The Ford Barn

Bill G · 03-06-2018, 10:41 PM

I know I'm not the first....

I was on my way home from our monthly club meeting tonight when the darned thing just died on my way around a corner. Tried to pop the clutch while it was still moving and still no start.

Hmm.

Cranked and cranked, wiggled the key switch, and still nothing. Hmmm.

My wife sitting next to me calmly asked if it could be something I had recently had my hands into. "I don't know!" as I am feverishly trying to get it going again. About that time one of our guys pulled in behind me and helped push it over more out of traffic. Once again my wife asked if it was something that I had been into. (she knows these things).

We lifted the hood and sure enough the coil wire had come out of the coil. Easy fix. Started right up. As I got back in the car she persisted with her question. The answer was yes, I recently had the coil wire off and apparently I did not push it back in all the way.

Easy fix but it sure was embarrassing!

Clem Clement · 03-06-2018, 10:45 PM

Best you buy her a fine dinner soon. She is a keeper fer sure

Big hammer · 03-06-2018, 10:49 PM

:-) s&@t happens

mfarley · 03-07-2018, 10:26 AM

Happened to me the other day. Drove it for an hour, then idled in the driveway and tinkered for awhile then left the house again...it died a 1/4 mile later.

The culprit? I had noticed the gas cap was loose and tightened it. Turns out that it isn't venting correctly. Apparently at idle it was still getting enough fuel, but when under load the fuel wouldn't flow fast enough to the carb and it ran dry. Loosened the cap a turn and it fired right up. Drove for another hour...

foxfire42 · 03-07-2018, 04:16 PM

Ah the times when our A's quit. I had just acquired a new (to me) A and was driving on it's first outing to our cub meeting. I was in the intersection waiting for traffic to clear for my left turn when it quit. It was an intersection with the "those" cameras. Yes, I got a picture of me in my A dead in intersection in the mail with a ticket for running a red light. Thanks to the courtesy of the oncoming cars patiently waiting for me to get started I was able to clear the intersection and make it to the meeting.

My defense was going to be "HOW CAN I RUN A RED LIGHT WHEN I WASN'T EVEN MOVING!" Shorty after that the city disabled all the cameras because of "issues" and I didn't have to pay the ticket or go to driver training.

1930artdeco · 03-07-2018, 05:08 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Just wait until you drive off without turning the gas on. Or cranking away without turning on the ignition. Not that I have done any of these things......

Mike

Y-Blockhead · 03-07-2018, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1930artdeco

Just wait until you drive off without turning the gas on. Or cranking away without turning on the ignition. Not that I have done any of these things......

Mike

Just the other day I was checking my head torque. I removed the fuse so I wouldn't get any fireworks when checking #14 (rear) nut. AND forgot to replace the fuse when done. Next day car would not start. I wonder why...

Clem Clement · 03-07-2018, 08:27 PM

It helps all of us to tell these stories. Moat of us don't use our A's as daily drivers. We need reminders.

Bikerider58 · 03-07-2018, 09:06 PM

Replaced head gasket and was pushing to get it started that night. Cranked, but no fire. Checked over everything, all looked good, but no go. Pulled distribution and rechecked, still nothing. So, called it a night.

The next morning, with coffee cup in hand, I look over and see the rotor sitting on the counter. Duh!

KGBnut · 03-07-2018, 09:59 PM

I've got one like that.

Not the car...the wife. Mighty smart and usually right.

Ken

pbishop · 03-07-2018, 10:56 PM

Not to worry. I had my Volvo 240 in the shop and when I got it back it would run poorly form time to time. Found that they had not pushed the coil wire in all the way on the distributor cap - it was arching.

As you said - Simple fix

When it will not run, start checking for gas flow and then electric connections. I have to spark (open with screwdriver) and sand my points some times when the car has been sitting.

denniskliesen · 03-08-2018, 03:24 AM

I always forget to turn my gas valve on when somebody gets in to ride with me. I get the usual look like "are you sure you know how to drive this thing?" and then other Model A drivers pass by with their head out the window, "turn your gas on".

TerryO · 03-08-2018, 10:40 AM

[QUOTE]Just wait until you drive off without turning the gas on. Or cranking away without turning on the ignition. Not that I have done any of these things......

[/Q
UOTE]Don't ask me how I know this is embarrassing.

TerryO

Big hammer · 03-08-2018, 10:49 AM

After I adjusted my steering gear box I went for a ride! It started running poorly so I found that I didn’t tighten the column clamp :-( after putting it back right, I went for another ride and this time enjoyed the ride :-) Always go backkto what you where working on before replacing a bunch of parts !

johnbuckley · 03-08-2018, 12:07 PM

...and how often after resetting the points have I left the rotor arm off! Grrrr

03-06-2018, 10:45 PM	#2
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Re: How embarrassing! Best you buy her a fine dinner soon. She is a keeper fer sure

03-06-2018, 10:49 PM	#3
Big hammer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 3,127	Re: How embarrassing! :-) s&@t happens __________________ Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap get a bigger hammer tap done

03-07-2018, 10:26 AM	#4
mfarley Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Bismarck, ND Posts: 84	Re: How embarrassing! Happened to me the other day. Drove it for an hour, then idled in the driveway and tinkered for awhile then left the house again...it died a 1/4 mile later. The culprit? I had noticed the gas cap was loose and tightened it. Turns out that it isn't venting correctly. Apparently at idle it was still getting enough fuel, but when under load the fuel wouldn't flow fast enough to the carb and it ran dry. Loosened the cap a turn and it fired right up. Drove for another hour...

