage and also check for a phenomen known as double sparking. The spark plugs are no more than just regular sparkplugs, gap em at .030". Learn how to test the timing to assure the commutator also known as the timer is set correctly. These cars don't have electrical, or vacuum advance. It's all operator controlled. Once you under stand it you know how to work wit it. Let me see if I remember: get the number one piston to just past top dead center of it's compression stroke. Then set the spark lever all the way to the top of it's quadrant. Unhook the linkage between the timer and the lever shaft. Now with the switch on battery turn the timer cap clockwise until the number one coil stops buzzing then turn the cap counter clockwise until the number one coil just starts to buzz. Then at this point bend the linkage rod that you unhooked earlier unti it matches the necessary length to have the sparklever at about the 2nd or 3rd notch down on it's quadrant and the commutator at that point where it just starts to buzz. Be careful model T's don't have to be running to give you enough of a bite to make you cry for your mommy. Short of tearing the engine out and rebuilding the magneto, that's about as much as you can do with the ignition on the best car Henry ever built. Warning, once you work on and understand a little bit about the model t, you'll never want to put your time into any other automobile. Hell a brand new Ferrari doesn't hold the mystique and romance that you'll find in Henry's little Tin Lizzie. She is what all the rest wish they could be.
 
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The timer for the coils in a rotating contact device on the front of the camshaft. It will make sence when you see it.
 
I'll agree with what Doug said and add to it. The first Model T parts every new T guy should buy are the Ford manual and the MTFCA books. The T is not like other cars, and you can do accidental damage if you dive in without a little study. The books will save you some hassle, grief, and expense.


 

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Excellent. Those are without a doubt the books that are needed. I'm buying them one at a time and I've got three. And all three have black grease on them. They're already pretty well used.
 
Model T's up to about 1919 were powered by their own internal magneto system which generated AC current. The stud on the bellhousing as you call it is where that AC current leaves the magneto via wiring to the igniton switch. When Ford introduced the Lighting & Starting system, Model T's were fitted with a starter, a battery, a generator and electric lighting. Owners then had the oportunity to start the engine initially on battery power, and then switch over to the internal AC magneto once the engine was running.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER APPLY ANY EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE TO THE MAGNETO CONNECTION ON THE TRANSMISSION - YOU WILL WIPE THE MAGNETISM FROM THE 16 MAGNETS BOLTED ON THE FLYWHEEL .... been there - done that - got real mad ....

The firing order is determined by the wiring harness from the round timer (or commutator) on the front of the engine to the coilbox which houses the four spark coils. Those four coils look deceptively simple, but they are anything but that. Mal-adjusted and/or bent contacts quickly turn a great running Model T into a rough running putt-putt. There are only two ways of correctly adjusting a good set of contacts on a coil - using a vintage handcranked coil tester or using a Strobospark - there is no other way to PROPERLY set up those contacts. Just because they buzz nicely doesn't mean they are set up correctly. I mention this only because it's true!

The camshaft roatates counterclockwise, and the wiring is as follows:

The terminals, as viewed when looking at the timer from in front of the car, are as follows:

Top-left timer terminal - cylinder 1 (closest to radiator)
Bottom-left timer terminal - cylinder 2
Bottom-right timer terminal - cylinder 4 (closest to firewall)
Upper-right timer terminal - cylinder 3

These wires go to the upper row of four coilbox terminals. The Next row of terminals below those obviously are the sparkplug wires as shown in the attached photo.

This is enough to now make you dangerous. It's your job to get the books mentioned and learn the Model T electrical system - it's very easy. Those pesky coils are what's not easy to the average person without either one of the two testers mentioned above.

Good Luck, and Good T-ing !!

Regards all,
Garnet
 

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I should point out that if your coils aren't up to snuff, there are several guys who specialize in coil repair and restoration. The best known is The Coil Man, Ron Patterson <modeltcoils@windstream.net>.
 
Gees,two days ago he didn't know what a wishbone was and now he posting advise! The kid has to give respect to get respect.
 
Guys thanks alot sorry I took so long to reply back I took a trip to Pate for the weekend might even be going back to Texas in a few weeks to pickup a T for my self.
 
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