The Ford Barn

wcmill · 01-13-2023, 06:36 PM

Hi guys, trying to figure out why my A has a fairly large gap between the ignition and throttle levers in relation to the indexed or ridges/clicks.
Are these rods adjustable in and out?
Can the ridged tab be bent?
Or am I missing a piece there.
Not a big deal, just trying to time and set the lever 2-3 clicks….more curious as to anything else.
Here’s pics

alexiskai · 01-13-2023, 07:30 PM

Can you add a couple pics of the bottom end where the rods come out?

wcmill · 01-13-2023, 07:45 PM

Will do…..standby

nkaminar · 01-13-2023, 07:48 PM

Can you push the levers down to contact the ridges? When you pull up is there spring tension felt? (The springs are rather stiff and it will take some force to pull up if the springs are there.) The springs are at the bottom of the rods and they may be missing. Another possibility is that the rods are wrong for the steering gear. I think the length was changed a few times during production. Someone else may have a better handle on this. (Pun intended.)

wcmill · 01-13-2023, 07:50 PM

Here….how’s this?

wcmill · 01-13-2023, 07:57 PM

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Levers are stiff as a board, or rather I can’t get the springs to flex at all.
They are however installed.

alexiskai · 01-13-2023, 08:23 PM

The springs need to pull the rods down against the quadrant, which they’re clearly not doing.

Ruth · 01-13-2023, 08:30 PM

They probably have not been lubed in 90 years. Try to spray a light penetrating oil on the bushings and exercise the levers to loosen them up.

old31 · 01-14-2023, 09:24 AM

Are the springs not pulling the lever down to the quadrant, or does it look like the edge of the quadrant with the splines have been turned down?

Also as mentioned, oil every moving part of the levers, rods, springs.

nkaminar · 01-14-2023, 01:05 PM

It looks like the springs are bottoming out. Lube as suggested but you may have to shorten the rods and redrill the holes for the rivets that go through the bushings for the levers.

alexiskai · 01-14-2023, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkaminar

It looks like the springs are bottoming out. Lube as suggested but you may have to shorten the rods and redrill the holes for the rivets that go through the bushings for the levers.

Wouldn’t it be simpler to just source longer springs?

wwirz · 01-14-2023, 02:21 PM

Try snipping that wire tie that is holding the bunch of wires in picture no. 1. It could be that the wires and wire tie are interfering with the proper function of the throttle and spark levers.

Brentwood Bob · 01-14-2023, 02:33 PM

Good eye.

bobbader · 01-14-2023, 07:55 PM

Looks to me like the top bushing that sits inside the column is not down far enough. The third picture shows the 90 degree bend in the spark lever bottomed out against the top of the bushing and the edge of the bushing looks to be higher than the level of the serrated quadrant landing. Thus, the lever can’t go down any further to make contact with the serrations. Given that the levers are very tight, it’s possible that the pot metal makeup of the bushing has swelled significantly enough to cause this scenario. More likely, someone has been in there before and bollocked everything up (note the smashed end of the pin in the lower levers in the second set of pictures). The fact that the springs on the bottom are fully extended rather than compressed is, as noted, quite uncommon. My guess is that penetrating oil at the bushing will do little to make the levers work any better and it will certainly not allow the levers to go down any further into the bushing as there is no room for them to move. I think you need to pull the column and start dismantling and inspecting if you want to make it better.

wcmill · 01-14-2023, 08:20 PM

Thanks very much for all the info…..good stuff. The levers function just fine, full travel on both advance and throttle levers. When I said they’re stiff as a board I was meaning the in and out or up and down action with relation to the springs.
But I agree, looks like I’ll take it apart and see what’s going on in there.
New to me car so this will live somewhere on the 40-60 spot on the “to do list”��.

Thanks again everyone!

nkaminar · 01-14-2023, 08:23 PM

OK, I have revised my opinion. I think Bob Bader has hit the nail. Try pushing the bushings down at the top, maybe with a hammer and drift. Don't hit too hard or you will damage the bushing. If that does not work, take the levers out and grind or saw the bushings shorter. Before you do that try snipping the tie as wwirz recommended.

You may end up taking the steering column apart as you said.