03-07-2018, 04:16 PM	#5
foxfire42 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: AZ and WA Posts: 764	Re: How embarrassing! Ah the times when our A's quit. I had just acquired a new (to me) A and was driving on it's first outing to our cub meeting. I was in the intersection waiting for traffic to clear for my left turn when it quit. It was an intersection with the "those" cameras. Yes, I got a picture of me in my A dead in intersection in the mail with a ticket for running a red light. Thanks to the courtesy of the oncoming cars patiently waiting for me to get started I was able to clear the intersection and make it to the meeting. My defense was going to be "HOW CAN I RUN A RED LIGHT WHEN I WASN'T EVEN MOVING!" Shorty after that the city disabled all the cameras because of "issues" and I didn't have to pay the ticket or go to driver training.

03-07-2018, 05:08 PM	#6
1930artdeco Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Lynden, Wa Posts: 3,550	Re: How embarrassing! Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Just wait until you drive off without turning the gas on. Or cranking away without turning on the ignition. Not that I have done any of these things...... Mike __________________ 1930 TownSedan (Briggs) 1957 Country Sedan

03-06-2018, 10:41 PM	#1
Bill G Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Walla Walla, WA Posts: 1,045	How embarrassing! I know I'm not the first.... I was on my way home from our monthly club meeting tonight when the darned thing just died on my way around a corner. Tried to pop the clutch while it was still moving and still no start. Hmm. Cranked and cranked, wiggled the key switch, and still nothing. Hmmm. My wife sitting next to me calmly asked if it could be something I had recently had my hands into. "I don't know!" as I am feverishly trying to get it going again. About that time one of our guys pulled in behind me and helped push it over more out of traffic. Once again my wife asked if it was something that I had been into. (she knows these things). We lifted the hood and sure enough the coil wire had come out of the coil. Easy fix. Started right up. As I got back in the car she persisted with her question. The answer was yes, I recently had the coil wire off and apparently I did not push it back in all the way. Easy fix but it sure was embarrassing!

03-07-2018, 08:27 PM	#8
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Re: How embarrassing! It helps all of us to tell these stories. Moat of us don't use our A's as daily drivers. We need reminders.

03-07-2018, 09:06 PM	#9
Bikerider58 Member Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: SoCal Posts: 53	Re: How embarrassing! Replaced head gasket and was pushing to get it started that night. Cranked, but no fire. Checked over everything, all looked good, but no go. Pulled distribution and rechecked, still nothing. So, called it a night. The next morning, with coffee cup in hand, I look over and see the rotor sitting on the counter. Duh!

03-07-2018, 09:59 PM	#10
KGBnut Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southwestern Connecticut Posts: 931	Re: How embarrassing! I've got one like that. Not the car...the wife. Mighty smart and usually right. Ken __________________ Style beats speed any day, and with a lot fewer tickets.

03-07-2018, 10:56 PM	#11
pbishop Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Wimauma, Florida Posts: 121	Re: How embarrassing! Not to worry. I had my Volvo 240 in the shop and when I got it back it would run poorly form time to time. Found that they had not pushed the coil wire in all the way on the distributor cap - it was arching. As you said - Simple fix When it will not run, start checking for gas flow and then electric connections. I have to spark (open with screwdriver) and sand my points some times when the car has been sitting.

03-08-2018, 03:24 AM	#12
denniskliesen Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: SoCal Posts: 877	Re: How embarrassing! I always forget to turn my gas valve on when somebody gets in to ride with me. I get the usual look like "are you sure you know how to drive this thing?" and then other Model A drivers pass by with their head out the window, "turn your gas on".

03-08-2018, 10:40 AM	#13
TerryO Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: N. GA Posts: 531	Re: How embarrassing! [QUOTE]Just wait until you drive off without turning the gas on. Or cranking away without turning on the ignition. Not that I have done any of these things......[/Q UOTE]Don't ask me how I know this is embarrassing. TerryO

03-08-2018, 10:49 AM	#14
Big hammer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 3,127	Re: How embarrassing! After I adjusted my steering gear box I went for a ride! It started running poorly so I found that I didn’t tighten the column clamp :-( after putting it back right, I went for another ride and this time enjoyed the ride :-) Always go backkto what you where working on before replacing a bunch of parts ! __________________ Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap get a bigger hammer tap done

03-08-2018, 12:07 PM	#15
johnbuckley Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,441	Re: How embarrassing! ...and how often after resetting the points have I left the rotor arm off! Grrrr