Model a----a simple car

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

The Model A is a somewhat SIMPLE car.
Maybe we could share some SIMPLE ways that you all have found, to DIAGNOSE/REPAIR problems, in a SIMPLE/QUICK WAY
Bill W.

[TinCup]

Car will not start!
Solution: Turn on Gas you idiot!

[katy]

Don't forget to turn on the ignition switch too.

[burner31]

You mean something like this?

Lights switch on/off while turning:
Possible/most likey: Horn rod bent

Headlights or cowl lights will not switch on, but bulbs. wiring, battery are good:
Possible/most likey: Bad spider gear, spider gear mis-alinement

Gas leaking from dash panel:
Possible/most likey: Bad gas gauge gasket, loose/bad (stripped) gas gauge nut

[Mitch//pa]

use a straight screwdriver and a hammer to work on a model A.

[burner31]

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Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

use a straight screwdriver and a hammer to work on a model A.

Just be sure they're not metric

[Cool Hand Lurker]

If your tires look low, add air.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Lurker

If your tires look low, add air.

do you kick them first?

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

do you kick them first?

Only if you are looking to buy the car. (or if they are whitewalls.)

[DougVieyra]

Post # 5 : "use a straight screwdriver and a hammer to work on a model A."
__________________________________________

Don't forget - electricians/duct tape and bailing wire .

[Big hammer]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

use a straight screwdriver and a hammer to work on a model A.

Please use a BIG HAMMER :-)

[Cool Hand Lurker]

Originally Posted by Big hammer

Please use a BIG HAMMER :-)

Oh, I hope you don't mean a Harley Hammer. That would be way overkill.

[29Cabriolet]

Originally Posted by TinCup

Car will not start!
Solution: Turn on Gas you idiot!

and make sure there is gas in the tank!!

[ericr]

already referred to, kinda......make sure fuel pump is working

[CarlG]

Make sure the warp drive has plenty of dilithium crystals.

[HoarseWhisperer]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

use a straight screwdriver and a hammer to work on a model A.

Use a Robertson screwdriver and a hammer on a Canadian built Model A.

[Indiana A. Lover]

Buy Les Andrews Books And Study them and ask questions on the barn. And remember what Bill told me there is no dumb question. Don down on the corner

[d.]

Indiana A...the only logical, honest answer. The cute joke responses are useless and getting old.
He asked a simple productive question and got a lot of ha ha responses.

[ericr]

there has been a call for a serious answer so I can muster one up. I am not sure there are, in fact, always simple answers to repair issues to a very old car. we have repair issues that original owners and early used-car owners never faced, due to pure age. further, since they had access to factory parts, or high-quality NORS, they did not face the repro problems we contend with.

[Mitch//pa]

every answer was meaningful

[Jwilli]

Personally I like the humor that everyone has shown with their answers.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

If something electrical isn't working & you suspect a bad connection in the loop up to the ammeter & dash light, put a jumper across the junction box wing nuts. If it then works, the problem IS IN THAT LOOP. Study it in the WIRING DIAGRAM.
Bill W.

[ian Simpson]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

use a straight screwdriver and a hammer to work on a model A.

No - do not force it use a bigger hammer

[al's28/33]

you can use a bicycle pump to inflate a Model "A" tire.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Jwilli

Personally I like the humor that everyone has shown with their answers.

HUMOR is GOOD, to keep you from gettin' KRAZY, when something mysterious happens with your car. It always seems worse when it happens to your OWN CAR MY CAR'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BREAK!!
Bill W.

[burner31]

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Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

The Model A is a somewhat SIMPLE car.
Maybe we could share some SIMPLE ways that you all have found, to DIAGNOSE/REPAIR problems, in a SIMPLE/QUICK WAY
Bill W.

I think Bill is on to something here.
The vast amount of knowledge stored here in the Barn is mind boggling, and we seem to lose a little bit everyday as we all seem to age and pass on.
If that untapped "simple knowledge" could be tapped...hell...you could fill a book.

