Technical Crazy questions: Model T engine

Long steep hills could burn out a bearing but usually didn't because the car ran out of gas first. The tank was under the seat (in the back on coupes) feeding the carburetor by gravity, no fuel pump. If the carb was higher than the fuel level it got no gas, so if you were low on gas the car would not climb a hill.
The solution was to back up the hill which raised the fuel tank above the carb and also made the oil run to the front bearing solving both problems.

 

The oil system is pretty wild...the magnets of the magneto are on the flywheel, and dip into the oil sump as the flywheel turns. There's a little funnel thing that catches drips from the magnets, and they run through a tube to the front of the engine, and end up at the timing gears. From there, the oil runs back along the oil pan, and there is a little pool of oil below each connecting rod...so it gets splashed about pretty well. The mains get splashed oil, that runs down the inside of the crank case, and then through a hole above each main bearing.

The valve stems don't get much oil....and the side cover has a hole in it, where the throttle linkage passes through the middle of the engine.

The "improved cars" built in 26 and 27 have the tank in the cowl on some models, so they'll keep chugging up that hill as long as you want, or until the lack of oil causes a problem, or you decide that the water has boiled away enough and you give it a rest.

 

That would be perfect for anyone in your family or circle of friends who needs to take their road test at the DOT driver examination station.

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