More 1911 Model T transmission assembly today. Drums install

Jun 3 (edited)

More 1911 Model T transmission assembly today.
Drums installed on transmission shaft.
Clutch hub installed. Must have had it on and off about eight times. Some machining was required to get the new brake drum, new thrust washers and old clutch hub to have the proper clearance. 0.015" - 0.022" is required and I'm dead on 0.015" so there's room for wear.
The new brake drum uses the '26-'27 style clips on the drum lugs to prevent the clutch discs from wearing into the brake drum.
New, original style steel clutch discs going in to replace the worn-out Turbo 400 clutches.
Clutch spring, pin and retainer installed.
This is why a Model T is great on poor roads and hard to stall. This whole assembly weighs about 70lbs.

#1911modelt #ifixstuffyoucant #sgmechanicalservice #prewarcar #modeltford

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Jun 3, 2026

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Replies (19)

· Jun 3

I admire your technical skills/capabilities. Thanks for sharing.

· Jun 3

Thank you.

· Jun 3

I'm curious. Are you self-taught?

· Jun 3

Yes, I apprenticed as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer but I find doing the same thing day in and day out very boring.
Mechanical stuff is the only thing I've ever been any good at. I have tried other things and nothing really stuck.

· Jun 3

Shawn, you have been doing a lot of work on this. Thanks for educating us. What is the lifespan of a clutch in a Model T?

· Jun 3

The original clutch should last the lifetime of the car. It's only for high gear (direct drive) and the steel clutch is pretty tough.
The aftermarket "improved" clutches will wear out fast if the driver isn't very careful to match rpm and avoid slipping the clutch when engaging high gear.
This car had a kit installed which uses clutch discs from a GM Turbo 400 transmission. There's another version called a Watts clutch which is similar.
Ford designed these cars to be operated by people who had never driven before. They're very tough and stand up to abuse very well. Most "upgrades" like a modified clutch or having the timer replaced with a distributor just cause more problems.

· Jun 3

Excellent work!

· Jun 3

Thank you.

· Jun 3

Is that brake drum the emergency or the only brake on a Model T?

· Jun 3

The brake in the transmission is the foot brake. It's a drive shaft brake.
The hand brake lever operates shoes inside the rear drums. It's really just for parking.
This car is getting upgraded brakes to handle daily abuse in downtown, Vancouver traffic.

· Jun 3

Thanks Shawn! I just learned something. Should the driver be leaning in to the hand brake more than the foot brake I guess?

· Jun 3

Not really, the hand brake applies steel shoes to a steel drum. It's certainly an emergency brake.
The driveshaft brake in the transmission is very effective if you keep your wits about you.

· Jun 3

Does the “Rocky Mountain” brake upgrade just tie the parking brake shoes to the pedal or is there an extra set of shoes.

· Jun 3

The Rocky Mountain brakes add an external, contracting band brake to the rear wheels which is worked by the foot pedal. Set up properly, the Rocky brakes will come on just before the driveshaft brake, they're very effective.
There's also a brake equalizer that can be installed to use the park brake shoes and the transmsission brake at the same time but I've never used one.

· Jun 3

Thanks for explaining that. I’ve heard of Rocky Mountain brakes plenty of times and it just never occurred to me to look into how they work.

· Jun 3

I'm installing a set on this car so stay tuned.

· Jun 4

Shawn, great job! I'm becoming an expert on the Model T.

· Jun 4

Glad to hear it.
An issue I have with the old car hobby is that there seems to be a group of folks who keep information to themselves and don't want to share.
I'm not going to be an old curmudgeon with a "why should I tell you" attitude. Too much information is being lost as people age out of this hobby.
I want to learn to pour babbitt but the one old guy I knew who was teaching stopped about 10 years ago and might even be dead now.
My instrument repair guy died a few years ago and I have no-one in Canada to turn to now.
I had a local kid lined up to help me in the shop who I was hoping to teach some of this to but the 20 minute drive from his house was too far.

· Jun 4

You are not wrong but I see that changing. I hope. There is the flip side where guys will tell you lots of things but they have no idea what they are talking about.