new guy, old car
 

Hey everyone just joined up recently after acquiring a pretty clean 1930 Model A. It has 7800 miles on it, and everything is there. It was sitting in a garage for about 15 years, then sat for a bit prior to that from what i know. after i got it home i started the inspection.

Fuel had sat in the system (About 2 and a 1/2 gallons) which smelled amazing. so tried to drain it and got nothing. pulled all the fuel lines and the sediment bowl, and they were solid all the way through. great. Moved to the petcock, opened it and thankfully got some fluid out of that. so proceeded to drain the tank and what came out looked like thinned motor oil. gross.

So, after that, i cleaned all the lines, sonic cleaned the sediment bowl and got everything there cleaned. Pulled the petcock and got that cleaned up. so, then i scoped the tank and it's really bad. read up on pulling the tank and decided that maybe I'll try and clean it in place. stuffed 11.5 gallons of white vinegar into the tank and have let it sit for about 9 days and will drain it this week. i made drain setup that screws into the bottom of the tank to allow for a fast drain (1/4 inch outlet) that connect to a hose and out the cabin.

Battery was dead, and from like 2000 so put in a new battery and it cranked. great! made up a fuel bottle to bottle feed it fuel and couldn't get fuel in the carb. figured. so pulled the carb and everything was clogged. cleaned everything, new gaskets, swapped in a few new parts and reconnected the carb and bottle feed and it instantly started. No smoke just ran like it had never sat for close to 2 decades.

So now, try my best to clean out as much as i can from the tank, reconnect everything, fill the radiator which i think has long since failed as there are signs its leaking. clean it up and take the lady out to the diner!

Re: new guy, old car
 

NICE looking car! Congrats, and have fun!

Re: new guy, old car
 

Fresh engine oil?

Re: new guy, old car
 

Good Day to all...After a Model A has been inactive for such a long time, it is wise to drop the pan and clean out the sludge that is going to be there. Remove the oil pump and clean the screen and the rest of the pump and put it all back to gether with a new gasket and rope seal at the front and back. Open the valve train area and clean it out really well and put it back together with a new gasket. Consider an oil filter...but it's an after marker item...If you have original ignition...put in a new high quality will not fail condenser and clean the points. Look at the wire from the lower part of the distributor and make sure it has good insulation...better yet, replace it with a new one. Many opinions regarding oil...depends where you live, cold or warm/hot. With an older engine that has been used a good few miles...perhaps use 30wt detergent oil...change it every 200 miles for a while...That's the oil I use in the Arizona Desert and have for years...Start the old girl up and go for a ride...Ernie in Arizona

Re: new guy, old car
 

I ran it for about 1 minute then the bowl ran out of fuel. haven't ran it since. After reading debated about pulling the pan and cleaning it out as i read that junk will gather there aka sludge. it will also give me the chance to resolve a drip or 2 that it has. Thankfully there's a model a shop local to me (Happened to see it in a add on here) that has most of everything id need. once i get the fuel happener complete, I'll look at pulling the pan and giving it a go over.

Im generally good at working on stuff, however this is my first time with a car thats this old. its nice and easy to work on, just all new and any information / advice you guys have will be amazing and valuable to me.

thanks guys.

Re: new guy, old car
 

Les Andrews red book, aka shop manual, is available thru the parts houses. It is a good reference.

Re: new guy, old car
 

Re: new guy, old car
 

Ole Thirty, You are doing all the right stuff and it sounds like you have the mechanical skill to work on this car. As you say, it is nice and easy to work on.

Change all the fluids. Use a multi grade detergent oil. Use 85W-140 modern gear oil in the transmission, rear end, and steering box. If the steering box has grease in it, flush it out to the best of your ability and add the oil. The grease gets squeezed out of the gears and bearings, leaving them dry. Lube the distributor. Put fresh grease in all the grease fittings.

If the radiator leaks consider buying a good quality one from one of the suppliers. Or have it re cored if you can find a radiator shop that will do that. Usually when the radiator starts leaking it is at a point where it won't cool very well.

I think vinegar is good for removing rust but not the tar that was left from the old gasoline. You can flush out the tar with a solvent like toluene. Just be careful with any solvent and don't breath the vapors or get in on you skin. Put the solvent in the tank and them jump up and down on a running board to slosh the solvent around. Gasoline also works as a solvent. The difficulty is getting rid of the dirty solvent when you are done.

Re: new guy, old car
 

Tip 1. Don’t throw anything away.

Tip 2. Go slowly for a more harmonious outcome.

This is the advice I give everyone who has his first A.

Re: new guy, old car
 

I would add to that to try it as stock as possible and don't delay enjoying it by adding improvements like hydraulic brakes, pressure oiling, downdraft carb, etc.

Re: new guy, old car
 

The goal is to keep it original if at all possible.


thanks everyone for the advice. i do want to get the shop books for reference. Since this car is complete and does run, im just going to go through, cure what leaks i can, and enjoy it.

the fuel tank is the major issue right now. ill grab that stuff and do a second treatment on it and i also bought a hose attachment that should allow me to get in there and semi pressure wash the inside and force most of the junk down the drain. then dry the tank out with the heat gun i have. maybe. possibly.

I'm far from a mechanic but i work on everything myself. from my trucks, campers, atvs and side by sides and those things are way more complex than this little car. so, like said, take my time, and it shouldn't be too hard. I doubt this car will make me cuss and throw a wrench like some of my projects have. haha

Re: new guy, old car
 

dumb question, on the steering wheel there is a switch in the middle. is that lights? where the horn is.

Re: new guy, old car
 

Yes, In the center is your horn, the lever on the outside of that are your lights, to the right I believe is parking lights, to the left is low beam, then high-beam.

Re: new guy, old car
 

Yeah - per clock face:
7:00 - park
6:00 - off
5:00 - dim
4:00 - brignt
Contacts at the bottom of steering column.

Re: new guy, old car
 

One other piece of advice: Add the fuse that mounts next to the starter switch. That will protect you from an electrical fire.

Re: new guy, old car
 

ok great. Dont think they are actually working, will have to troubleshoot that later.

thanks guys :)

Re: new guy, old car
 

Your approach is spot on. Keep up the good work and enjoy your new toy.

Re: new guy, old car
 

These cars are fun to work on and you have a great group here at the Barn. We will give you a hand.

Re: new guy, old car
 

There is an active club in Baltimore you should join. Greater Baltimore Model A Ford Club. Their monthly meeting is in Columbia. A bit of a drive for you, but worth it.

Re: new guy, old car
 

Ahh very cool. I drive through there daily. Doubt I'd drive the car out there but I have trailers lol