What are some of the counter intuitive things you have learned about a Model A?

[fried okra]

Brent....so what spark advance lever setting do you suggest to prevent overheating?

thx,
fried okra

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by fried okra

Brent....so what spark advance lever setting do you suggest to prevent overheating?

thx,
fried okra

Again, go read what the recommendation of Ford was in the Instruction Book.

The book mentions this multiple times and is clear that for average speeds, ½ way on the quadrant is the recommendations however at greater speeds, the spark lever needs to be "advanced all the way down the quadrant". The spark lever should be retarded sufficiently during hard pulls to prevent spark knock. With today's fuel octane vs. the octane levels back then, this is rarely an issue unless your engine has been modified with much higher compression ratios. So in reality, ½-way advanced on the quadrant is the minimum and fully advanced for any driving over 30± mph.

While discussing the Instruction Book, it is also worth mentioning that most Model-A drivers that I encounter do not follow Ford's recommendations on Shifting either, ...which is why most hobbyists struggle greatly in this regard. Following Ford's protocol generally allows for easy upshifting and downshifting without 'grinding' of the gears. Many other useful tips such as using the clutch, descending steeper hills, and adjustment of fuel mixture.

[Bill Pursel]

I run mine 3/4 to 7/8 down the quad all the time ...in town and hiway runs great.

[shew01]

Originally Posted by Bill Pursel

I run mine 3/4 to 7/8 down the quad all the time ...in town and hiway runs great.

There seems to be some disagreement about exact settings for the spark lever, the throttle lever, and the GAV. I added the following to the bottom of "7)" in post #1.

"Apparently, the settings for the spark lever, the throttle lever, and the GAV (Gas Adjustment Valve) vary quite a bit from car to car, and these settings appear to be an "art form," rather than an exact science. Folks tend make strong arguments for the settings that they have found to work for them."

I am open to re-wording if you can come up with something better.