Sep 10, 2011
As the Flying Quail group was on their annual fall trip a couple of years ago, Herb Mahler heard a strange noise coming from the engine compartment of his car. He got on the CB and notified the tour leader that his engine was knocking. Luckily, the leader found a grassy area to pull twelve cars over safely. This was not as easy as it may sound, as we were traveling through Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County. As the men all stuck their head under the hood to find and diagnose the problem, Clara, Herb’s wife, was sitting in the car. First the rods and mains were ruled out with a huge sigh of relief from the group. The noise was coming from the bell housing area. Once that was determined, the gentlemen began giving their ideas as to how a correction could be made.
We had to try to figure out what in the bell housing was making the noise. We took the inspection cover off the back of the housing near the rear main and the inspection cover off near the throw out bearing. Then we tried to view the culprit with lights and mirrors. We could see a nut or a bolt at the bottom of the bell housing.
First we tried magnets to get the bolt out. We also tried rags tied to a stick. We were stumped. Luckily we had an old farmer with us, Fred Kazmaier. He said to take some grease and put it on the flywheel and then run the flywheel around. With the grease’s gooey texture, it should pick up the bolt. After a couple of conservative attempts, we decided that more grease was better. We caked the grease on in one spot, turned the flywheel around backwards and around it came. Once we got it out, we realized it was one of the original bendix bolts. The bendix had broken about a year before and the bolt rattled around in the bottom of the bell house until it had worn enough to stick in the flywheel gear.
Now we all carry heavy grease with us just in case something like this should ever happen again. It was a really neat opportunity to have men of all ages and experiences coming together and solving our dilemma. I hope that we all can continue to learn from the more experienced people of this organization.
FYI: The flywheel weighs 63 lbs., 4 oz. It is balanced within .15In/oz. and the flywheel bolt torque is 65 Ft./lbs. Clutch mounting surface and clutch disc surface must run true to crankshaft within .005″ TIR.
This tech tip was provided by the Flying Quail Chapter and was originally printed in the September 2001 “A” Quail Call.
Sep 3, 2011
To plate or not to plate, that is the question. Every restoration requires that choices be made. Do you save money and paint that originally plated part, or should you spend for a repro? Or you could really spend and have that original part plated? Hey! It’s your car. This article hopefully will give you some insights on where you might be able to make your car look better and not spend a lot of dollars getting there.
There are nine types of plating used on the Model A Fords. From worst to best, these are plain, Raven, cadmium, terne, lead, nickel, Butler, chrome, and Allegheny Rustless Steel (stainless). If you want to make your car look its best, nothing beats plating. It adds incredible detailing. But unless someone is going to compare your car against one that has the correct plating, paint works on many items. However, neither paint nor plating will make a bad car drive well.
I was once told that Henry put the cars together to look good all the way to the showroom but not much longer. The type of plating tends to support that opinion. The parts that would rust quickest were neither plated nor painted. Parts were delivered to the assembly line covered in oil. As the oil wore off, so did the rust protection. The lower part of the spark rod and the bumper support bracket nuts are good examples of un-plated or un-painted parts. It is acceptable by all Model A clubs to paint these parts black for preservation. The paint sheen is not specified and is left to the restorer. I suggest that once you decide, you stick with the same sheen (flat, satin, or gloss) all the way through the restoration. Eastwood markets an Under the Hood Black that works well for plain parts as well as the generator and starter. One problem that you will have with paint on fasteners is the paint chips or scraps off when tighten with a wrench. For this reason I suggest a light coat of paint. I do not recommend spraying the plain metal with clear lacquer paint. The parts will still rust. Eastwood is now selling a paint that resembles plain steel. You might try it.
There are four exceptions to the black paint rule. One is the bolt holding the carburetor together. Another is the glass-bowl gas-filter fixture. Its pot metal. You can clean it. But, do not paint or plate either of these parts. The exhaust manifold was originally unfinished. Gray or black heat resistant paint is acceptable. The final exception is the muffler. Black, gray or silver heat resistant paints works.
The step up from plain steel was Ford’s Raven finish. This finish is now called Black Oxide. Today’s commercial finish is satin black. The original finish was closer to flat black. Either is correct. The technique to create a Raven finish is similar to gun bluing. Parts are immersed in a chemical for 10 to 20 minutes. The chemical seeps into the tiny pores of the metal and oxidizes as it dries. After the part is dried it is given an oil bath. The Raven finish protects the steel by occupying the pores that could trap and hold moisture. The finish does not chip or scrap off during assembly. Raven fasteners give a rich sense of detail. Surprisingly, it is a fairly effective rust preventative. A common substitute for Raven finish is a flat or satin black paint. Raven is common to almost all bolts and nuts used on the chassis. A heavy coat of paint on some fasteners may cause electrical problems, as the electrical circuit can be interrupted. A good example is the bolt holding the bottom of the headlight bucket. Here, I suggest buying a replacement bolt rather than painting.
