hello, need a crash course

[Earle]

Hey, Mike, Welcome! And welcome to your challenging but exciting A project too! A's are tough. She'll come back to life with lots of loving care.

Along with the literature recommended here, you won't find a better source of expert, very-experienced, advice for getting your new "baby" running.

I'm impressed with your status as a BMW Master Tech. That's saying something about your automotive skills as you deal with those beautiful, complex, German "driving machines." Besides my A, I'd love to own a BMW some day! So, we're not talking down to you here - we're just not sure how far the Model A vs BMW skill sets overlap. It's better to be redundant than to risk that your A might suffer from a missed, important detail.

Thoughts:

> Fortunately, there are spark plugs in place so there shouldn't ba a lot of foreign debris or massive corrosion above the pistons. But still, after the ATF treatment mentioned, and hand-cranking it to free up and lube the rings and cyl. walls, some loosened-up "stuff" will be trapped in the combustion chambers. Short of removing the head, the quickest waY to "blow it all out" will be at first start-up. It's been done with other long-inactive engines before with no fatal results. Others may want to chime in here on this point.

> Do the compression tests after the pistons and rings are freed up from the ATF treatment. It will better represent what kind of a sealing job the rings are really doing. To be really nit-picky about it - if any dirt or corrosion particles end up trapped between the rings and the cyl. walls, or the walls are scored by cranking with debris present, your compression tests will be compromised any way.

> If it were me, regarding flushing out the radiator, I'd remove it, turn it upside down and flush it into the "bottom" outlet port and out the filler port. Reverse flushing is always more thorough in removing debris that got trapped during normal "forward" flow - whether it's filters or radiators.

> While the radiator is out is a good time to do a powerful "garden hose" water flush through the engine's cooling system to remove any accumulated dirt and corrosion debris. Some folks here can recommend certain effective "cleaning agents" (vinegar soak?, etc.) to help do a more thorough job. If this isn't done, the radiator could end up getting filled with junk again.

> I agree - Lose the original fan! The new aluminum fans are safer and available at most A parts suppliers. Install a new fan belt while you're at it.

> Question for the general population here: Someone recommended detergent oil. BUT, if this engine has been sitting a very long time and/or run a long time with non-detergent oil, caked-on sediments and gunk will be loosened by the detergent oil and end up fouling and clogging oil passages, clearances, babbitt, etc - right? I would be using non-detergent oill for an initial start-up and short period of test running until he has time to remove the pan and valve cover to do a thorough de-gunking.

(It still makes me nervous to be starting a long-dormant engine, exposed to the elements as this one appears, without dropping the pan and inspecting & cleaning as thoroughly as possible!)

> How about the old time-tested recommendadtion of removing the distributo and pouring a 1/2 quart or so of oil into the cavity, and a tiny bit of oil into each cylinder, then hand-cranking for a few revs, to give the lube system a oily head-start (rather than a dry start)?

> Replace or clean & gap the plugs (0.035").


Maybe we're over-killing here, but you're a BMW mechanic - a much more -precission machine than the Model A - so you'll understand our being "paranoid" about our machines too! I try to err on the side of paranoid & nit-pick rather than later-regret $$.

Others will have more wisdom to add - or comments/correction as necessary.

All the best with getting your A on the road again!

Earle

[ctlikon0712]

I may be stating the obvious here but another reason to ATF the cyl's is it can loosen a stuck valve and the carbon deposits that can compromise the compression around the valves. It’s worked for me before. Remember it’s a flat or L head design. BTW I also have and use Les Andrew’s red covered book.

[Fred K-OR]

Mike, I am no mechanic so take my comments for maybe worth $.02. But I would be all for dropping the pan and checking for stuff there. When I started to rebuild my huckster, it had oil in it but it also had mice nest on the splash pan part of the oil pan and a lot of gunk in the bottom of the pan. My engine sat for 30 years or so.

It would seem like an compression test would be a good start doing it like described above. With a test like this, as you know, it would tell the shape of the valves and rings. My old engine turned over great but the valves were all rusted around the stems and some would not function at all. When turning it over with the starter, it sounded like it had no plugs in it.

Again just some basic stuff from a guy that does not know much about these things. Also welcome to the Ford Barn. These guys will give out would a lot of good ideas.

BTW I have an extra battery box. So PM me if you don't find yours and if you are interested in it.