6V Battery

For you owners of an older Model "T", who require a 6 volt dry cell battery for starting, I have a solution for that always dead battery. Replace it with a small motorcycle or all-terrain, 6 volt lead-acid battery. They're small (3 x 3 -1/2 x5 inches tall) and inexpensive ($7 - $10 ... don't we wish that was still true Ed). I'm using a 4 amp-hour capacity battery on my 1911 Runabout and it works great.

Your regular battery charger can be used to recharge these small batteries, but it's output has to be reduced to .3 to .5 amp depending on the battery. I found a 2 ohm, 50 watt resistor in series with the battery works fine on my charger. Dave Rosenow (Lone Star T Newsletter, 1988)

Battery Disconnect

Those of you in attendance at our January meeting heard that Gerald had experienced a "sudden, unexplained fire" in his dirt-track T Speedster. The car had been sitting, unattended, for several weeks. Gerald went to the garage to retrieve something form a cabinet in front of the T. Needing to move it only a few inches, he grabbed the rear wheel and turned it to move the car. After moving the car, he suddenly noticed smoke billowing from beneath the car and out of the cowl area. Upon disconnecting the battery, the smoke and fire subsided.

Looking at the car we found the "battery" wire from the starter switch to the terminal block on the cowl badly burnt. Further inspection found the same wire from the terminal block to the ammeter also burnt, but the wires on the other side of the meter looked perfect. The cause of the problem was an unexplained internal short in the ammeter (which looked "as new"). I might also mention that all of the wiring was in perfect condition and routed properly to avoid chaffing or shorts.

The above incident can and does occasionally occur due to frayed or un-insulated wiring, pinched or misrouted wires, defective or shorted cut-outs, headlight switches, ignition switches, top light switches, etc., when your battery is not disconnected by either a battery disconnect switch or manually removing a battery post when leaving the car unattended. This makes 5 cars that I have personally seen burning or burnt. Don't let yours be #6.

Battery Maintenance

If you have a battery in your Model T and you have noticed that the terminals are showing some corrosion, here is a sure fire method to keep those battery terminals clean. Clean the terminals completely with water and baking soda. Let the terminals dry thoroughly and then take Karo, or corn syrup and a paint brush and simply paint the terminals with the syrup. It dries in a short time to a clean, lacquer-like coat, and unless it is washed or rained off, it is good for years. You won't believe it until you try it.Russ Furstenow, From T-Time in Canyon Country reprinted in LST News in 2000

Dead Timer Roller

After all the driving had been done at the last Texas T Party, it was necessary to drive the Model T one more time for this year's picture. The car started with the usual one pull of the crank, ran for a couple of seconds then died as if out of gasoline. Two or three repetitions of this then not a whisper, not a buzz from the coils. The gasoline tank was full just thirty miles earlier. The gasoline had not been shut off. A simple check verified that there was power to the coils from the ignition switch.

The problem was solved by replacing the timer roller and cleaning the timer interior. It seems that the oil had caked around the rivet which forms the axle of the timer roller, effectively insulating the rolling element from the remainder of the roller assembly. No ground, no buzz, no ignition, no start! Hugo Richter, Lone Star T Newsletter 1988

Electric and Oil Tail Lamps

As the regular oil tail lamp is only too apt to go out just as the "cop" appears, an electric tail lamp is a "safety first" addition to the Ford car. But it is also nice to have the oil lamp, to fall back on in an emergency.

The two tail lamps can be mounted on the same bracket, by drilling a hole through the bar that holds the license plate, and bolting the electric tail lamp to the bar. Contributor Unknown

Generator Problem

If you have difficulty keeping the generator of your Model T working, this might be the solution – use the magneto as an alternator. This will keep the battery charged so you can use the starter and lights. With this set-up, you can set the generator to a low output rate to improve its reliability, or eliminate it completely. If you bypass the generator completely, either remove it from the car or ground the output (cutout) terminal on the generator. If you operate without the generator, it will be necessary to boost the battery from a trickle charger from time to time. Hugo Richt

Generator Output – Too Many Amps

Posted by Fred Jones on Wednesday, 20 November 2002, at 9:26 a.m.