For parts that needed an economical and bright finish, Ford used cadmium (cad) plating. The cad used by Henry Ford is unavailable today. The cad plating process produces arsenic gas and is limited by the EPA. More common is either zinc or zinc chromate plating. Commercial zinc plating is too bright but it is acceptable for judging. The original cad was duller with a softer appearance. Zinc chromate is yellow in color and is not acceptable. Cad was used for small parts such as grease fittings or hose clamps. Cad or zinc is economical and effective as a rust preventative. It protects the base metal by shedding a layer of itself whenever the part gets wet. Each time you wash the plated part, you are reducing the thickness of the plating.
Cad like all metal plating is applied through electrolysis. The part to be plated is immersed in a heated solution. Electricity is passed through the part and the solution. The electricity drives the metallic particles in the solution onto the base metal. Parts can be buffed to the desired shine and the finish will not chip off with use.
Most cad parts are available through the Model A vendors if you want to avoid the plating hassles. However, Cad (or zinc) is the least expensive plating process. If the part is in good shape, plating is an option. Be sure to specify you want the gray or silver finish. Otherwise your parts will be returned in yellow-cad. Painting is the third option. The starter switch for example was originally supplied in either cad or painted black. Black painted switches are acceptable for judging. For all other parts, Eastwood sells a paint that resembles cad plating. Do it lightly over a plain part and you can get satisfactory results. It’s still paint, but from 3 feet away it looks a lot like the real stuff. The trick is not to mix real cad and painted cad parts. The paint is then easy to spot. I suggest avoiding aluminum or chrome paint; it’s just too bright.
Some parts that were originally cad plated are now being manufactured in stainless steel. Stainless steel can be made to look like cad by bead blasting. Examples are lug nuts or the rivets that hold the headlight bucket to the mounting bracket.
What is terne plating? It’s an often-asked question. The only part I know that was terne plated is the cutout switch. Cutout switches today are likely to be cad plated, stainless, or painted black by the restorer. Cad switches are acceptable for judging in Penn-Ohio or the touring class for the national clubs. But originally the finish was dull gray metallic plating. Using a soldering iron and a high lead solder best duplicates terne at home.
Another uncommon plating was lead. It was used one place, the battery-grounding strap. Today’s repro parts are copper straps. The originals were similar but lead coated. This can be duplicated using body solder available from auto body stores. Or, mail order plating companies sell a brush-on lead coating that works extremely well when heated with a propane torch. Considering that this strap is impossible to see, very few restorers will worry about getting it right.
Starting with the 1928 models, Ford used nickel-plating inside and out for all bright trim parts. Nickel can be buffed to a very bright, almost chrome-like shine. The problem is that it oxidizes and turns dull quickly. On the plus side, nickel is non-porous. Water cannot penetrate nickel. The low-buck alternative to plating is buying new repro parts that are nickel-plated. Painting nickel-plated parts seriously detracts from quality of the restoration and should be avoided if you are having your car judged.
Mid-way through production Henry started using a Butler-nickel finish for interior plated parts on deluxe cars. Butler finish is a satin finish. It makes the interior look richer. In fact, I bet you think that’s why Ford did it. Wrong! It saved labor. To achieve a bright nickel finish both the copper coat and the finish nickel plating had to be buffed. There is no buffing done to a butler-plated part. The Butler portion was lightly scratched using a Butler wheel on a bench grinder. Butler parts were not chrome plated. There is no cheap way to duplicate Butler-nickel finish. The least expensive route that will keep your restoration looking sharp is to use repro nickel-plated parts or to find good used parts. You will lose only marginal points in judging for using bright nickel in place of Butler.
Some of the hardest pieces to nickel plate are pot metal parts. The plating used as the base coat is either copper or nickel. Both are high in acid content. Pot metal is very susceptible to acid. Old pot metal tends to develop cracks that allow the acid to penetrate the metal. Once this happens, the piece begins to dissolve in the plating solution. To solve this problem platers use a different non-acid copper solution as the first coat.
Repro parts generally do not have a copper base coat. They receive a “flash” coat of nickel over the base metal to provide a bright finish. The flash coat is very thin. Underlying scratches or imperfections will show through.