[RUNNERBUN]

A couple of years back a friend and I were at a meet and he unfortunately experienced two flat tyres in quick succession which left him without a spare. As the second appeared to be a slow leak we decided to add some air via a 12 volt pump which he was carrying.
While we were inflating the tyre we noticed that the air was leaking from the valve passing between the inner metal part of the valve and the rubber outer layer. As a temporary fix we tied an electrical Zippy cable tie around the base of the valve to slow the leak and to our amazement it not only slowed the leak but stopped it all together. A quick inspection of the other valves on the car showed that all were failing in the same way to some degree. All showing some air pockets rising up from the base of the valve. Cable ties were applied to all valves and a couple of years later the ties were still there with no further leaks. The one tube that had failed initially was replaced.

[colin1928]

I like that with a few screwdrivers and handful of basic spanners you can work on 95% of an A Model

[mshmodela]

Take one step at a time... Never change more than one part at a time esp. Electrical.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

If one tire always gets LOW, spit on the end of the stem & see if it blows a "bubble"--Then re-tighten it.
For the guy that was a pain in the ass, we'd put a TINY pebble in the valve cap, tighten it, & in about a day or two, it would go FLAT!
Bill W.

[the cooch]

Ok, now that's useful! You older fellows have a responsibility to make sure the next generation knows all of those practical jokes too!

[ericr]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

If something electrical isn't working & you suspect a bad connection in the loop up to the ammeter & dash light, put a jumper across the junction box wing nuts. If it then works, the problem IS IN THAT LOOP. Study it in the WIRING DIAGRAM.
Bill W.

that is something I have never read before nor even thought about! I take it you are referring to an engine not firing since lights and horn get power elsewhere.

I ordered a wiring diagram from one of the big suppliers and it shows the junction box sitting vertically, with no reference that tells you which is driv- er/passenger side. very helpful. would it have taken a lot of forethought to show the box in its true position?

[katy]

A couple of years back a friend and I were at a meet and he unfortunately experienced two flat tyres in quick succession which left him without a spare.

Where was his tire irons and patch kit?

[ian Simpson]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

use a straight screwdriver and a hammer to work on a model A.

Use a Robertson screwdriver on a Canadian car

[ian Simpson]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

Take one step at a time... Never change more than one part at a time esp. Electrical.

Never throw the old broken pieces out.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by ericr

that is something I have never read before nor even thought about! I take it you are referring to an engine not firing since lights and horn get power elsewhere.

I ordered a wiring diagram from one of the big suppliers and it shows the junction box sitting vertically, with no reference that tells you which is driv- er/passenger side. very helpful. would it have taken a lot of forethought to show the box in its true position?

Ericr,
Wiring diagrams usually don't show stuff in it's true position, a schematic, usually does.
Bill W.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by ericr

that is something I have never read before nor even thought about! I take it you are referring to an engine not firing since lights and horn get power elsewhere.

I ordered a wiring diagram from one of the big suppliers and it shows the junction box sitting vertically, with no reference that tells you which is driv- er/passenger side. very helpful. would it have taken a lot of forethought to show the box in its true position?

Dad's right on about a diagram vs a schematic. you can figure out the orientation of the compnents by using the wire colors.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Print out a wiring diagram & follow the current flows, like a ROAD MAP. It'll help you understand that electrical stuff ain't SPOOKY or hard to understand.
Just understand CIRCUIT, from the root word, CIRCLE. The body, frame, & ALL the metal stuff, is your SECOND wire, returning the current to the ground cable at the crossmember & back into the battery.
Fiberglass contraptions & boats, have to run a mess of individual GROUND wires, to complete THEIR CIRCUITS!
Bill W.

[burner31]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

If one tire always gets LOW, spit on the end of the stem & see if it blows a "bubble"--Then re-tighten it.
For the guy that was a pain in the ass, we'd put a TINY pebble in the valve cap, tighten it, & in about a day or two, it would go FLAT!
Bill W.

