Old-Fashioned Model T Band Change: Bailing Wire Method

[Matt in California]

I recently replaced the brake band on my Model T and ended up doing it in a way some of you might appreciate (or laugh at). I didn’t have the proper band-changing tool available, so I improvised with bailing wire to snake the new band around the drum.

I also chose to do the whole job in the car, without pulling the hogshead. It took some patience and a few choice words, but it ultimately worked. I filmed the process in case it’s helpful to others, or if anyone wants to comment on better techniques or things I should try next time.

Here’s the video if you’d like to take a look:
https://youtu.be/Mfq15zHDguA?si=tIYA2AfIvGVJao_Y
I included both real-time footage and some high-speed sections to show the fiddly parts without making it a long slog.
Would love to hear how others approach band changes in-car — tips, tricks, or tools you swear by.

Matt

[John kuehn]

No laughing here. I used a Oxy-Acetelyne welding rod. You can also use a coat hanger to do it. 1” banding also works OK. The 1” banding with a split brown handle about 6” long makes for a good handle for it too.

Here an advertisement from Ford about Joe Snow and how long it took for him to do it. I’ve never done it that fast. The add doesn’t say if he used some kind of tool to pull out the bands though!

In the Ford dealerships the mechanics had it down because of the number of times they had to do it. Most of us aren’t pressed for time these days and not being able to do all kinds of twisting and turning to do it. But I did remember to put new bands in when I had the engine out of the car to rebuild it. That made it much easier!!

[Matt in California]

Thanks, John! Good to know I’m not the only one who’s improvised a “band tool” out of whatever was on hand. A coat hanger or welding rod probably would’ve saved me a little grief, but the bailing wire did the job in the end.

That Ford advertisement is great — I hadn’t seen it before. I’ve wondered what kind of magic Joe Snow was using to get it done that quickly. Certainly wasn’t my experience!

Matt

[big2bird]

Changing bands in a finished car is the best selling point for Kevlar. At 6'3", its just flat horrible.

[John kuehn]

I’ve wondered about the add too! It says he changed them in 12 minutes but does that include bradding on the band material ? The Ford service manual says that one man doing the job should do it in 40 minutes with improved bands with removable ears. But that’s way too fast for me.
The times listed in the manual for service work really doesn’t seem possible for a lot of the services. Maybe practice makes perfect. Almost!!

The add says a postcard will give you full details for Joe Snows work and I would love to see it!

[big2bird]

It takes 10 minutes to remove the mats and floorboards , and reinstall them after

[Moxie26]

This first timer definitely needed to do some reading and research before attacking what he did....and No attempt to true up the band to the drum before installing lining.

[John kuehn]

And don’t forget the rag stuffing procedure. I wonder if Joe had time to do that!

[Allan]

What is bailing wire? Bailing is what one normally does when the boat is sinking.

Allan from down under.

[John kuehn]

Here in the states it’s called baling wire and it’s used to tightly hold the bale of hay together. I grew up in Texas and raise cattle. Most if not all the large round or rolls of hay is held together with heavy twine or something similiar but not wire. Wire is used for the small 75 lb. small rectangular bales.
It’s gotten to be kind of nickname of sorts over time to fix most anything and hold it together. Kind of like fixing things with a good pair of pliers and “baling wire”!
Some call it mechanics wire which comes in different gauges.

Here’s and earlier post about the company that came up with the detachable band idea. I didn’t know about Ford getting sued about it years ago. http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/11 ... 1276447334

Ford copied the idea and then lost the case in court because of patent infringement.

[Craig Leach]

I grew up with the term Haywire which was a description for something going so wrong that the only way to solve it was holding it together with
Haywire which was the term for the wire used in the bailing of hay ( straw, alfalfa, Bermuda or any cattle feed that was bailed) It has many uses
in the automotive world. I once took a T axle apart that had wire wrapped around the axle to form a bushing when the Hyett bearing failed? It
must have worked because it was very worn as was the axle. Nowadays they use plastic twine which has no real use in side of the road repairs!
Craig.

[Allan]

Craig, I am familiar with the term haywire for something that has gone out of control. I believed it was a reference to the spools of wire used in wire tie hay balers, getting in a tangled mess when things went wrong. Something has gone haywire!. That soft wire is still one of the best oxy welding wires.

Allan from down under,

[love2T's]

What is bailing wire? Bailing is what one normally does when the boat is sinking.

Allan from down under.

