MTFCA Forum

How do I adjust my brake pedal?

You should have a copy of the T1 service manual & operating instructions.
These basic questions are answered from the source. Stuff like oil level, spark advance, starting procedure, tire inflation, etc.

That being said. remove the 6 cover screws & tighten the adjusting nut corresponding to that pedal. tighten to the point the pedal lifts off the cam a little & moves freely before that point.

What John said. See pages 134-135. The pedal should be adjusted up far enough that it doesn't hit the floor when fully applied. It should have lots of free play.

There are two Ford tools for adjusting the brake and reverse bands. If you don't have either yet, you can put them on your Model T shopping list.

The #1917 band adjustment wrench is plentiful and cheap because it was one of the tools issued with every car. You are practically guaranteed to find it at any swap meet with Model T stuff. I see them at Hershey, usually priced well under $5, many times for $2.


The Z tools are Ford shop tools. This one does the same job as the #1917 wrench, but without the tedium of having to flip the wrench around after every movement of the the adjusting nut. It's not as plentiful as the other wrench, but isn't rare. It can often be found at swap meets.

P.S. be very careful not to drop anything into the transmission. Hardware, ign key, tools, etc.

You'll see notches on the backside of the adjuster nut. Those notches line up with little "bumps" on the washer sitting behind the nut. When you tighten the nut, only turn it far enough so that the bumps on the washer engage with the notches on the nut. Bottom line, only adjust the nut in 1/2 turn increments. In other words, a 1/2 turn at a time.

DON'T OVERTIGHTEN!! Plus, tir a sturdy string on the opposite end of ur tightening wrench just in case you have an "oops, did i just drop that"?!

Thank you all!