How does oil get to the main bearings and lifters?

[Will N]

I've been reading everything I have, trying to understand the engine oiling system. I haven't run across anything that explains clearly how the oil gets to the main bearings. I understand that there is a funnel and tube that picks up the oil that's being slung around by the flywheel, but it seems that tube leads to the area of the front main only. How do the center and rear mains get oil? Is it by splash only? Does the tube to the front main actually lead directly to the bearing, or is it to the timing gear, and the spray from that ends up oiling the bearing?

I'm more familiar with the Model A engine, where the oil is pumped up to the valve chamber, and there are galleries drilled from the chamber to the mains, with the babbit being drilled and the bearing surface cross cut. I imagine that oil in the T engine also gets to the valve chambers to lube the lifters and guides, but how does the oil get up in there?

[dumb person]

Does this picture give a clearer idea? Note the hand is holding a mirror to show what the area above the main bearing looks like. Splash feed

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

Splash and more splash !!! Absolutely amazing how much oil a T engine can move around in the engine. Just let one little screw get loose and see how much oil you can splash out on the garage floor.
Had mine out today and drove to a show at our shop. Still amazing how there is NO water pump, no oil pump and no fuel pump........and runs like a champ!!

[Will N]

D.P., I can't quite orient what you're showing in your picture with the mirror. I think I make out a cylinder bore, but which main are you showing? Can you describe what you're showing in relation to this picture? Is it that the holes shown in the bearing surfaces are open to the crank case, and do not go up through galleries in the webs into the valve chamber, like in the Model A engine? If so, then oil splashing around in the crank case settles on the top of the mains and runs into these holes to the bearing surface?

Is the hole in the front main not open to the crank case, but open only to the the front of the engine where the timing and crank gears are?

How does the oil get up to the valve chamber to lube the valve guides? More holes between the crank case and the valve chamber, more random splash?

[Mike V. Florida]

A model of simplicity, the lubrication system for the Model T was the then popular splash method. The engine pan early on had three impressions, one under each conrod, with a fourth being added in later years. Once filled with oil, the rotation of the crank splashed oil pooled in these impressions, the excess flowing backwards to the sump. The flywheel, fitted with paddles, also added to the effect as it rotated. To improve oil supply to the front bearings, an internal oil pipe is fitted with a collector, directing oil from behind the flywheel/magneto as it drips down from the top of the trasmission case and gravity feeds along the pipe, exiting near the front main bearing. Unfortunately, the main flaw with this system occurred when climbing steep hills. The effect of the gradient and gravity, drastically reduced the oil flowing to the front of the engine. In addition, loose fibres released from the cotton transmission bands eventually clogged the oil line if it wasn't cleaned.

[dumb person]

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It appears that the valve chamber is oiled by oil vapour carried by fumes alone, the fumes enter through 2 small holes in the bottom of the valve chambers (except on early engines that had exposed valve springs).
The picture depicts the 3rd main bearing, on top of the bearing is a small hole drilled into the area where the crankshaft turns. The hole is at the top so oil dripping from the cylinder walls will hopfully drip into the holes as shown by the mirror. The second main bearing has a similar hole opening into the area near #2 cylinder. The front main bearing has the hole open to the very front where the camshaft gears are.

[Will N]

Thanks everyone! Interesting how the valve guides get lubed by oil vapor. I once left the dipstick out of my Model A, and took her for a short drive before I realized what I had done. The dipstick hole is maybe 1/4 inch. The entire engine compartment was coated by a film of oil. So I can understand how the vapors could make it through those holdes in the bottom of the valve chamber and coat everthing.

[Lowell Fast]

How do you get at the "oil feed tube" to clear or clean it .?

[Will N]

When I had the hogshead off to reline the transmission bands, the funnel end of the oil feed tube became accessible.

[Royce P]

Here is a full tutorial on how the Model T Ford oiling system works:

https://modeltfordfix.com/the-model-...cation-system/