Twin Cities Model A Ford Club Tech Tips

The original drawing shows the proper dimensions for the spring.  the collapsed length is 7/8" and the load length (installed length) is 1-1/8".  Many replacement springs are 1-1/8" when fully collapsed!  If your springs are out of the car, collapse one in a vise and measure the height.  Replace them if they are as tall as described.

(from Marco Tahtaras)

Steering Gear Box:

In October of 1929 the filler plug on the steering gearbox was a grease fitting. It was at that time replaced with a plug. However, grease should never be used, only 600W lubricant, the same as used in the transmission.

Ignition Problems:

Ignition problems are probably the largest share of on the road problems with your Model A.

In a well maintained Model A with all parts of the ignition in correct tolerance there should be no on the road failures.

Let us assume the car has stopped or is running poorly and you have checked for fuel and it is OK.

The next obvious thing to check is for spark. Remove one of the brass strips from a sparkplug and position it about ¼ inch from the top of the plug. Turn on the key and crank the engine over. There should be a bright, fat, bluish-yellow spark that regularly jumps the gap. The spark should create an audible crackle or snapping sound. This would indicate that your spark is good, but the engine could be out of time possibly due to a loose cam screw.

Remove the cap from the distributor, crank the engine over and watch to see if the rotor is turning. It is possible that the timing gear has lost teeth and is not turning the cam shaft which in turn operates the cam. Assuming all this is OK, continue.

Check the point gap at the high point of each of the 4 lobes of the cam. They should be about .020 + or - .002. Put your finger on the cam and check for side play in the distributor shaft. About .001 to .003 is normal play. Less play will mean a smoother running engine. Also check for side play in the upper plate. If the center hole in the plate is enlarged it will also allow for wobble in the point gap. All these things could add up to a poor or no running engine.

To time the engine, move the spark lever to retard (up) position and remove the distributor body. Remove the timing pin, reverse it, and put it back in the hole. Slowly crank the engine by hand until the pin drops in the hole in the timing gear. Sometimes this is difficult as it will want to go past the hole. If it goes past the hole, put the car in high gear and let off the emergency brake. While holding the timing pin in the hole, move the car back and forth a little. The pin should drop into the timing hole. Be sure and take the car out of gear and reset the emergency brake. Be sure to replace the timing pin as it originally was because oil will spray out of the hole if you don’t.

At this position of the cam (assuming the car had been timed originally) the next tiny bit of rotation should just start to open the points. The cam turns in a counter clockwise direction and there may be some backlash. Be sure to account for this. The notch in the cam should be near the number one cylinder post and the rotor should be at about the 4 o’clock position when looking down from the top.

Set the end of the coil wire where the spark can jump about a quarter inch to some metal part of the engine head. Turn on the ignition and pull the spark lever down slowly. The spark should crack or snap at about the third notch down from the top lever position. Loosen the cam screw and adjust the cam until it makes at this spot. The car should be in proper time. Make sure the cam is tight. Replace everything. The engine should start and run smoothly if each of these items is working as it was designed.
From Evergreen Chapter Evergreen Echoes.

How to check a condenser:

You can tell when a condenser has gone bad if your normally smooth-running engine suddenly backfires and won’t rev up.. One way of checking this out is to remove the distributor cap, body and rotor. Make sure the points are closed. Turn on the ignition switch and place the high tension wire (from the center of the coil) about ½ inch from any convenient ground on the engine. Push the point open with a screwdriver, then close. The spark should jump the gap with a good crackle and a straight line. The spark should have a bluish tinge. If the condenser is bad, the spark will still jump the gap, but it will be thin and stringy, and white in color. Whenever in doubt, throw the condenser away. If you happen to have used condensers or NOS and want to test their condition, take them to your local TV or radio shop where they have the necessary equipment.
From “The Ford Squeaks” newsletter of the Piney Wood A’s

This one bears repeating:

The water pump “gooseneck” is fragile and must be installed with either a paper thin gasket or a light coating of Permatex Ultra Copper applied to the bottom of the mounting flange. Using a thick gasket in this application may cause the flange to crack when the nuts are tightened.
Courtesy: Model A Trader

Headlight Synchronization:

If you’re using 32-50 CP two filament bulbs in your “A’s” headlights, here’s an easy way to check if the bulbs are “in sync” with the headlight switch.

Put the headlamp switch in the “Low” position. Current drain should measure approximately 10 amps. With the switch on “High”, current drain will be about 14 amps.

If the current measures the same in both “low” and “High” positions, rotate one bulb one half turn. Check the currents again. If the ’Low” switch position draws higher current and the “High” switch position draws the lower current, rotate both bulbs one half turn.
Don Arrico – Ohio Valley Region

Painting Wheels:

If you paint your wheels your self or have them painted, check the area around the lug nut holes. If there is paint around the hole, remove it with sand paper or other abrasive. If you don’t, the paint will either eventually wear away or chip off and the 1-2 thousandths of an inch space left is enough to allow the lug nut to loosen. The wheel will eventually become loose and wear the hole away and, worse case, cause the wheel to come off.

Speedometer Oscillation:

One of the annoying (but not serious) habits your Model A may develop is where the speedometer seems to be oscillating...it won’t stay still so you can read it.

The usual cause of this phenomenon is that the interior of the cable has become dry and may even be rusty.

The way to correct this is to loosen the instrument panel and pull it out as far as you can without damaging the components. Then remove the top end of the cable from the speedometer – you may need a pair of pliers to loosen the nut. Now reach into the cable housing with you pliers and pull the inner cable all the way out. Look it over for rusty spots, wear, or frizzy wires. You might take the time to install a new one.

Whether you install the old one or a new one, lubricate the end going in first with chassis lube; the feed in the rest of the cable, applying copious amounts of grease. Reinstall and replace the instrument panel.
Patent Cures – The Restorer (November/December 1991)

Suggested parts/tools for Long Tours:
Points and condenser
Generator cut-out
Light bulbs (head, tail and stop)
Coil
Timing Gear
Inner Tube
Front wheel bearings (1 set pre packed)
Fan belt
Fan
Water pump
Starter Bendix spring with new bolts and lock washers
Complete gasket set
Generator tested to work Extra piston rod pre-fitted
Exhaust manifold clamp, nuts and bolts

Cooking Carburetors:

If you have ever had trouble getting your Zenith carburetor apart for overhaul; such as removing the side valve assembly, the broken venturi halves, the secondary well, or the butterfly screws, you might try the following procedure before you seriously damage the carburetor by hacking at it with a cold chisel and hammer.

Removed the float and all other parts that can be removed reasonably easy. Let’s assume that the only tough parts are still in the top and bottom bodies, parts such as the mixture valve body, the venturi halves, the secondary well, one or more jets, the idle air mixture needle valve, etc.

Place both bodies on a gas burner on your kitchen stove (ask wife first). Turn the burner up full for 15 minutes. By that time the carburetor halves will be pretty hot and the venturi halves will be melting.

Quickly remove each body, one at a time and knock out the venturi. Then cool the casting gradually in a small stream of water. Don’t worry, it is very unlikely that you will crack the castings.

When cool, you will find the difficult parts can be removed quite easily.
Patent Cures by Red E. Power (May/June 2002 “The Restorer”)