Need a little help

[HOTRODPRIMER]

I will be the first to admit I know little about Model A's,,oh I've had a few but they have been modified with later engines and running gear,,so what I am about to ask may sound funny to you guys that have own and restored these cars.

A business acquaintance has inherited a stone stock Model A from his grandfathers estate,,he had rode in the car many times as a child but due to his grandparents failing health over the years the car was neglected and sat for a long time in a enclosed garage.

He has ask me to help get the car running and to be perfectly honest,,I'm lost.

I know the basic things to do as far as getting the car ready to crank but I need a lesson on how to start the car,,I haven't seen it yet and I am told it does have a starter,

Any one care to give me a few hints?,,,which lever does what? HRP

[msmaron]

Well one of the first things i would purchase is Les Andrews Books, You can get them on the MARC site or the MAFCA site or ebay for that matter, They are the bibles of the Model A Hobby in my opinion for newbies and old seasoned ones. If you go threw the 2nd book, (might be 3rd) Troubleshooting you will be amazed at how you can go step by step and page by page to figure out the problem. I would also suggest you find the local model a club in your area and JOIN it.. the knowledge is invaluable and i am sure you can get some help immedialty on where to start, Good luck to you and YES it does have a started, all model A's did and the button just below the brake is the starter button. Make sure you have gas and oil, and open the choke valve on your right at least a full turn, push the "spark" rod on your LEFT of the steering column all the way up (retard) and take the other one on the right, the Throttle and move it about 2-4 knotches down. Turn the key so it pops out (hopefully) and make sure it is in neutral, press the starter button on the floor and at the same time pull out the choke and let it back in, hopefully it will start and then bring the spark rod down 3/4 of the way and ease the throttle rod back up...that is a fast lesson. Good luck
mark

[JBR]

1. Check fluids, oil, coolant, gas. Replace as necessary.
2. Lever on left side of steering column is spark. All the way up to start.
3. Lever on right is thottle. 1/3 down to start.
4. Choke is under tank on right side pull and release while motor is turn.
5. Gas shut off valve my be under right side of tank or on firewall.

Usual things. Gas to carb. Spark to plugs. Turn it over for a few seconds with switch off to get oil pumped up.

Good Luck.

[HOTRODPRIMER]

Thanks for the quick lesson,,like I said the gentleman doesn't have a clue so I'm just a little more knowledgeable about the older cars than he is,,

We are going to try and get it running this weekend and I will see if I can locate a few Model A guys locally to mentor him after we get the car to his home. HRP

[PC/SR]

All I would add is that if it has sat for a long time, CHANGE all fluids. Drain the oil, water and gas. Then give it a try as discussed above.

[Michael in Sedona]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Good advice from the others that have posted, but I would add this. I've read many times that before starting an engine that has sat for years, it's a good idea to get some oil into the cylinders. This apparently can be done by removing the entire distributor and pouring a quart of oil down the distributor hole, then re-installing the distributor. The distributor shaft has a keyway, so you won't necessarily get it out of time by taking it out. It seems like it would also be possible to pour a little oil into each cylinder by removing the spark plugs, then hand cranking a few revolutions with the ignition off to lubricate the cylinder walls. I've also poured Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders to help free up a stuck valve. Smokes up the neighborhood for a few minutes, but sure helps an old engine get going.

If you need to install a new battery, be aware that stock Model A's are positive ground.

[Tom Wesenberg]

On the fuel shut-off valve under the gas tank, turn the handle so it's straight up and down to turn on the gas flow.

Since the car sat for so long, it wouldn't hurt to polarize the generator by just jumping the two cutout terminals with a short piece of wire for 1 second. Do this after the battery is in and charged, and remember it's POSITIVE ground.

[Aerocraft]

The points have a tendency to oxidize when sitting. I suggest that you burnish the points,in addition to the many other good suggestions, to insure good contact prior to attempting to start the car.

[Mitch//pa]

you might want to drain out the stale gas from the fuel tank by removing the fuel line off the carburetor and connecting a 1/4 2ft long piece of fuel hose onto it and drain it into a can. just turn on the gas valve under the dash and it will gravity flow.

[MBI Houston]

You may want to have a fire extinguisher handy. Who knows what evils lurk!

[MikeK]

When all else fails, read the directions.... There was an instruction booklet that came with the new car. Does your friend have it? If not, you can get a reprint for $12.50 from Brattons Antique Auto parts. It explains LOTS of stuff and has good pictures. A Model A newbie must have and read.

[Mikeinnj]

If this car was not prepped before storage you may find that the gas has turned to something less than gas. Also if the engine had non-detergent oil in it and sat for a decade or two you may want to drop the oil pan and clean it out and add 5 quarts of fresh oil. Same with the cooling system. Was it drained? Did it have anti freeze in it? Anti-freeze can become corrosive in time if not changed. Check the oil for traces of water/anti-freeze. Get a few Model A books and enjoy!

[HOTRODPRIMER]

Thanks you all for the advice,,as I said earlier I really didn't know how to go about starting the original Model A,,

Having prior knowledge of cranking old cars that have set idle for years wasn't anything new,I know to always preform the basics first,,flush and replace vital fluids.

We spent several hours Saturday digging through the boxes of parts his grandfather had collected and found a lot of new parts and that aided in getting the car cranked.

We ran out of time Saturday but,started again Monday afternoon and within the hour we had it running,,,it ran pretty good,,good enough in fact to drive around the yard yesterday afternoon

The sedan is a 1930 and is in fair shape but not restored.

Both of us had ear to ear grins that you couldn't remove with a side grinder!

I really do appreciate ALL hint's , suggestions & pointers because without you guys I could not have been any help at all,,I also told him about this site. HRP

[TK in LA]

Very COOL!! I know he'll enjoy his new toy.

[Model A Speedster]

I didn't see it posted, I might have missed it, but once the engine is running, advance (pull the lever on the left side of the steering column about 2/3 of the way down) the spark. You will notice a difference in the way the motor sounds. Make sure the spark is back up when you start the car again. The best thing you can do is enjoy it, but be wary of the mechanical brakes. They will not stop you on a dime - or even a quarter. I guess I did miss the advice about the spark - it's back in post # 2.

[JoeWay]

Originally Posted by Model A Speedster

...be wary of the mechanical brakes. They will not stop you on a dime - or even a quarter. I guess I did miss the advice about the spark - it's back in post # 2.

Many of us have original brakes that will not only stop on a dime, but give you change, as they used to say.

Joe

[Rowdy]

Here are the starting instruction when you get ready to start it. This may have already been posted and I missed it on the quick read. This site has alot of other good info also. http://www.jmodela.com/starting.htm . Rod

[Mike V. Florida]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Model A Speedster
...be wary of the mechanical brakes. They will not stop you on a dime - or even a quarter. I guess I did miss the advice about the spark - it's back in post # 2.

Originally Posted by JoeWay

Many of us have original brakes that will not only stop on a dime, but give you change, as they used to say.

Joe

Don't have any problems stopping here!

[HoarseWhisperer]

No problem, here. You must get those new fangled four-wheel brakes.

[5window]

Make sure you have insurance on the car-and health insurance-before you hit the road.