By Trent E. Boggess, Ph.D.Department of Businessplymouth State Collegeplymouth, NH03264E-Mail
Releases: A Description and How They Can Be Used To Date Changes In The Model T Ford
By Trent E. Boggess, Ph.D.Department of BusinessPlymouth State CollegePlymouth, NH03264E-Mail:
One of the popular legends that surrounds Henry Ford is that he abhorred paper work, especially forms and records. At least where the design and engineering of the Model T is concerned, quite the opposite is true.
The engineering department of the Ford Motor Company kept extensive records regarding each part of the Model T. These records include the mechanical drawings of the parts themselves, detailed material specifications for the parts, step by step instructions for producing the parts, cost records, and a list of changes made in each of the parts over time.
Many of these records have survived and are now preserved and stored at the ResearchCenter of the HenryFordMuseum and GreenfieldVillage. One of the most important body of records to those interested in documenting how the Model T evolved over its 19 year production run is the chronological list of changes for each part. These lists are officially titled "Record of Changes", but are usually referred to as the 'releases' by the staff at the ResearchCenter since they also signified when a change in a part was approved and released for production.
Unlike a library where books and materials are organized by a catalog number that is determined by the subject, the ResearchCenter is an archive. Most of the documents housed there were formerly part of the Ford Archives (a division of the Ford Motor Company). In an archive, documents are organized by accession. A body of documents arriving together at an archive are always kept together, if possible in exactly the order received. The body of documents is called an accession, and assigned an accession number. Most of the engineering documents relating to the Model T are on microfilm and are to be found in Accession #1701 at the ResearchCenter. One small portion of this accession are the releases pertaining to the Model T. It appears as though the collection of releases is virtually complete and that they cover almost every part ever used on the Model T right down to the nuts, bolts and cotter pins.
To understand the importance of the releases, one first has to have an overview of the factory part numbering system and the process by which changes in parts took place. In the Ford Motor Company during the Model T era, every item used to make a Model T had a factory number associated with it. These factory numbers began with the prefix "T" and are independent of the part numbers found in Model T parts catalogs. For example, the crankcase was assigned the factory number T-1526. The crankcase, however, is also an assembly of many other components. The major components included the large steel stamping of the crankcase (T-800), the crankcase arms (T-815), the front support forging (T-801), the front wall (T-808), the front radius rod ball socket (T-809), the rear flange (T-899) and the drain plug (T-817). Even the rivets used to assemble the crankcase had T numbers assigned to them.
When the Ford engineers decided to change a component of the Model T, the blueprints drawings of the new design were drafted, and the new design was approved for production in a "factory letter". The letter would detail all of the design changes that were being approved on that date and the name of the factory official who was approving the changes. The changes were then entered on the "Record of Changes" form for the particular T-numbered component being changed. Thus the releases provide a description of the change, who authorized the change, the number of the factory letter authorizing the change, and the DATE of the change.
Another interesting feature of the factory numbering system was how the number changed when the change in the component was major. Take for example the crankcase lower cover, T-1582. When the four dip pan was introduced in 1924, a new, larger design crankcase lower cover was used. To distinguish the new cover from the old, the T number for the new cover was give a "B" suffix to become T-1582B. Old three dip design was re-designated as T-1582A. Since the new four dip lower cover was not interchangeable with the lower cover on older three dip pans, it was necessary to continue the old cover in production as a replacement part. To indicate this status the part was given an additional "R" suffix to become T-1582AR.
As already mentioned, one of the most significant aspects of the releases are the dates of the changes. However, it should be emphasized that this date represents the day the change was adopted, not the actual date that production of the modified component began. In the majority of circumstances, the modified part appeared in production after the date of adoption specified in the release. The time lag between adoption and appearance in production varies between components from as little as a few days to as much as six months, but in general modified parts appeared in production not long after the date specified in the releases.
It should also be noted that even when a new design part was adopted, the old design may have continued in production for some time thereafter. This is because new machinery may have been required to produce the part of the new design. For example, the release for the single valve cover engine blocks states that this design was approved on October 18, 1921 and that the new design was to be initially produced at the rate of 100 per day. During the next six months the production of the one piece valve cover cylinder was increased and the old two piece valve cover design was phased out. But during that period, cars using both designs of cylinder blocks were produced.
Model T owners who wish to use the releases to make sure their car uses the correct style parts should keep in mind that the dates specified in the releases are the first possible date that the new design could have appeared. Older designs may have remained in production for some time after the new designs were approved for use.
BACK to RESTORATION INDEX [Hap’s comment -- Jun 28, 2010 – that link no longer works]
Return To the Model T Ford Club International Home Page