Reluctant Ruckstell Resolved

[5 WoodenWheels]

A short while ago I posted about my Ruckstell being engaged all the time. Due to a series of events only a Model T owner could experience, I was left with no shifter but instead had the shift lock on the axle to reckon with. Nothing was working to get the Ruckstell disengaged so I could take a joy ride.

WARNING: You're not going to like this part.

I put the rear axle on jack stands, started the car. Put the wheels in motion. Reached through the spare tire from my position kneeling on the floor of the garage, firmly grasped the shift lock lever.

CLICK!

Took my joy ride after remembering of course to take the car off the jack stands. All back to normal save for the fact I need to order a shifter if I choose to continue with the Ruckstell.

Thanks for all the help.

Gerrit

[speedytinc]

Is the problem you dont know how to operate a ruckstell?

There is a skill that involves matching engine speed to road speed.
If you were able to shift it up in the air, there's nothing wrong.

Before you go much further & change something, read up on how to operate.

[Scott_Conger]

Glad to hear you had success. I'm not really surprised that it shifted, but that you previously could not get it to do so with the advice you received prior...to John's suggestion, you really must educate yourself to how it operates, and don't be tempted to take that advice as criticism. It is not necessarily the easiest thing to do if you expect it to act as a sliding gear transmission. I doubt that you will remain stumped by its operation, but there are some folks who just never really get it...My dad got his first Ruckstell when he was in his 80's and from his description(s) I suspect he's used up the life of it and it happened in pretty short order.

This is one of those times when having someone who is intimately knowledgeable on their operation coach you through several shifting scenarios so that you get the hang of it with minimal strain to the device. Whoever broke the shifter, welded and then rebroke it again shows that these things can successfully beat you if you let them...

Finally, adding a long-nose late style shift mechanism may well be the key toward your more easily shifting your axle. They are easier to use than the earlier short version. If you do go this route, research the Forum for some tips on adding a couple zerks to help keep things lubed up and shifting easily.

[Norman Kling]

What happened to your shift lever? Why is it missing? it will probably stay in Ford but you lose the advantage of a Ruckstell unless you can shift while driving.
Norm

[5 WoodenWheels]

Glad to hear you had success. I'm not really surprised that it shifted, but that you previously could not get it to do so with the advice you received prior...to John's suggestion, you really must educate yourself to how it operates, and don't be tempted to take that advice as criticism. It is not necessarily the easiest thing to do if you expect it to act as a sliding gear transmission. I doubt that you will remain stumped by its operation, but there are some folks who just never really get it...My dad got his first Ruckstell when he was in his 80's and from his description(s) I suspect he's used up the life of it and it happened in pretty short order.

This is one of those times when having someone who is intimately knowledgeable on their operation coach you through several shifting scenarios so that you get the hang of it with minimal strain to the device. Whoever broke the shifter, welded and then rebroke it again shows that these things can successfully beat you if you let them...

Finally, adding a long-nose late style shift mechanism may well be the key toward your more easily shifting your axle. They are easier to use than the earlier short version. If you do go this route, research the Forum for some tips on adding a couple zerks to help keep things lubed up and shifting easily.

Scott, thanks. I'm going to take a hands-off approach to the Ruckstell for now. Until I get together with someone experienced at shifting one, I'll leave it alone. In the meantime I am enjoying the additional space up front where the shifter was. I'll add this to the well of knowledge: The Ruckstell needs something approaching road speed or better to shift. My approach of spinning a wheel by hand and trying to shift did not work. And I tried it a lot. As with anything Model T-related, your results may vary. My situation was unusual in the respect that I was trying to shift at the axle itself without the benefit of the long shifter up in the car.

Very happy I have direct drive back. Caused me a scare.

Gerrit

[5 WoodenWheels]

What happened to your shift lever? Why is it missing? it will probably stay in Ford but you lose the advantage of a Ruckstell unless you can shift while driving.
Norm

Should be covered here:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34520&p=268220#p268220

[speedytinc]

I agree with the pleasant lack of a center shifter.
Unless you have a foot throttle, its more difficult to throttle & shift as required.
I see guys reaching around the steering wheel with their left hand to throttle, hugging the wheel. Never liked it. Makes shifting more clunky.

Consider a left side shifter. I make em from a second parking brake assembly. The lever sits to the left of the current parking brake lever. Way out of the way & can be made to look like an extra factory lever.

Left side shifter

[5 WoodenWheels]

I agree with the pleasant lack of a center shifter.
Unless you have a foot throttle, its more difficult to throttle & shift as required.
I see guys reaching around the steering wheel with their left hand to throttle, hugging the wheel. Never liked it. Makes shifting more clunky.

