OT Driving a pre-T Ford

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: OT Driving a pre-T Ford
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Williamson on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 04:02 pm:

As I was motoring along in my Model T yesterday I wondered what the controls were like in previous models.

I understand that the very early (first 750 or so) Ts had left pedal low gear, right pedal transmission brake, a lever for the emergency brake (no neutral engaged by this lever) and a non-ratcheted lever for reverse (half way back or neutral).

I found an old post from 2005 on the forum that tells me that on the Model N, the Model R and the Model S: the left pedal is reverse, the center is the transmission brake, the right pedal the emergency/locking brake, and the lever is low (back), neutral (center) and high (forward).

What about other pre-T production models?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 09:15 pm:

Mark,

I believe Models A, C and B have a high/low lever, reverse pedal and brake pedal with ratchet. The difference between the NRS and A/B/C is no transmission brake. I don't know if the Model F is the same as ABC, or if there is a transmission brake too, as with NRS?

The 1906-1908 Model K has the same brakes and transmission as NRS, except the service brake is operated by a ratcheting lever outside the high/low lever instead of a ratcheting foot pedal (NRS).

Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stephen D Heatherly on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 11:07 pm:

This is how I understand it. The models A,C, and F have a lever for high and low, a reverse pedal, and a brake pedal with ratchet. The models a and c have a brake drum on the differential while the model F has a drum on each rear wheel. The models B and K have a low and high lever, a hand brake lever which operates drum brakes on the rear wheels, a transmission brake pedal, and a reverse pedal.

Stephen


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 11:43 pm:

Were the brake shoes lined on the model A, C and F Fords?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 04:37 am:

A few pics might (or might not) help.

Models A and C:




Model B:
The high speed (and low) is now outside the body of the car. Two pedals, one for reverse, and one to control the rear hub lined brakes.




Model K:

The service brake (hubs on wheels) are lined internal expanding. The high low lever and service brake (ratchet) levers are outside the body. Two pedals, reverse and transmission brake.



K transmission with wider brake band. Some 1926 Ford advertising would claim the "improved Ford" transmission, also with a wider brake band, was patterned from the Model K transmission.




N/R/S:

The rear brake shoes from NRS fit the Model T, and were unlined. With lined shoes on our N, I use the hub brakes exclusively to save wear and tear on the transmission.



I don't have a Model F description,

Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Morsher on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 09:42 am:

Brass shoes against steel drums, Roger


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 01:12 pm:

According to this "The Motor" description, (if i'm reading it correctly) the Model F had a pedal to operate the bronze to steel rear brakes, with a hand brake to operate the transmission brake (opposite of the Model K):




Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stephen D Heatherly on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 06:08 pm:

The model F does not have a transmission brake. Just the drums on the rear wheels. I was wrong in my post yesterday. The model B has just drum brakes on the rear wheels with no transmission brake. The pre-model T Ford catalogs can be viewed here. http://www.mtfca.com/books/bookmenu.htm

Stephen


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 07:38 pm:

Stephen,

I spoke with a Model F owner and he confirmed there is no transmission brake. This description was printed in an English publication. Either the photo is a drawi g, and wrong, or the prototype or English version had some type of gear shaft brake too?

Thanks for the information,

Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Morsher on Thursday, September 11, 2014 - 11:15 pm:

A good example of how gleaning info from advertising copy can be so inaccurate. I've not seen the picture before and it sure looks like some sort of brake lever, but the brakes were foot operated, with steel drums and brass shoes, not iron/bronze. I have some old original NRS shoes, and they are brass, worn to nearly nothing. ( I've made new shoes in silicon bronze, should last much longer than brass, and we may even put a brake lining material on them , too. )


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 12:38 am:

How (in)effective are brass shoes in a steel drum compared to the usual model T transmission brake?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 03:30 am:

Roger,
We used the bronze shoes on our Model N for a brief time, and they worked OK until the shoes get grease on them (didn't take long). I put lined T shoes on and have used them almost exclusively for stopping for several years.

Regarding the Model F article, it was a review conducted by the English magazine "The Motor," dated July 25th 1905. I believe the Model F shown in the article is a photograph and the car shows a license plate (A-1-LM) sequential with a Model C photo (participated in the 1905 Scottish Trials and published a few months earlier), leading me to suspect they were from the same Ford agent..

It appears to be, and the description describes a hand brake in addition to the standard foot pedal hub brakes. I wonder, why would this car seem to have a non standard additional brake? Was it an early (prototype) F? Did the English add the brake? Unfortunately my experience with Model F is little to none, maybe someone on the forum will have an idea about this. If some F models had a second brake, I believe it would be the first time Ford used two brake systems, a forunner to the upcoming K/N/R/S models.

Full text and article:





Second page:



Model C with sequential license (same dealer?) two months earlier:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Gould on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 08:54 am:

The brakes on my Model F are brass shoes running against steel drums on the rear wheels. They work fine. The car has only one brake, operated by a pedal with a ratchet. It is a hoot to drive, you feel like you are sitting on a chair high over the car. First time I rode in a Model F was at Bakersfield I was hooked.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stephen D Heatherly on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 03:23 pm:

Rob, so how do the drum brakes with the lined shoes on the model N compare with the transmission brake?

Stephen


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 04:47 pm:

Stephen,

I think about the same. For some reason, I like the feel of "sturdiness" when using the hub brakes. The transmission brake works fine, I just personally don't like wearing the transmission every time I use that brake. I do have to occasionally adjust the hub brakes independently to keep them grabbing the same, whereas the transmission brake only requires tightening one brake band.

Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Williamson on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 05:24 pm:

Thanks, everyone.

What a wealth of knowledge there is on this forum!


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