Can a Model T make it up a steep hill in forward gear?

[Fleetwood Meadow]

Since this topic has taken up way too much of another thread where it hardly belongs, here is the conversation:

 

Do you need to drive a Model A or T up steep hills in reverse?

[JFranklin]

Only if the gas is too low in the tank to reach the carburetor.

[AzBob]

Have been around Model A Fords 50 years. Never heard of one having to back up a hill.

 

Model T's with the gas tank under the seat may be necessary depending on how much gas is in the tank and how steep and long the hill. 1926-'27 T's had the gas tanks in the cowl like the Model A.

(Except the Fordor.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by AzBob
Additional info. (see edit history)

[Bloo]

The issue is some cars are gravity feed from the gas tank to the carburetor. I can't imagine a situation where you would have to do that in a model A, but some model T (and also some other makes) have the gas tank under the front seat. The gas will not flow uphill without a pump. If you get the carburetor above the gas, you only have what is in the carburetor bowl. If the hill is a short bump, it probably wouldn't be a problem.

 

Out here in mountainous Washington State, there were some insane steep spots on our highways. Knapp's Hill (which I posted in the other thread) is probably the most ridiculous of them all, but there were also spots in our mountain passes that the older folks around here used to talk about needing to back up. Today they don't typically build highways steep like that. They will find some other way to build the road that makes the climb more gradual.

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[CHuDWah]

17 minutes ago, Fleetwood Meadow said:

Since this topic has taken up way too much of another thread where it hardly belongs, here is the conversation:

 

Do you need to drive a Model A or T up steep hills in reverse?

Actually, it did belong in that thread since it was presented as an Old Car Wives Tale.  But I ain't touching it again...no siree, not me!

[Trulyvintage]

It depends on how much fuel is in the tank combined with where the tank is mounted relative to the carburetor and how steep a grade the hill is and now long the hill is.

 

 

Jim 

[1937hd45]

Do you consider Pikes Peak to be a hill? Noel Bullock won it in 1922 with his model T Ford. 

[Tom D]

Not that low gear is not low enough, but I believe reverse gear is lower than forward low.

Tom

[R W Burgess]

20 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Do you consider Pikes Peak to be a hill? Noel Bullock won it in 1922 with his model T Ford. 

*

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He didn't even have a seat Bob? :-)   Probably under the hood.

[oldcarfudd]

There was an HCCA National Tour in Colorado Springs a few years ago.  Several cars, including a couple of Model Ts, climbed Pike's Peak. I didn't, but I took my bone stock '13 T runabout to Cripple Creek.  No problem at all; just don't let it get below 3 or 4 gallons.

[Joe in Canada]

I for one had to back up a hill being low on gas in my 15 T touring when on a vintage tour 4 years ago. My 12 T touring that I have been working on and off I did some mild modifying of the engine for more power on the hills.  

[f.f.jones]

How about the other direction, going down hills?

My father would tell stories of his father having to cut down a pine tree and tie the trunk to the back of his early Model T so he could safely proceed without a runaway situation. I don't know if that was a general concern back then, or great-grandpa just had lousy brakes on his car. This was on a particularly steep unpaved stretch of what is now Highway 101 in California.

Edited January 28, 2022 by f.f.jones (see edit history)

[tomcarnut]

With any brass era car or earlier Model T with the gas tank below the front seat you might have to back up a hill if the tank is low. Several years ago I was videoing a Reliability tour in Ohio. Got some good shots of Ron and Sally Barnett in their 1912 Hudson coming out of covered bridge and then up a hill. The car didn’t make it and rolled back down. I cranked it up and Ron backed the hill. When I started touring in my 1912 McLaughlin Buick and 1911 Model T, I remember to keep the tank above half on tours thus so far made the hills in a forward speed. An electric fuel pump on the McLaughlin did come in handy one time when I had to back down a steep drive to turn around and wait for traffic and the car died. Cranked up with after turning on the fuel pump and made it back.

 

 Tom

[Terry Bond]

I had probs on a steep hill on a tour once with our 14 T.   Late in the day, less than half tank full, the car started sputtering near the crest of a steep hill.  We all just leaned forward and made it.   Fortunately it was al down-hill from there, and a gas stop was close.

Terry