01-13-2023, 07:30 PM	#2
alexiskai Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Mebane NC Posts: 2,402	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Can you add a couple pics of the bottom end where the rods come out?

01-13-2023, 07:45 PM	#3
wcmill Member Join Date: Jan 2023 Posts: 55	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Will do…..standby

01-13-2023, 07:48 PM	#4
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 4,068	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Can you push the levers down to contact the ridges? When you pull up is there spring tension felt? (The springs are rather stiff and it will take some force to pull up if the springs are there.) The springs are at the bottom of the rods and they may be missing. Another possibility is that the rods are wrong for the steering gear. I think the length was changed a few times during production. Someone else may have a better handle on this. (Pun intended.) __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

01-13-2023, 07:57 PM	#6
wcmill Member Join Date: Jan 2023 Posts: 55	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Levers are stiff as a board, or rather I can’t get the springs to flex at all. They are however installed.

01-13-2023, 08:23 PM	#7
alexiskai Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Mebane NC Posts: 2,402	Re: Ignition and throttle levers The springs need to pull the rods down against the quadrant, which they’re clearly not doing.

01-13-2023, 08:30 PM	#8
Ruth Senior Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Glide, Oregon Posts: 1,343	Re: Ignition and throttle levers They probably have not been lubed in 90 years. Try to spray a light penetrating oil on the bushings and exercise the levers to loosen them up. __________________ Ruth "Sometimes you really DO need to read the whole thread"

01-14-2023, 09:24 AM	#9
old31 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 2,126	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Are the springs not pulling the lever down to the quadrant, or does it look like the edge of the quadrant with the splines have been turned down? Also as mentioned, oil every moving part of the levers, rods, springs.

01-14-2023, 01:05 PM	#10
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 4,068	Re: Ignition and throttle levers It looks like the springs are bottoming out. Lube as suggested but you may have to shorten the rods and redrill the holes for the rivets that go through the bushings for the levers. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

01-14-2023, 02:21 PM	#12
wwirz Senior Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: Corning NY Posts: 246	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Try snipping that wire tie that is holding the bunch of wires in picture no. 1. It could be that the wires and wire tie are interfering with the proper function of the throttle and spark levers.

01-14-2023, 02:33 PM	#13
Brentwood Bob Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: brentwood, ca Posts: 4,292	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Good eye.

01-14-2023, 07:55 PM	#14
bobbader Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Huntington, NY Posts: 274	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Looks to me like the top bushing that sits inside the column is not down far enough. The third picture shows the 90 degree bend in the spark lever bottomed out against the top of the bushing and the edge of the bushing looks to be higher than the level of the serrated quadrant landing. Thus, the lever can’t go down any further to make contact with the serrations. Given that the levers are very tight, it’s possible that the pot metal makeup of the bushing has swelled significantly enough to cause this scenario. More likely, someone has been in there before and bollocked everything up (note the smashed end of the pin in the lower levers in the second set of pictures). The fact that the springs on the bottom are fully extended rather than compressed is, as noted, quite uncommon. My guess is that penetrating oil at the bushing will do little to make the levers work any better and it will certainly not allow the levers to go down any further into the bushing as there is no room for them to move. I think you need to pull the column and start dismantling and inspecting if you want to make it better.

01-14-2023, 08:20 PM	#15
wcmill Member Join Date: Jan 2023 Posts: 55	Re: Ignition and throttle levers Thanks very much for all the info…..good stuff. The levers function just fine, full travel on both advance and throttle levers. When I said they’re stiff as a board I was meaning the in and out or up and down action with relation to the springs. But I agree, looks like I’ll take it apart and see what’s going on in there. New to me car so this will live somewhere on the 40-60 spot on the “to do list”��. Thanks again everyone!

01-14-2023, 08:23 PM	#16
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 4,068	Re: Ignition and throttle levers OK, I have revised my opinion. I think Bob Bader has hit the nail. Try pushing the bushings down at the top, maybe with a hammer and drift. Don't hit too hard or you will damage the bushing. If that does not work, take the levers out and grind or saw the bushings shorter. Before you do that try snipping the tie as wwirz recommended. You may end up taking the steering column apart as you said. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.