Climbing hills in a TT rev matching

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Climbing hills in a TT rev matching
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 12:07 pm:

Ok ,TT with Ruxsell and Warford. With large disc brakes.. Nice new cooling Radiator, high comp head. A few practice runs. I
Get a run at the Hill, then it gets slower up the hill, I rev engine to match the road speed, if I'm lucky I'll get a down shift in the warford. All at the same quick moment or use the Ruxsell down shift slow down eng then shift. I climb a bit further , then I slow down... Down , I am in low pedal.
I can climb the whole hill this way all the way to the. Top
. My question is I can't seem to go into High range( peddle out) without it bogging down or the clutch slipping, so I have to press for low pedal to make it up the grade. It seems to me with some trial and error that I would have to climb up the hill with just the low pedal -low gear. , I hate to but long long can I use low gear and climb for a bout 3 miles and the engine is reving pretty high ? Something has got to give like blowing the engine . Not to mention traffic coming up on me , if I pull over I'm off the power band , then there's no way to get to a higher gear unless I pulled over on a downhill level.
I have a feeling you guys are going to say this is how it is. ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 12:41 pm:

Steve,
Past a point, this is how it is. :-)

Seriously, no matter how many gear gizmos you put in it, it's still a 20 HP engine and will only pull so hard at a given final gear ratio, then it reaches it's limit. That's why you have lower gears, so you can make it at all. You're not going to get a TT, no matter how many transmissions you put in it, to do 55 MPH pulling up a grade. (Hot rods aside!)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 02:36 pm:

Ok thanks, good point about H.P.

How long can I stay in low climbing ? Foot pressed down in low. I have a electric fuel pump. All is covered but horse power


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 03:18 pm:

As long as you don't let the band slip (hold the pedal down firmly) you should be able to go all day in low, particularly if you're conservative on the throttle.

I have a Muncie in my TT. Instead of keeping the planetary in low, I prefer to put the Muncie in 1st and the planetary in hi because it less work for my foot. I don't know the exact ratio comparison, but it seems to work OK. You should probably experiment a little with the Ruckstell in low then in direct, using different combinations of the Warford and the planetary. I'm pretty sure you'll find a combination that works best for you, given the limitations of a TT.

There is one other factor you didn't mention. Are your rear end gears a low or high ratio set? If they're a high ratio set your're gonna have more trouble attempting a hill in high than you would if you have a low ratio set. Of course, the high ratio set along with the Warford will really scoot you along on the flat. Just another thing to think about.....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erik Barrett on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 03:27 pm:

Steve,
Call me and let's set up a meeting here. With the twelve forward gears at your command you should never need to use the low pedal, even with a stock engine. I use it only to get my TT moving from a dead stop. Really, you don't even need it for that. I have not adjusted my low band in the last decade. That being said, it is important that your clutch and associated linkage adjustments be correct. It makes a big improvement in drivability in any model T to have them correct. Rarely have I seen one that did not need some adjustment. Driving a TT equipped like yours takes many miles of practice. It is all about matching road speed to engine RPM. When my truck is loaded heavy, say a ton or more in the dump bed, I use 7 gear combinations from dead stop to overdrive. Some shifts involve both the Ruckstell and Warford. I don't have a foot throttle, just the "reach around" method to use the throttle. if you are in the area, let's get together.
Erik


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Sunday, June 08, 2014 - 06:55 pm:

Steve,
Erik is right on. You have way more gears than you usually need. Learning the best combinations to use will help you big time.

Erik,
You probably do not remember, but maybe 10 or 12 years ago we met. I purchased a TT axle shaft from you. I KNOW from your posts and meeting you that you know a LOT more about T's and TT's than I ever will.

However, just for the record, Steve's set-up actually provides 14 forward gears, I think. In Ruckstell straight thru he has 3 Warford gears with a low and a high each (6) and reverse/reverse offering one more forward combination for a total of 7. Then he has the same in Ruckstell low, so there are actually 14 forward combinations.

Interestingly, there are 10 reverse combinations, R/1, R/2, R/3, L/R, and H/R (5) in Ruckstell straight thru and another 5 in Ruckstell low.

So, can anyone do the math and figure out if any (and how many) combinations end up with the same engine to wheel ratio? :-) :-)

P.S. the above is based on my Muncie, which has an under-drive, a straigh-thru, an overdrive and a reverse. A Warford does have a reverse, right?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 01:11 am:

Warford and Chicago transmissions do not have their own reverse. Most (not all) model T and TT Muncie transmissions do have a reverse. Most Jumbo Giant transmissions also have their own reverse.
If I recall correctly, including R/R/RuckstellX2, You can have a total of 14 speeds forward and 12 speeds reverse to choose from with the model T high/low/reverse, Muncie (or Jumbo G) U/D/O/R, plus Ruckstell (Direct), and Ruckstell (under). That is 26 total speeds to choose from, although a few of them are seldom used. It has been a few years since I actually counted them. I had that combination in a speedster many year ago. I did once use the speedster to pull a stalled truck out of a back yard. Reverse/reverse/Ruckstell is a real stump-puller combination. I think the top speed in it is about 3 mph.
I like the gear combinations. My coupe has the model T (H/L/R), a Rocky Mountain Six Speed ((U/D/O)X2), plus the Ruckstell (H/Ruckstell). That gives me 12 speeds forward plus 6 speeds reverse. Should be the same count for Steve's TT. Should be enough to choose from.
Did I count all that right?
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erik Barrett on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 02:05 am:

