Talked to the machine shop on Friday and they said my engine would be ready by mid December.
Took apart my rear end today and saw the reason why the car was parked in the late 40's. Someone "fixed" the rear end a some point in time and it is toast. there was a 1/4" of play in the front bushing which let the pinion gear move back and forth. So the ring and pinion is razor sharp and the teeth and junk. The confusing part is there were 4 steel thrust plates on one side and 2 on the other with a babbitt thrust washer. Ring gear walked so far over it chewed up the inside of the housing on one side. The left axle had 4 felt washers inside the right had none and was not leaking on that side.
Here are my questions on this:
1- Front of driveshaft is .970 in diameter where the bearing rides. That is .030 under what it is supposed to be, should I replace it?
2- Right axle threads for holding on the rim are almost gone. Can I have this re-threaded to a smaller size or should I replace the axle since they are so small on the end already?
3- Should I be able to twist the axle roller bearings by the end washers? Not sure if the end plates are loose or if this is normal. I can turn the end washers about a 1/8" from being inline with each other.
Maybe I'm too picky, but
1 Replace
2 Replace
3 Replace
On twisty bearings, some people stake the ends of the rods to tighten them up, but I'd use ones that are still tight.
your profile shows a 26. That is a very common year and you should not have any problems finding a complete used rear axle. Turn the drive shaft to feel turns smoothly, and if it has little end play or back and forth play. If it seems good, buy it and then disassemble it. Between the two you should find many good parts. If there are babbit thrust washers, they should be replaced. And any other part found not to be good should be replaced. Do re-thread any threads. If they are bad, replace the part. Pay special attention to the key on the pinion end of the driveshaft. Follow the directions in the booklet Rear axle or Ruckstell axle. If you live in a hilly area, a Ruckstell would be a good investment. Either way, the brakes depend on having a good differential, so do not skimp here.
Norm
Jim, look into the hundreds of posts on this subject in this forum and follow all the advice. And if you don't have the MTFCA book that explains the front and rear axles and buy the Model T Ford service manual. Also have your buddy that knows a lot about Model T's help you. If you don't have a friend like that make one. Even if you have to call him on the phone and ask questions on this forum. Lots of them.
Mike- I like your advice "ask your buddy that knows a lot about Model T's". Since I started this project I've met some of the nicest people that are willing to help or just stop over to talk. Every gas station we stopped at on the way home from Missouri attracted a few people that wanted to check out the car on the trailer. Been working on cars my whole life and the Model T crowd is amazing.