Back in the day when cars still had hub caps, we'd pop them off and stick a penny in them, it would make a heck of a racket when they were just taking off or slowing down for a light, leaving the driveway or what have you.
Painting the headlights was always fun, vaseline on the windshield wipers was a thrill on a rainy day, a wood ash paste in all the door locks would harden like rock when dry and a pair of dikes could cut all four tire valve stems off in under 30 seconds.
I'm not even going to mention what we did with brake fluid.
Now that I think about it, my friends and I were pretty much dicks...back then.

[Henry's Lady's Man]

Originally Posted by burner31

Back in the day when cars still had hub caps, we'd pop them off and stick a penny in them, it would make a heck of a racket when they were just taking off or slowing down for a light, leaving the driveway or what have you.
Painting the headlights was always fun, vaseline on the windshield wipers was a thrill on a rainy day, a wood ash paste in all the door locks would harden like rock when dry and a pair of dikes could cut all four tire valve stems off in under 30 seconds.
I'm not even going to mention what we did with brake fluid.
Now that I think about it, my friends and I were pretty much dicks...back then.

So YOU'RE THE GUY that painted my headlights!

[Henry's Lady's Man]

I've heard of tin foil (now you know how old I am...) I mean, aluminum foil, being used on gas line to prevent vapor lock. It is as good a heat sink as anything.

[burner31]

Originally Posted by Henry's Lady's Man

So YOU'RE THE GUY that painted my headlights!

Yeah...me and the boys are sorry about that one.

But we did warn ya, we were dicks...back then

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by burner31

Back in the day when cars still had hub caps, we'd pop them off and stick a penny in them, it would make a heck of a racket when they were just taking off or slowing down for a light, leaving the driveway or what have you.
Painting the headlights was always fun, vaseline on the windshield wipers was a thrill on a rainy day, a wood ash paste in all the door locks would harden like rock when dry and a pair of dikes could cut all four tire valve stems off in under 30 seconds.
I'm not even going to mention what we did with brake fluid.
Now that I think about it, my friends and I were pretty much dicks...back then.

fyi bologna will screw up a clear coat and will peel the shellac of a wood door... and flies like a frisbee when thrown
filling windshield washer resivoir with a mix of sugar water creates an interesting day.
zipties on driveshafts or CV shafts makes a buncha racket

i know all these are unrelated to quick fixes
im sure with a basic pair of pliers, bailing wire, and a flat screwdriver you can get pretty Mac Gyvery if you have to.

This was found on a car Rainmaker Ron and I pulled out of the weeds
Dont need no stinkin junction box!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by SeaSlugs

fyi bologna will screw up a clear coat and will peel the shellac of a wood door... and flies like a frisbee when thrown
filling windshield washer resivoir with a mix of sugar water creates an interesting day.
zipties on driveshafts or CV shafts makes a buncha racket

i know all these are unrelated to quick fixes
im sure with a basic pair of pliers, bailing wire, and a flat screwdriver you can get pretty Mac Gyvery if you have to.

This was found on a car Rainmaker Ron and I pulled out of the weeds
Dont need no stinkin junction box!

Chief had a horn button, strapped to the steering column. It was made from a piece of HACK SAW blade & a small block of WOOD.
Bill W.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by burner31

Yeah...me and the boys are sorry about that one.

But we did warn ya, we were dicks...back then

Those guys sucking on cigarettes in the photos; you see them today wheezing around dragging their oxygen tanks behind them.

[oldscout]

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Make sure the gas cap is vented.

[HoarseWhisperer]

1. Be sure to allow at least 4 hours for any 15 minute project.

2. Be certain to have enough beer on hand for "helpers".

[old car guy]

And when all else is lost and you are at your final wits end, ask a question on the ford barn where you will always get a answer to fix your problem. The people that post on here are the most knowledgeable model a folks in the world. And old Henry would be proud to know what he built is still beloved by millions today after all of these years.

[mshmodela]

Powerful Spark, 100% Gasoline.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

Powerful Spark, 100% Gasoline.

Msh,
You're RIGHT! On cars that have set for a long time, usually if you clean the points carefully & put in FRESH fuel, they'll usually BANG right off!
Bill W.

[bobpo1]

Favorite items on board; baling wire and duct tape.