Being a former boater this one made me LMAO!!
Good one Allan!

[Rich P. Bingham]

BALE - noun - a bundle of hay, straw, cotton, paper, etc. tightly bound with string, wire or hoops.
- verb - make (something) into bales. “We baled a lot of hay this morning.”

BAIL - verb - to scoop water out of a boat, tub or tank.
- noun - about a dozen definitions too complicated to put down here !!

I haven’t seen a wire baler for over 50 years. The one time I did, it was a touchy machine that threatened to “go all haywire” if not properly adjusted. Handling spools of wire to feed the beast was an iffy proposition ! All the old timers would use the expression “gone all haywire” for any situation that was a snarled mess and out of control, whether it was machinery, or handling livestock, or just an all-around bad day.

The usefulness of “haywire” long outlived its use in baling hay or straw, though I don’t recall anyone buying any when string balers came along. There was always a lot of wire left over in feed lots and junk piles. Baling wire was the universal method of repair before duct tape !

[Corey Walker]

I just finished putting a motor together and I don’t have the band clamp tool so I wired them all up with baling wire. Good for making cotter pins if you can’t find one, I’ve got it holding the muffler up on my 88 GMC where the tailpipe rusted in two as well.

[RajoRacer]

I use nylon zip ties to hold all together whilst replacing the cover - they USUALLY slip out from under the band ears but being nylon, if a small piece goes AWOL, it really can't damage anything.

[love2T's]

I use nylon zip ties to hold all together whilst replacing the cover - they USUALLY slip out from under the band ears but being nylon, if a small piece goes AWOL, it really can't damage anything.

Took the words right off of my keyboard! If ya lose some part yep they'll just be ground up!

[kevinf]

Not to confuse the issue, but here is a wire tie baler in operation. It's a 1922 Missouri Mule hay press. And hit to keep the discussion on task, Sammy T Shaw, is providing the power. Sorry we were'nt baling that day.
Enjoy, Kevin

[Matt in California]

Thanks for all the responses! I didn’t expect a vocabulary lesson, an engineering lecture, and a comedy show all at once, but here we are. I really enjoyed reading everyone’s explanations and learning from you all. I had no idea my misspelling of baling would take on a life of its own and spark so much discussion—apparently one wrong vowel can start a small linguistic wildfire. Lesson learned.

I also appreciate the comments about using Kevlar or similar materials to avoid having to redo this very often. That definitely makes sense, and I can see the long-term value in investing in something built to last.

And truly—I appreciate all the input, even the teasing. It’s part of what makes this group fun. Thanks again to everyone who jumped in with advice, corrections, and a good laugh.

Also, Robert mentioned “no attempt to true up the band to the drum before installing the lining.” I thought I had done that by fitting the band around my drum jig (as shown in the video), but I may be missing something. Robert, could you explain what I should look for or do differently? I’d really like to understand this better.

Matt

[RajoRacer]

I might add that I mount my linings to the bands then soak in an old Dutch oven - takes 1 gallon of oil but can do all 3 at the same time with small sticks holding them slightly apart - a couple days soaking then I hang them over the pot with sticks to drip off - still messy but not as messy as doing it your way.

[Rich P. Bingham]

. . . a 1922 Missouri Mule hay press . . .

Kevin, many thanks for posting that !
(Worth noting these early “hay presses” worked stationary. Hay had to be brought to the press, as opposed to the “modern” balers that would pick up windrows in the field.)

[Rich P. Bingham]

. . . I mount my linings to the bands then soak in an old Dutch oven -

I do the same thing, Steve. I believe it makes a big difference in how cotton linings wear. FWIW, the Ford manual recommends it !

[Rich P. Bingham]

. . . Robert mentioned “no attempt to true up the band to the drum before installing the lining.” . . . ?

Just about every T owner who has changed bands a few times will have his own ideas, and will prefer methods (or the lack thereof) that work best for him. T’s are rugged and forgiving, so there’s a pretty wide gamut of what will “work”.

That said, anyone who has worked on any number of Ts will have noted how band linings wear unevenly, sometimes to the point of failure, when the bands are out of round or sprung. They still work, though !

The best service and performance is to be had when the band is concentric with the drum, and not bent or distorted in some way. Truing the band is best accomplished before installing a new lining. It’s for this reason I have never liked the “quick change” removable ear bands snaked through the trans cover inspection opening.

It’s all fun and challenging, and learning the ropes is the essence of the hobby ! (fun for some, not for all !)