OK fellow EXPERTS, today I pulled my hogs head to repair a leaking gasket. The rear mail turned a little so I wanted to check to be sure when I turned it back to line up the bolt holes the oil hole in the bearing would be pointing to 12 o'clock. I checked all the way around and no hole to be found! My T is a November 1911 build, did they not have oil holes in the rear main back then? By the way this is a fresh rebuilt engine in the car that I purchased some time ago.Thanks for any help! Happy Holidays

It should have an oil hole. I wonder if the hole is there but full of babbitt?

I've re-poured a few early ones and they had 4 holes, 3 of which are anchors, filled with the babbitt and #4 drilled + an oil channel, an early parts book also shows this. Even if a later one is used, the single hole should still be there even if it's filled with babbitt, to have no sign of a hole at all, I've never come across one yet.

Royce, I looked it over pretty good, darn if I could see any trace of a hole!

Need to drill one.

OH Boy, I guess I'll have to pull the rear end back to get it out, OH BOY!Don't think it would be smart to drill it in the car for sure. Thanks for the quick response.

Some of the after market ball caps did not have the oil hole. FWIW

I have found a few with no hole, I don't think it really made much difference as oil is still going to get in there. KGB

I was thinking about the same thing as Keith. I bet there is still plenty of oil that get in esp if there is any wear. I have seen recommendations to turn the 4th so the hole is to one side if it's a little loose to stem the over oiling of the u-joint.

About 25 to 30 percent of ball caps we have spun poured did not have an oil hole, as we drilled them in the boring machine.

My guess is that if they were Fords, and I don't know, the earlier caps may not have been drilled.

The 4 hole cap Frank talks about is an after market ball cap, and a bad one at that. It has a rolled housing that caries the Babbitt, and the Babbitt is 2 times as thick, and were always filled with lead Babbitt.

Herm.

Thanks everyone, sounds like the proper thing to do is pull the cap out and drill a hole for proper lubrication.

Bob, I think you have confused Frank by referring to the ball cap as the rear main cap. He has told you of the way the babbit is poured in the engine block, and how there is a need for a hole to allow engine oil to lubricate the rear main.

Then Herm picked up on the same mis-description, referring to the four bolt holes in the cap.

Or am I the confused one?
Allan from down under.

No Allan, ball cap is what it was, I've come across the one I described in early Canadian T's, Herm picked up on that it's a after marked one but I think it's just another one of those Canadian oddities that we find that was different from USA.

Have one of those hole-less ball caps too.

Thought it to be an aftermarket cap. But don't know.

Interesting, the non-hole has an O.D. on the bushing of 1.95", while the regular type with single hole measures 1.85". So the non-hole has a beefier bushing bore cylinder.

Dan's pictures are correct, this is the part in question. One things for sure, Ole' Henry would have never drilled a hole if it wasn't was needed. Every operation was money and he was all about saving money and time. I hope to pull it out tomorrow and check the clearances along with drill the necessary hole. I'll measure the OD to see what I have & report back. Thanks for everyone's interest.

Bob

Thanks for checking the bore O.D. too.

Found in Bruce's CD Ency looking up the Part # 3369 Univ Ball Cap, front, which has Factory # T-819D there are notes on this part.

Seems T-819D was changed on 04-22-20 according to Accession documents to have a 3/8" hole added to the top of the bushing. So, perhaps these are caps prior to April 1920 that are hole-less.