MTFCA Forum

The cross shaft will not rotate in the mounting brackets. How do you loosen them so it will? RUST

50/50 mix of acetone and transmission fluid works pretty well.

Stephen

That will break up the rust that currently keeps it from moving?

Yes, liquid wrench or a blue wrench to disolve the rust.

If it's not bolted into a frame, hit it with your torch, let cool and it will most likely be free or a little "bang-bang" with a small hammer will do it.

Will_Vanderburg wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 15, 2020 6:18 pm

That will break up the rust that currently keeps it from moving?

Yep. Might have to wiggle and tap on it until it comes free again.

Stephen

After you free the bracket up, be sure to pick out the old felt in the recess of the bracket which rests against the frame.

Put in a fresh small piece of felt and oil it, then from time to time, put a couple of drops of oil in the hole in the frame rail to keep those bracket bearings from rusting. Lots of water splash can cause it to stick again.

Also, make sure your pawl and quadrant are good before you mount the lever back in the car.

Stephen

The earlier brackets had a squarish body between the shaft and the frame, and these had a felt in them to retain the oil. The later ones just had a round drilled hole. I believe that hole had no felt.You just filled it with oil and let it run free. I could be wrong again.

Allan from down under.

Allan

Correct in earlier cross shaft brackets with square like recess for felt plug.
The later ones with round hole. But that hole also used a cylinder of felt too for oil wick.

Here is original, used a pick to pull away the old dry felt!

Dan, I had presumed that to be rusty accumulated crud in any I have pulled. I'll have to be more observant next time.
Thanks, Allan from down under.

Dan is correct. I read somewhere, maybe a parts book(?) a long time ago about those holes. My (Dallas's) '23TT and my '25 coupe have the round holes. I made new ones with a cheap hole punch and some leftover felt from some project. ( Really quite a technical project!) Dave

The Hand Brake is installed and works. I heated the offending mounting brackets with MAPP Gas and doused them with a garden hose. Bingo!

What does the felt do? I see those holes in my 26-27 frame and wondered if I should put a zerk fitting and a grease gun. Thanks for the clarification.

Felt keeps the dirt out whilst being oily for the moving parts. Unless fully yucked-up with dirt-rust.
I broke a shaft mount because it was rusted securely.
Welded it back together and went on.
Hmmm, I have felt and scissors.
Why the heck haven't I re-felted those holes?
Cotton waste would work too. Lightly stuffed down in the hole so the oil will get there also.
Notes from the peanut gallery.

This subject has been addressed before. Dan did a good job of clarifying things. Something some folks don't know is around 1921-2 Ford decided to drop the holes in the frame and brackets. It didn't work out, so they started doing it again. I guess only the record of changes would give the exact dates.

Learned something on this post about those felt wicks being in the holes in the handbrake. Didn’t realize they were originally there for lubrication and oiling. The ones I have looked at over the years were stopped up with crud or so I thought! If the shaft was rusted tight I don’t think I would force it and break it but that’s just me. I found more than a few that were stuck though!

After several years I’ll bet those wicks were forgotten about and owners would use light oil in the holes and forget about it as long as the handbrake would move. Lots of details on T’s were eventually overlooked and this surely is one of them!

Verry interesting. Thank you I cleaned my crud out and oiled both sides. Never had a clue felt was in there. probably first time in a hundred and five years oiled nice and smooth now