What would make a T generator put out too many amps even when the third brush is retarded all the way? The brush plate is rebuilt - no grounds. The coils are replaced, no grounds. The post is not shorted or grounded to anything else. The brush plate is set at the neutral point. There is full travel on the third brush - not hanging up on anything to limit its travel. The armature is one I had on hand - no idea where it came from, but it looks new or rewound. It's the cleanest one I've ever seen. It checked okay on the growler before I installed it. At half throttle I'm getting nearly 15 amps with the third brush backed off to the limit. Full advance of the third brush gives another 2 amps or so. Same results with 2 different amp gauges. I'm running a 12 volt battery but have done that before and never ran into anything like this. Anybody know what might be going on?

Posted by Ron Patterson-Medway, Ma on Wednesday, 20 November 2002, at 11:30 a.m., in response to generator output, posted by Fred Jones on Wednesday, 20 November 2002, at 9:26 a.m.

Fred, The brushplate neutral adjustment is very tricky especially when operating on 12 volts. I think you will find if you retard the brushplate (counterclockwise when viewed from the gear end) a bit you get the generator to work correctly. Remember do not allow the generator to charge greater than 7-8 amps with a 12 volt battery or it will be toast pronto. The lower the better. Ron the Coilman

Paraffin as a Preservative (Electric Wire Insulator)

Chewing gum pays it tribute to paraffin, and the success of a world-known biscuit came from the discovery that when paper was immersed in hot paraffin it became moisture-proof and would protect the biscuits and cracker from dampness in any climate. When it was found some years ago that the surface of Cleopatra's Needle in Central Park was flaking off somebody suggested that a coating of paraffin might stop the damage. It did. Stone fronts of fine houses are protected in the same way. Paraffin is made into colored crayons and it is used in laundries to whiten clothes. Good housekeepers know its value for sealing canned fruit or anything put up in bottles. The task of insulating electric wires is made simpler by this product. Gas Power Magazine, October 1913

Replacing Side Lenses – Pepsi Cola Hits the Spot

Replace that dingy or missing electric tail light side lens. After 50 or 60 years, the clear plastic side insert may turn yellow or brown and crumbly with age. Here's the fix. Hop in old "Liz" and run down to the neighborhood grocer. Purchase some Pepsi Cola in the 2 liter clear plastic bottle. When you get home, break out the ice cubes and fix mom and the kids a nice big glass of Pepsi! Rinse, then tuck the empty bottle under your arm and head for the garage. Use your old lens for a pattern or make a pattern out of thin, stiff cardboard. If your lens is completely missing it may take a few trial patterns to get just the right length so it will "pop" into place. Next, use our pattern or old lens to cut out the new lens from the bottle. Scissors will do the job. For a nicer fit, match the natural curvature of the bottle with the curvature needed for the lens. With your new lens installed, more careful attention must now be given to your top speed at night. For not only does you tail light look pretty spiffy, but now the cops can clearly read your tag number! From a 1983 Issue of the T Bone Times (Tulsa, OK)

Replacing (ignition coil) Capacitor

Model T coils can prove to outsmart the amateur rebuilder. Part of the rebuilding of the T coils ignition coils involves replacing the capacitor. This requires a good quality brand with a high enough voltage capacity. Julius uses Sprague #6P5P47, 47 +10% at 600DC for his rebuilding. He has found some lower voltage ones in coils that will work on DC (battery), but they won't run worth a darn on AC (magneto) voltage. He has found this out by testing one on a battery and on an original magneto coil tester. So don't buy cheap one, especially Radio Shack ones. They give out real soon after they are installed. From Julius Neunhoffer and the Texas Hill Country Chapter, MTFCI

Running Engine with Generator Disconnected From Battery

If for any reason the engine is run with the generator disconnected from the battery, as when battery has been removed for repair or recharging, be sure that the generator is grounded by running a wire from the terminal on generator nearest dash to one of the dust cover screws in the yoke. Two strands of shipping tag wire may be used for this purpose. Be sure the connections at both ends of the wire are tight. Failure to do this when running the engine with the generator disconnected from the battery will result in serious damage to the generator. NEVER GROUND THE GENERATOR THROUGH THE CUT-OUT. Ford Instruction Manual

