Throttle lever slipping
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Topic author - Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:35 am
- First Name: Al
- Last Name: Cereske
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘26 coupe
- Location: Saginaw MI
- Board Member Since: 2021
Throttle lever slipping
On my 1926 Ford Model T coupe the throttle lever slips down making an unwanted acceleration especially if I have hit a bump. The notches where the lever is supposed to click in are almost worn smooth. How do I fix it?
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- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:49 am
- First Name: Mike
- Last Name: Walker
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 Roadster Pickup
- Location: NW Arkansas
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Bend the quadrant up so it's tighter against the lever. The real fix, of course, is to replace the quadrant with one which has notches. That's a lot of work.
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- 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: Throttle lever slipping
I believe one or more of the vendors sells a device consisting of two wooden blocks which clamp around the steering rod and lever rods below the firewall. The blocks can then be adjusted to give proper friction on the rods and prevent rattles.
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- Posts: 98
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 12:39 pm
- First Name: Jim
- Last Name: Spadafore
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 Touring
- Location: Fairmont,WV
- Board Member Since: 2016
Re: Throttle lever slipping
In addition to bending the quadrant up like Mike said, the grooves in the quadrant are probably worn almost smooth. You can dress them with a triangular needle file. The springs on the other side of the column mounting plate are probably worn out too, but will require you to partially disassemble your column to do it. The temporary fix for that is the wooden clamp already mentioned.
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- 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: Throttle lever slipping
Glueing some kind of rubber material to the quadrant might help.
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- Posts: 5370
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:57 pm
- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Gregush
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 cutdown PU, 1948 F2 Ford flat head 6 pickup 3 speed
- Location: Portland Or
- Board Member Since: 1999
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Another fix, which I have done, is to wrap a few turns of good stout cord tightly around the rods.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas!
1925 Cut down pickup
1948 Ford F2 pickup

1925 Cut down pickup
1948 Ford F2 pickup
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- First Name: Scott
- Last Name: Conger
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919
- Location: not near anywhere, WY
- Board Member Since: 2005
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Scott Conger
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny
NH Full Flow Float Valves™
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured
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- Posts: 6260
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:56 pm
- First Name: Frank
- Last Name: Brandi
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Speedsters (1919 w 1926 upgrades), 1926 (Ricardo Head)
- Location: Moline IL
- Board Member Since: 2018
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Pillory for you steering column. Whats old is new again 

- Attachments
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The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either.
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
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- Posts: 1957
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:23 pm
- First Name: Jeff
- Last Name: Humble
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Canadian coupe, 1924 TT C-cab, 1924 runabout
- Location: Charlevoix, Mi
- Board Member Since: 2006
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Your throttle lever may be bent and or worn where it contacts the quadrant, the quadrant may be bent or worn, the spring on the throttle rod may be broken or rusted or somehow damaged, or a combination of the above. What you describe is not normal, and the wood block recommended by some may be a good bandaid fix but is not the final solution.
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- Posts: 7237
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:37 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Jelf
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 touring and a few projects
- Location: Parkerfield, Kansas
- Board Member Since: 2007
- Contact:
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Titus told somebody on Facebook what year that Model T really was. 

The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring
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- Posts: 76
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:33 pm
- First Name: Joerg
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- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1916 Touring
- Location: FarFarAway (Germany)
- Board Member Since: 2014
Re: Throttle lever slipping
I do have the same issue with a slipping lever since I thought I should oil the connection at the carburetor - now gravity is doing it's work on the system and I have to hold the lever up when I want to decelerate.
Is not the quadrant a cast iron so it might break when bending ?
I did not dare to put stress on it until now.
Is not the quadrant a cast iron so it might break when bending ?
I did not dare to put stress on it until now.
1916 Touring
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- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Nunn
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Runabout
- Location: Bennington, NE
- Board Member Since: 2017
Re: Throttle lever slipping
The quadrants are drawn steel. There is a description of the manufacturing process in "The Ford Shops".joe.wal wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 7:23 amI do have the same issue with a slipping lever since I thought I should oil the connection at the carburetor - now gravity is doing it's work on the system and I have to hold the lever up when I want to decelerate.
Is not the quadrant a cast iron so it might break when bending ?
I did not dare to put stress on it until now.
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- Posts: 129
- Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 11:29 am
- First Name: leonard
- Last Name: simunek
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 touring. 1931 model a pickup, 1947 willys cj2a
- Location: waukomis, ok
Re: Throttle lever slipping
To bad that the steel quadrants are not being reproduced, I could use one on my 26 Touring.
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- First Name: Dave
- Last Name: Hjortnaes
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 24 Speedster, 20 touring
- Location: Men Falls, WI
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Do not forget to throw some rotten tomatoes, apples, or cabbages after you fix the quadrant. Personally I would throw them away from the car.
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- First Name: Larry
- Last Name: Smith
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 13 Touring, 13 Roadster, 17 Coupelet, 25 Roadster P/U
- Location: Lomita, California
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
Re: Throttle lever slipping
One thing I learned years ago, is to lift up on the spark and throttle levers when changing position. This saves wear on the quadrant.
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- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:51 am
- First Name: Richard
- Last Name: Eagle
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1909 TR 1914 TR 1915 Rd 1920 Spdstr 1922 Coupe 1925 Tudor
- Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Re: Throttle lever slipping
Thanks MWalker for the tip on bending the quadrant down. It worked great for me this morning. I had been putting off disassembly and adding heavier springs. This was much easier.
Rich
Rich
When did I do that?