Hi all,
I’ve had my T for 13 years of pretty trouble free driving, but having trouble today! I drove it today and ran great, and I was getting it ready for spring maintenance and pulled back in the garage. I took off my Ford timer to lubricate, and put back on. No start, maybe a random spark or two but not enough to start. Pulled off a dozen times and reattached, no luck. Feels nice and centered. Doesn’t look worn. Thought a gas issue, so swapped carbs. Carb is fine. Checked and verified timing, nothing changed. Removed grease, then tried went bone dry and nothing. Re-oiled with regular oil instead of grease.
I’m at a loss…. How strange? Never had issues with timer before. Any ideas all?
Car won’t start after lubricating timer
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Bmettli
Topic author - Posts: 73
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:46 pm
- First Name: Brian
- Last Name: Mettling
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 touring, 1933 Dodge
- Location: Dayton, Ohio - Centerville
- Board Member Since: 2013
Re: Car won’t start after lubricating timer
Should add coils are newer Ron P rebuilds too, so no issues there.
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TXGOAT2
- Posts: 7391
- Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:08 pm
- First Name: Pat
- Last Name: McNallen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926-7 roadster
- Location: Graham, Texas
- Board Member Since: 2021
Re: Car won’t start after lubricating timer
Light oil is what Ford recommended. I would clean it up, and be sure the wires are on correctly, and check the small spring to see that it is present and not broken. If the car ran well before, cleaning and oiling the timer should cause no harm. Grease may prevent the roller from making contact. Clean, light oil, like 10W or 20 W is best.
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KeithG
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2019 3:00 pm
- First Name: Keith
- Last Name: Gumbinger
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '14 Touring, '26 RPU, '27 Fordor, '27 Touring
- Location: Kenosha, WI
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
- Board Member Since: 1999
Re: Car won’t start after lubricating timer
Some camshafts have the hole in end where the pin for the brush that goes all the way through the camshaft. This means that you could put the brush in 180 degrees out of the correct position. The result would be very erratic mis-firing and possible backfiring. Take the brush off and see if that hole goes all the way through and if so, mount the brush pin from the opposite side.
Don't ask me how I know this.....
Keith
Don't ask me how I know this.....
Keith
Last edited by KeithG on Sat Apr 26, 2025 8:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
'14 Touring, '26 Roadster Pickup, '27 Fordor, '27 Touring
Motto: It's hard to build a garage that's tooooo big!
Motto: It's hard to build a garage that's tooooo big!
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Bmettli
Topic author - Posts: 73
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:46 pm
- First Name: Brian
- Last Name: Mettling
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 touring, 1933 Dodge
- Location: Dayton, Ohio - Centerville
- Board Member Since: 2013
Re: Car won’t start after lubricating timer
Txgoat you nailed it. Spring somehow flew off somewhere when i must have taken off the timer! THANK YOU
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Bmettli
Topic author - Posts: 73
- Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:46 pm
- First Name: Brian
- Last Name: Mettling
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 touring, 1933 Dodge
- Location: Dayton, Ohio - Centerville
- Board Member Since: 2013
Re: Car won’t start after lubricating timer
Problem solved. Thank you guys! Small stuff like that in plain sight but the eyes don’t see! Appreciate it
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Allan
- Posts: 6609
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: Car won’t start after lubricating timer
Had a somewhat similar happening on a national tour. A 1915 town car cam to an untimely halt. By the time i arrived at the scene, four other cars had stopped and heads were buried under the hood. Hand cranking caused the usual coil buzz but no start. Repeated hand cranking produced exactly the same buzz each time. I suggested the same coil was firing every time they cranked. On removal of the timer, the nut was almost wound off the camshaft, the pin retaining collar was about to follow it, and the pin was already laying in the bottom of the timer. Every time they cranked, the roller started to roll, but fell back to the bottom until the next attempt. Easy fix!
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.