I know that T cranks have been known to break. Can anyone tell me where they break? Is it usually in the same place? Thanks
No, can and do break anywhere.
Everyone can get a laugh here as I have broken or been in cars where some 7 cranks have broken. No two broke in the same place. Everywhere from front main to rear web and seems like too many places in between.
Possibly a result of grinding?
I think it's just age our original Dodge Brothers crank lasted 101 years and then it broke. It will get it's place of honor on the garage wall.
When the original cranks broke in a friends 12 touring and in our 13 touring it also took out the rear main web in both blocks. Expensive to have repaired.
It's not if the original crank will break.....it's the when that is not known.
No offence Joss but I don't want you riding in my car. You seem to be the only common denominator to all the broken cranks!
I would be curious to know how undersize they were at the time they broke. Not that they're breaking because of being undersize, but that it might be an indication of how many hours of use were on the crank -- worn out, ground, used, worn out, ground, used, lather, rinse, repeat, etc.
That's not very scientific. It would just be neat to see if a pattern develops.
Walter
Steve made a survey a few years back:
I've got 29 reporting - of those early shafts total 14 - late style (not EE) is 6, EE is at 2 and 2 were accessory NZ - 5 reported cranks were not indicated as to type.
Of the 29 reported, Babbitt ball caps were 10, ball bearing was 9, other was 1 and 9 didn't indicate.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/405092.html?1386244352
My grandfather went across the U.S. from California to Massachusetts and back to California in 1926. He talked about having a broken crankshaft somewhere along the way. It isn't just because the cranks are 100 years old.
Norm
I have an old 1920's Sears catalog around here somewhere. They used to sell new Ford model T crankshafts. If you could order one from Sears, there must have been a pretty good demand for them...
If it works, don't fix it. Since Ford did several attempts to fix it, the original design must have been in error.
Les, I've said it before, but in some cases the two events have happened in reverse. The back web broke out and took the crankshaft with it.
I would like anyone who has this experience to take a close look at the break in the block for evidence the break line had been 'working' before the failure. Often the crack is polished as the two surfaces move against one another, until the final fresh crack as the breakout occurred.
I always closely inspect any block I intend using for any signs of cracking in the rear web. The cracks begin at the sharp machined face on which the rear main bolt heads go. I am almost at the stage of making crack testing mandatory before working on a block.
Hope this may avert a disaster or two.
Allan from downn under.