The Ford Barn

rivcokid · 10-12-2019, 09:18 PM

Hi all - Had to have the Model A Fordor towed today for what turned out to be a flooded carb (didn't know that the GAV rod doesn't retract, so flooded). Anyway, when the tow-truck driver was putting it on the flatbed, it lost a sizable amount of gas, and then it appeared to lose another sizable amount of oil from the transmission area. That continued when the car was on the flatbed (albeit it much less), and then when it came off the truck. I think it's about done leaking. Any ideas what may have caused this? Needless to say I'll be checking/filling tomorrow (when I'm not dressed in my better clothes). I'm hoping it's just a problem with the car being at a rather severe angle. Thanks as always in advance!!

J Franklin · 10-12-2019, 09:40 PM

Gas will leak if it is not shut off or the valve is bad. the oil most likely was from the rear main.

rivcokid · 10-12-2019, 09:47 PM

J Franklin - is that normal about the oil from the rear main if the car is placed at such a steep angle?

J Franklin · 10-12-2019, 10:59 PM

It can happen in an A because there is no seal at that location, especially if the crankcase is full or over filled.

marty in Ohio · 10-13-2019, 07:33 AM

Rivcokid,
My '30 town sedan doesn't leak much, but if I park it on my sloped driveway the rear main will leak a little. The first time this happened I nearly went into panic mode.
Marty

Keith True · 10-13-2019, 07:35 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

The oil that has collected in the flywheel housing will run out when the car is tipped up.Same with the gas in the carb bowl.When tipped up the gas in the bowl will run out the jets and bowl vent.It's normal.Also you have to remember that a spoonful of gas or oil will look like a quart when spilled.I hear people say,I must have lost a quart.A quart of gas spilled under the car makes a puddle much bigger than the car itself.A drop of oil will make a spot bigger than a quarter.

denis4x4 · 10-13-2019, 09:30 AM

Interesting.....I use a tilt trailer and never have had a leakage issue

jwmckenzie · 10-13-2019, 12:25 PM

There is a tube that comes out of the rear main to direct oil back to the pan, there is no seal back there. It's a gravity drain back to the pan if any oil gets past the rear main. When you tip the car up, oil can run out of that tube and into the flywheel housing.

Grain trucks would have this problem when they were tilted up to dump the grain into the elevator pit. These engines had a check ball in the tube that would roll back and prevent the oil from going the wrong way in the tube when the truck was tilted up.

Maybe Denis4x4 has one of these in his pickup.

Keith True · 10-13-2019, 02:23 PM

Denis has a tilt trailer.Nowhere near the ramp angle of ramp trucks.New low pro trucks are better than the old ones,but still steep compared to a tilt trailer.Very rarely will I drive a car up on a ramp truck and get out,just about the time I get it in park or set the brake the car tries to slide back down.Tilt trailers are nice and shallow.

rivcokid · 10-13-2019, 02:25 PM

Thanks all - I went to see it this morning and all was well. The carb was dry etc. Guess I'll know that for next time!!

10-12-2019, 09:18 PM	#1
rivcokid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 171	Towed car lost lots of fluids Hi all - Had to have the Model A Fordor towed today for what turned out to be a flooded carb (didn't know that the GAV rod doesn't retract, so flooded). Anyway, when the tow-truck driver was putting it on the flatbed, it lost a sizable amount of gas, and then it appeared to lose another sizable amount of oil from the transmission area. That continued when the car was on the flatbed (albeit it much less), and then when it came off the truck. I think it's about done leaking. Any ideas what may have caused this? Needless to say I'll be checking/filling tomorrow (when I'm not dressed in my better clothes). I'm hoping it's just a problem with the car being at a rather severe angle. Thanks as always in advance!!

10-12-2019, 09:40 PM	#2
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,962	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids Gas will leak if it is not shut off or the valve is bad. the oil most likely was from the rear main.

10-12-2019, 09:47 PM	#3
rivcokid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 171	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids J Franklin - is that normal about the oil from the rear main if the car is placed at such a steep angle?

10-12-2019, 10:59 PM	#4
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,962	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids It can happen in an A because there is no seal at that location, especially if the crankcase is full or over filled.

10-13-2019, 07:33 AM	#5
marty in Ohio Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Elyria, Ohio Posts: 755	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids Rivcokid, My '30 town sedan doesn't leak much, but if I park it on my sloped driveway the rear main will leak a little. The first time this happened I nearly went into panic mode. Marty

10-13-2019, 07:35 AM	#6
Keith True Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Epping N.H. Posts: 2,987	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The oil that has collected in the flywheel housing will run out when the car is tipped up.Same with the gas in the carb bowl.When tipped up the gas in the bowl will run out the jets and bowl vent.It's normal.Also you have to remember that a spoonful of gas or oil will look like a quart when spilled.I hear people say,I must have lost a quart.A quart of gas spilled under the car makes a puddle much bigger than the car itself.A drop of oil will make a spot bigger than a quarter.

10-13-2019, 09:30 AM	#7
denis4x4 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Durango CO Posts: 1,309	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids Interesting.....I use a tilt trailer and never have had a leakage issue __________________ No restorable Model A's were harmed in the building of this truck!

10-13-2019, 12:25 PM	#8
jwmckenzie Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 213	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids There is a tube that comes out of the rear main to direct oil back to the pan, there is no seal back there. It's a gravity drain back to the pan if any oil gets past the rear main. When you tip the car up, oil can run out of that tube and into the flywheel housing. Grain trucks would have this problem when they were tilted up to dump the grain into the elevator pit. These engines had a check ball in the tube that would roll back and prevent the oil from going the wrong way in the tube when the truck was tilted up. Maybe Denis4x4 has one of these in his pickup.

10-13-2019, 02:23 PM	#9
Keith True Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Epping N.H. Posts: 2,987	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids Denis has a tilt trailer.Nowhere near the ramp angle of ramp trucks.New low pro trucks are better than the old ones,but still steep compared to a tilt trailer.Very rarely will I drive a car up on a ramp truck and get out,just about the time I get it in park or set the brake the car tries to slide back down.Tilt trailers are nice and shallow.

10-13-2019, 02:25 PM	#10
rivcokid Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 171	Re: Towed car lost lots of fluids Thanks all - I went to see it this morning and all was well. The carb was dry etc. Guess I'll know that for next time!!