Correct Position for Neutral?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Correct Position for Neutral?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Chochole on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 03:55 pm:

Just wanted to check- I rebuilt my axle and rear end, and the car seemed a bit sluggish today on the road. It was also a bit hard to push by hand in neutral inside the garage- more than I think it should be. I snapped a pic of the arm and cam on the transmission- with service brake in vertical (neutral) position, is this correct for the bolt to still be at the top? Just wanted to check. Thanks!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 04:08 pm:

Not the greatest picture, but on mine the bolt rides up further onto the flatter part of the cam when my brake handle is vertical. Maybe your cam has shifted on the crossbar due to loose rivets? If the cam and rivets check out OK, can you pull the lever a little further back without engaging the parking brakes?

On mine, I can tell by feel when the bolt has moved past the steep part of the cam and has ridden up onto the flatter part.

cam


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Vaughn on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 04:17 pm:

When the clutch pedal is all the way back (High gear) the pedal should travel 1 inch forward (neutral) when you pull the hand brake.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Chochole on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 04:31 pm:

Thanks- I'll check that movement!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 04:35 pm:

James,

There is no "correct" position for the stick to be in when the car is in neutral. In the photo you show, the adjusting bolt on the clutch arm has not yet ridden far enough up the clutch cam to indicate that it's actually in neutral. (Might be, but just barely)

The stick is in the neutral position when the adjusting bolt on the clutch arm has ridden fully up the "ramp" & onto the cam surface, regardless of the actual position of the stick.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Chochole on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 05:15 pm:

Thanks Jerry!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 05:50 pm:

If you can't get the bolt to ride on the flat part of the cam with the brake lever all the way back, you might need to loosen the parking brake. Loosen each rod 1/2 turn at a time until you get the neutral right. Then check the parking brake by going at a slow speed and pull the parking brake. If it pulls to one side, loosen that side 1/2 turn and try again. After you get the brake to pull straight, be sure you have enough movement left in the lever to completely lock the brake.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Monday, August 18, 2014 - 09:41 pm:

The hand brake lever should NEVER be clear back near the seat with the wheels locked. You need leverage to pull with and room not to pinch your hand.
Provided that the brake-cross-shaft-clutch-cam is not distorted or otherwise in bad condition, you cannot have any more neutral than at the point the clutch-arm-bolt sits upon the curved (flat relatively speaking) part of the cam at the top of the sharp ramp. If it is not in neutral there, it will not be in neutral anywhere.
I usually put the bolt into the clutch cross arm with the bolt-head down. I grind a smooth ramp onto one side of the bolt-head and find a good adjustment with the bolt-head ramp and cam ramp facing each other. That makes the clutch and brake handle work very smoothly. I like to have the brake handle pull back about another two inches only to begin locking the rear wheels.
All of this working really well is also dependent upon proper adjustments of the clutch/low pedal and clutch fingers inside the transmission.
A tip. Due to wear, a slightly longer link is sometimes needed between the clutch pedal and the other end of that 'T' arm in the hogshead.
Some of the service books, readily available from the many T parts dealers, go into detail of all those adjustments. Or so I have been told. They were not so readily available the first time I worked on a model T clutch, so I had to figure it out myself and never have bought one. My Ts have always seemed to work well once I got them set up.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 - 11:18 am:

For clarification, what I mean by all the way back, does not mean back by the seat. What I meant was when it is pulled as far back as you can pull it. When the brakes lock, the lever cannot be pulled any farther back. Sorry if I confused anyone.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 - 04:59 pm:

I pretty much knew that you knew that Norman. I just felt the need to clarify it because I have seen SO many Ts with the handle within an inch of pressed against the seat. A person couldn't even put good pressure on the lever there if they needed to. I have seen more than a few where the handle actually hit the seat. Some that crept even because the brake wouldn't set. These on club tours. Guess I am strange. I like brakes that work like they are supposed to. I even like model T brakes, as long as they work like they are supposed to (with the one modification of lined shoes in the rear drums).
Thank you, Norman, I also should have been more clear in things I said.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


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