Consider a left side shifter. I make em from a second parking brake assembly. The lever sits to the left of the current parking brake lever. Way out of the way & can be made to look like an extra factory lever.IMG_20210627_191559462 (1).jpg

Definitely something to consider, thanks. I've seen that setup and it's much more convenient for shifting. Makes better use of the interior space, what little there is.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

I recently experienced something similar when driving on the Ohio Jamboree where the Ruckstell shift lock arm lever suddenly would not come out of Hi-range. Once I got it back to the shop, I disassembled the shifter assembly from the axle housing and found the inside of housing assembly was covered in light surface rust. I drained the axle housings and found it had water in it and milky lube. (For the 'criticizers' above, this Ruckstell had been completely gone thru about 6-7 years prior where we had baked the housings and all components and roto-blasted all of the components to bare metal. All wear areas had been rebuilt and machined on the shifter housing so it operated flawlessly and the driver knows how to shift one. ) The water likely entered the shifter housing during a tour a few months prior when we were all fording creeks and rivers. To reiterate, prior to that tour, the shifter has always shifted effortlessly. On this one, the plunger that the spring pushes against had become lodged in the housing from some rust. I disassembled everything and repolished the bore and the plunger. Reassembled and added a new piece of leather under the shift arm lever cap.

Additionally, I replaced the original plunger spring with a lighter weight spring which still holds enough tension however takes less lever pressure to move. While I was in there, I noticed there really wasn't any lubrication coming up from the differential lube, so I took the liberty to install era-authentic grease fittings where I can add grease to the plunger & roller area, and to the shift lock arm area. Hopefully the grease around the shift lock arm will slow down the access of water if we ever cross deeper bodies of water again. Also, lesson learned for me about checking rear ends after tours where we cross creeks.

.

[5 WoodenWheels]

I recently experienced something similar when driving on the Ohio Jamboree where the Ruckstell shift lock arm lever suddenly would not come out of Hi-range. Once I got it back to the shop, I disassembled the shifter assembly from the axle housing and found the inside of housing assembly was covered in light surface rust. I drained the axle housings and found it had water in it and milky lube. (For the 'criticizers' above, this Ruckstell had been completely gone thru about 6-7 years prior where we had baked the housings and all components and roto-blasted all of the components to bare metal. All wear areas had been rebuilt and machined on the shifter housing so it operated flawlessly and the driver knows how to shift one. ) The water likely entered the shifter housing during a tour a few months prior when we were all fording creeks and rivers. To reiterate, prior to that tour, the shifter has always shifted effortlessly. On this one, the plunger that the spring pushes against had become lodged in the housing from some rust. I disassembled everything and repolished the bore and the plunger. Reassembled and added a new piece of leather under the shift arm lever cap.

Additionally, I replaced the original plunger spring with a lighter weight spring which still holds enough tension however takes less lever pressure to move. While I was in there, I noticed there really wasn't any lubrication coming up from the differential lube, so I took the liberty to install era-authentic grease fittings where I can add grease to the plunger & roller area, and to the shift lock arm area. Hopefully the grease around the shift lock arm will slow down the access of water if we ever cross deeper bodies of water again. Also, lesson learned for me about checking rear ends after tours where we cross creeks.


Ruckstell Shifter 01.JPEG

Ruckstell Shifter 02.JPEG

Ruckstell Shifter 03.JPEG


Sounds like that Ruckstell put you through some life changes, glad it all worked out. Good advice to check the rear end after water crossings. I did put some liberal grease in my shift-lock upon reinstalling it, as I found it relied on no lubrication from the differential.

.

[JTT3]

Gerrit sent you an email. Here’s the part you need From Chaffin’s. Best John

[5 WoodenWheels]

Gerrit sent you an email. Here’s the part you need From Chaffin’s. Best John

Thank you, John. Very helpful as I thought I’d have to buy the whole shifter assembly from Lang’s. That’s how they sell it. My shifter is fine so that didn’t make any sense.
Thanks again

Gerrit

[Mark Gregush]

In the OP's post at the top: That is one thing about the Ruckstell's, they are not really standing still shiftable esp the early type shift lever housing setup. The later long nose type, were spring loaded so when all the internal gears were in alignment, the sliding clutch gear would be preloaded and would slide into place.
Things needed to be rotated till all the teeth lined up before the sliding clutch can engage/disengage unless of course the teeth just happen to be in correct alignment at the time. Trying to force it to engage, that could be why the handle bracket broke in the first/second place.

[JTT3]

Gerrit if this is your first Ruckstell you need to know the the swing to engage & disengage is a very short stroke not like a manual transmission. If you already know that please disregard. Best John

[5 WoodenWheels]

Gerrit if this is your first Ruckstell you need to know the the swing to engage & disengage is a very short stroke not like a manual transmission. If you already know that please disregard. Best John

Yes, first Ruckstell. That's helpful to know about the throw to engage/disengage. I'll get someone who's familiar with shifting one to ride along when I have my shifter and linkage back in place. I'll leave it alone until then. Grew up on stick-shift cars only, so I'm no stranger to shifting gears. Thanks for the suggestions and on another topic, great town name--Hot Coffee. We have Accident and Intercourse here in Maryland, among others.

Gerrit