Henry,
I remember very well our meeting when you were putting together your TT. I am glad that we both take our love for these trucks to heart and drive them. My TT dump truck is my favorite and if I could only keep one of the cars I have that would be it. Steve's truck has a Warford, not a Muncie, so the double reverse is not an option for him. The Warford does not have a reverse gear. Twelve forward gears is what Steve has. Two speeds from the model T transmission, multiplied by three available in the Warford, multiplied by two in the Ruckstell. It is a great combination in a TT truck.
Erik


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By george house on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 06:14 am:

Steve, I'm with Erik on this also. You should not even have to use low pedal with your set up. I have the same cast iron Warford and Ruckstel in the C Cab on my profile and I never use low band to get going. and I even have the 5.25/1 rear end. A bucket list event of mine is to take the C Cab to Pike's Peak.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 06:32 am:

Hey Steve how big and how long is this hill?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Anthony J Marino on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 07:21 am:

On long steep hills I usually end up in Muncie low and low pedal and Ruxtell low.

I have to actually hold my Muncie gear shift lever in low or else it will pop out of gear. There must be very high torque on the gears?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 10:04 am:

Thanks. I stand corrected! It's pretty flat here where I Live, so even with my Muncie and no Ruckstell I have more gears than I use most of the time.

I'm surprised you still remember me, Erik. For the rest of you - The day I went to Erik's place to buy an axle I had come directly from work. I had on a suit, white shirt and tie. Erik looked at me kinda funny as I got out of the car (a modern car), not knowing yet who I was or why I was there. I introduced myself and he said, "You don't LOOK like a Model T guy!" :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 10:18 am:

I guess I'm not understanding what is going on - if I put my Warford into underdrive and have the Ford trans in high, I can do about 20 mph MAX before I feel like the engine revs are just way too high. The only time I use Warford underdrive and low pedal is to put the car on and off of a trailer. It's so slow that even with if I rev the engine way up I'm barely moving faster than walking speed. If you have Ruckstell in low and the Warford in underdrive (Stick over to the right and up forward) even in Ford high I don't see how you don't have enough power to make it up ANY hill. That combo should be almost comically slow even at full throttle.

Like Erik said, if it is slipping in high gear that sounds a lot more like you need to adjust the clutch. Unless it's a really crazy hill I think you should be able to leave Ford in high and either put the Warford in underdrive, OR use the Ruckstell, but there shouldn't be any reason for both. If, however, it really is just a super steep, super long hill, then maybe both Ruckstell and Warford underdrive, but still Ford high the whole time.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Anthony J Marino on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 02:23 pm:

I usually start out in Ruckstell High, Muncie direct (or 2nd), and use the Ford low pedal to start out from a dead stop. It's very easy to then go the Ford high with the left pedal (at about 10 mph) and you accelerate up to speed. So that's just one foot movement to get going. I use my Ruckstell to downshift. My Muncie is so noisy in overdrive that I hesitate using Muncie overdrive! Plus there are no sychronizers, so you have to jam it into Muncie overdrive (or underdrive)!

I estimate my C Cab express bed in my profile weighs about 2500 lbs. with a toolbox, 30 in. front spare, and a 20 in. rear spare in the bed. I usually end up in Muncie underdrive, Ruckstell low, and Ford low pedal on most long steep hills.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Anthony J Marino on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 02:25 pm:

I always use the Muncie underdrive and Muncie reverse, on and off the trailer. It's real easy that way.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 03:01 pm:

Anthony,
The only problem with loading and unloading it from the trailer using those gears is that it probably takes an hour or so to drive it on or off! :-) :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Miller, Sequim WA on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 04:23 pm:

I'm curios about horsepower losses through auxiliary transmissions. If we're only starting with 20 HP and say we loose 2 HP through a Aux Trans that's 10% gone that we could normally use for top end speed. Where is the trade off or the detriment of too many boxes churning oil ?
I used to build Professional Race Cars and Trucks and unnecessary HP losses in the drivetrain were critical. The Gear Boxes and Differentials were always run with very light oils to help with the losses, Alternators were sometimes moved to the driveshafts to help with this as were also used, Dry sump oil pans, and windage trays ect...

Are we giving up top end HP for more lower end Gearing Especially in the TT's? Has anyone ever used a Dyno to test these losses before and after adding an Auxiliary transmission?

Just Curious.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 04:41 pm:

Last night , I used. High Ruxsell, high Warford , low Pedel in, keep climbing great. Only thing I may have to adjust the low band Pedel to the floor and it's slipping the clutch . Dyno would be great. I'll see if I can find one. Local. I seemed I have gained power. Since I built it, and no loss when installed the. Warford, a bit scary fast on the flats .
Here's what I have to keep up with the speedsters ,
Engine , stock bore, 009 Dist, with extra ground, electric fuel pump, late carb,high volume intake , Z alloy head, Chaffins dual exhaust manifold , with twin 1.5 inch pipes out the right side rear ,( more power off the line and mid range, top end about the same. But purrs when following others at 35 , Ruxsell and Warford. , and 60 psi. 30 weight in engine, and 90/140 w , in Trans and rear end With xtra passenger .

I just worry I got invited to a speedster. Endurance run. And there's a very large grade out of Bridgeport Ca. I hate to drive all the way up in low Pedel, something got to blow ??


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 07:02 pm:

Speedster-truck!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Monday, June 09, 2014 - 07:15 pm:

Speedster. Tow truck. Lol,, Wayne just trying to make History in. 2014. Duke says he drove his everywhere. Even to Tahoe , he will be mailing out some. T tour - runs soon . You should have took that block with you. The numbers say it's one that you made a good deal on and worth $6,000. You did well. Lol


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