Setting the Ford Generator Brushes

The majority of Ford owners make their own repairs. Even the repair of the generator does not daunt them, though it must be admitted that at times the repair is far from successful. When the generator has been removed and dismantled, care must be taken when it is again assembled. Though most workers will mark the wires and their connections so that they may be replaced properly, the brush holder assembly receives very little attention and when replaced, it is simply located in such a position that the third brush is at the top and therefore readily accessible. The brush holder, however, should be replaced in its proper position, so that the main brushes will always be at the neutral point. Due to the wide range that the brush holder can be shifted, it often happens that the brushes are set far from this point.

The proper procedure for the setting at the neutral point is as follows: After the repair has been made, the third brush is lifted from contact with the commutator and held in that position during the adjustment. A battery is now connected to the generator terminals and if the brushes are not at the neutral point, the generator will run as a motor. If the brush holder, which is held by the four small screws in the commutator end plate, has been shifted to the right, the armature will revolve to the right; while, if the holder has shifted to the left, the armature will turn towards the left. The proper position is that in which the armature will not revolve at all. If the brushes are off neutral, though the advance may be but a few segments, the output of the generator will be excessively high and the third brush will not be able to keep the output within safe limits. The third brush is the control brush and if the main brushes are so set that it cannot fulfill its duty, the high charging rate may, in time, cause the destruction of the armature. It Will be found when seeking the neutral point that there is one position of the brush holder in which the armature will not revolve.

In some cases, the armature will vibrate with a low hum, an indication that the exact neutral has been found. Sometimes, however, the hum cannot be obtained. The armature, however, remains stationary, resisting any attempts to turn it contrary to its normal direction of rotation, yet evidencing a slight tendency to rotate in the normal direction should it be given a slight turn in that direction. The main brush holder should be securely fastened when this point has been found and the third brush is returned to its normal position. After the generator has been placed on the car, its output is adjusted by shifting the third brush in the proper direction.

Practically ail generators with third brush control are designed to operate with the main brushes at the neutral point and any improper setting, therefore, lessens the efficiency of the generator and sometimes leads to its destruction. When the armature overheats, or the brushes arc excessively, or the commutator develops a tendency to continually blacken shortly after being cleaned, the position of the main brushes is at fault and they should be tested to see if they are at the neutral point. American Automobile Digest, September 1924 (Submitted by Bill Peterson, February 2001

Starter Switch Relay

Jerry Davis found out the hard way that a jammed switch can cause of lot of damage. His switch stuck in the closed position which resulted in his burning out his entire wiring harness. A few of the dealers are carrying reproduction switches but have admitted that in the past few years they have had a lot of complaints about failures. The major failure is the inability of the switch to carry the heavy current load demanded by the starter. This means that you can test the switch on the bench with an ammeter and it will test good but, when you install it the starter won’t kick over. If you’re a bug for the authentic you can stop reading right here, but, if you want to use the starter without sending switches back and forth through the mail – read on. Use the switch that won’t carry the load but tests OK to activate a 6V starter relay. The relay is available at your favorite parts house. This way it looks original from the driver’s seat but it works without any problems. Contributor Unknown (198?)

When Coil Units Fail (And You Still Need to Get Home)

Because one cylinder is ready to exhaust when another is firing, it is possible to operate a Model T with the spark plugs in two cylinders firing from the same coil. The firing order of 1, 2, 4, 3 makes it feasible to fire either Nos. 1 and 4 or 2 and 3 simultaneously.

For example; consider the non-functioning coil in No. 3 position in the coil box. The timer wire connection can be moved from No. 3 position to the No. 2 connection on the coil box. Likewise, No. 3 spark plug wire can be connected to the same terminal as No. 2 spark plug. No 2 coil will now fire both No. 2 and No. 3 spark plugs. Instead of running with 75% power you will have nearly full power, and no miss.

I will point out that this is obviously not a permanent fix, but it will get you back to home base when you have a coil breakdown and no back up. Hugo Richter

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