MARC Technical Questions

[john charlton]

The mailman has just delivered my May/June Model A News . I noted on page 10 someone was enquiring on how to rig up a temporary gas tank to get this car running . It had been stood for a long time and the gas tank was not usable . I was very very surprised that the advise given did not say to drop the pan ,clean everything pop out the dipper tray clean out the valve chest etc etc . So these very well meaning people will go ahead and most likely destroy the engine . The model A engine has a heart of gold and is eager to please but does not tolerate sludge being pumped through a mostly blocked oil pump filter screen . The only people who benefit from these sad scenarios are the engine rebuilders. There is a recent You Tube where a 30 de luxe roadster has been dragged out of a barn and as sure as little berries the rescue team get it running (GOOD GRIEF) The many viewing comments commended them on their great mechanical skill .I know really this is no business of mine ,I will never see the car or ever meet them but it does bother me greatly most of these videos I cant bear to watch to the end .Maybe I need counselling !!!

John in sunny Suffolk County England .

[chrs1961815]

I agree with you on that whenever a car is sitting for over 15 years, you should probably pop the pan off and clean everything or at the very least check and make sure there is no sludge. I will say it is easy to miss a step or two when writing these articles as there is so many little things involved with these cars.

[mfarley]

Let's look at this a little differently...

1. He's helping a friend. Could it be that the friend enlisted the author because he already knows a thing or two about Model A's?

2. He took the time to write a letter to Model A news...not post on a forum or Facebook. He knew a legitimate source of information and assistance and sought it out.

3. The author asks a specific question and gets a specific answer from the magazine. In thinking about it, I'm glad the magazine did not get on their soapbox and start a litany of pre-startup issues. This shows respect to the author.

4. The magazine only has so much space. They need to give specific answers to specific questions because of printed space.

5. The definition of "many". To you it means fifteen, to me it means five, to the author it could mean three.

I appreciate the concern that any hobbyist have a bad Model A experience, but I don't think we can hold the magazine in a negative perspective because of the answer.

[Jack Shaft]

Fact is it can take up to 30 seconds to fill the valve gallery,it has two 'dams' so the back section that feeds the rear main gets fed last.With long term storage (weeks) the oil in the gallery leaks into the pan.I agree with John,those 50 year startups require pan removal and cleaning..but even the guys who store their cars for the winter need to pull the distributor and pour a few pints down the hole to pre lube the gallery.

[30 Closed Cab PU]

I'm inclined to agree with #3. A specific question was asked and answered. A response including a comprehensive resuscitation procedure for long term storage (many years) may have taken pages. May have also created tons; of additional questions, suggestions from readers, disagreements, etc. If you look/search here on FB lots of info generated on this subject with some controversy.

[john charlton]

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An extra line or two would not have made much difference to the response . I was hoping also that someone on the forum would take note and not try to start Grandads long stored car if my post achieved that then I am pleased . MARC news is read by thousands no doubt and lent on to other readers .I think you would be very surprised at how many cars are treated this way I would think most all barn finds suffer the same fate .It must be got running to "save it" .I am sure Mr Ehrenhofer knows all this for sure ,it just slipped through the gap I guess

John in lovely sunny afternoon Suffolk County England.

[Ernie Vitucci]

John is right. The car is in the barn for a reason...most likely it did not want to run. One needs to take the time to figure out the reason...dropping the pan, cleaning out the oil pump and cleaning out the valve chamber is just good common sense. If the engine seems pretty good, checking the clearance on the mains and rods is also a good idea, check the valve lash...a bit of time spent in the beginning means lots of better experiences down the road. Ernie in Arizona

[Brentwood Bob]

Experience should include learning from the mistakes. Thank you John for pointing out that an incomplete response can miss the mark.

[30 Closed Cab PU]

Originally Posted by john charlton

An extra line or two would not have made much difference to the response . I was hoping also that someone on the forum would take note and not try to start Grandads long stored car if my post achieved that then I am pleased . MARC news is read by thousands no doubt and lent on to other readers .I think you would be very surprised at how many cars are treated this way I would think most all barn finds suffer the same fate .It must be got running to "save it" .I am sure Mr Ehrenhofer knows all this for sure ,it just slipped through the gap I guess

John in lovely sunny afternoon Suffolk County England.

I agree, my truck was in 50 year storage. Not knowing anything I believed the advice to just get it running, use it, and see what is needed. Lucky i did not blow up the motor, had a couple of inches of sludge in the pan and plugged up the oil pump screen.



After a few miles it made a horrible noise, shut it down immediately, was lucky and did not ruin the mains/rod bearings.


My point previously was once you say anything further, sometimes things turn into a can of worms.

[McMimmcs]

Originally Posted by john charlton

The mailman has just delivered my May/June Model A News . I noted on page 10 someone was enquiring on how to rig up a temporary gas tank to get this car running . It had been stood for a long time and the gas tank was not usable . I was very very surprised that the advise given did not say to drop the pan ,clean everything pop out the dipper tray clean out the valve chest etc etc . So these very well meaning people will go ahead and most likely destroy the engine . The model A engine has a heart of gold and is eager to please but does not tolerate sludge being pumped through a mostly blocked oil pump filter screen . The only people who benefit from these sad scenarios are the engine rebuilders. There is a recent You Tube where a 30 de luxe roadster has been dragged out of a barn and as sure as little berries the rescue team get it running (GOOD GRIEF) The many viewing comments commended them on their great mechanical skill .I know really this is no business of mine ,I will never see the car or ever meet them but it does bother me greatly most of these videos I cant bear to watch to the end .Maybe I need counselling !!!

John in sunny Suffolk County England .

I totally agree with your position. The answer is incomplete and could well cause problems. Thank you for caring enough to correct. You are indeed an asset to the hobby !

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

I guess it is a sign of the times, but we have 'dumbed-down' society today where I guess we now feel we must give all these "warnings" about items outside of the original question. In defense of the Tech Director, where does he end with his advice? No matter how far he goes, someone will always find fault that he should have mentioned more.

Someone asks about a temporary fuel tank. John feels they need to drop the oil pan. OK, I see his point however no one mentioned that the car owner/mechanic should check the water level in the radiator before running the engine. No one mentioned the level of the lube in the transmission should be checked prior to starting the engine or it could damage the transmission. No one mentioned the owner needs to check all the electrical wiring to ensure it does not have frayed wires which could short & create a fire. What about the fan potentially having cracks?

I could likely go on finding other warnings to give for potential problems, but I guess I have the mindset that if someone must also tell the car owner/mechanic of every potential problem area just to protect their reputation, then the car owner/mechanic needs to find another vehicle or learn to apply some common sense to their skills.

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[Jack Shaft]

Im surprised MARC didnt specify an auxillary fuel tank doesnt meet judging standards and ban the poor bastard from all MARC activities