Bumpers were manufactured in chrome from the start of production. The plus side to chrome is that is not affected by air and does not oxidize. The downside is that chrome is porous. Water can penetrate chrome and rust the base metal if not protected by a coating of nickel. Chrome is also expensive. Original chrome parts should be retained and re-plated if possible. Original bumpers are heavier and made from spring steel. Reproduction bumpers are not.
By late 1929, Henry began experimenting with chrome radiators and cowl bands on the town cars. However the extra cost to chrome plate made it impractical for the bright work on the Model A’s. In 1930, the switch was made to a relatively new product, Allegheny Rustless Steel. Today we know this product as stainless. Stainless items should not need to be replaced. Stainless can be re-buffed to a high shine.
In general, nickel, Butler, chrome, and stainless parts should not be painted. These items are all very visible on your car. You are better off spending the dollars here on restoring the original parts or finding good used parts with little wear. The low dollar alternative is to buy reproduction parts.
Perhaps this is more information than you wanted regarding Model A plating. In short, if you are showing your car locally or at Penn-Ohio, I recommend the following.
Plain steel – the general rule is to paint it black.
Raven – paint satin or flat black.
Cad plating – buy a new reproduction part.
Terne –the only part terne plated was the generator cutout. If you still run a generator, buy a new reproduction part in cad.
Lead – the only part lead plated was the battery grounding strap. You don’t see it so use what you have.
Nickel – buy a new reproduction part.
Butler – substitute a new nickel-plated reproduction part and take the loss of points.
Chrome – substitute a new chrome plated part.
Stainless steel – rebuff to original shine.
The quick and simple recommendation is that the best compromise between plating and painting is to buy reproduction parts. You can get away with painting a few parts that were either not plated or available either painted or plated. But, every time you paint a plated part, you will lose detail and devalue your restoration. If you plan to show the car for MARC or MAFCA, plate the original part.
This tech tip was originally provided by Bob Hudec and printed in the August 2001 “A” Quail Call.
Aug 27, 2011
A vacuum gauge can be a very useful tool to check the performance or diagnose engine problems with your Model A. The condition of piston rings, timing, valves and other parts can be determined without tearing down the engine. The vacuum in a typical engine should be around 20” of mercury for a warm engine at sea level. For every 1000 ft. of elevation you should subtract 1”. The vacuum gauge should be connected to the intake manifold. Those with a vacuum wiper connection are set. If not, you will want to drill and tap your manifold. Consult the manuals for the correct position. Many “non-vacuum wiper” cars had porter manifolds, so you won’t be “wrecking your car” by doing this. Connect this gauge and allow the car to warm up. At a fast idle, the gauge should read around 20. If it is low, check your connections and also check to see that the timing is not retarded. If it is still low, check the spark plug gap, the breaker points and the ignition timing. If it is still low, adjust the carburetor. To do this, retard the spark and adjust the idle speed for the highest possible reading. Note that at low speeds the gauge will be bouncing all over the place. That’s OK…just go for the maximum reading. Next, advance the spark, set the throttle for a high-speed rev and make the adjustments for the highest vacuum reading using the high-speed dash adjustment. If this fails to give you the desired 20 reading, you still have a leak somewhere. Check, check, check until you find the cause. Your engine will love you for it. Carburetors are an often overlooked source of leakage, but are readily checked with a gauge. If you have a spare, swap it out and see if things improve. If not, check for leakage around the throttle shaft and the gasket. (This can be done by squirting some heavy oil on the leakage area and look for “suck-in” or the vacuum reading to improve.) Other sources of low vacuum due to the carburetor are: (1) bad idle adjustment screw; (2) blocked or incorrectly sized jets (by the way, the tape we have on the carburetor has a great chart for correctly sizing jets) will lead to poor high-speed vacuum. Always suspect the carburetor if the problem has been gradual in coming and suspect the ignition if it happened suddenly. Poor rings will give a steady low reading also. Likewise, late valve timing would give a low reading; suspect this if the engine has been running a bit hotter than normal. Remove the cover and check the gears. With the engine in proper shape the gauge should be rather steady around 20. If it is swinging wildly, you may have a problem. Worn valve guides or valve stems, bad valve seats, insufficient tappet clearance or a sticking valve will cause this. To differentiate between them, squirt a little engine oil into the vacuum gauge hose and reconnect the gauge. If the problem is gone for a short while, you have a sticking valve. To check the valve springs, rev the engine. The gauge should drop to around 5. Quickly return the throttle to idle; the gauge should bounce up to around 25 and then return to approximately 20. If when revving the engine the gauge does not go to 5 and stay there but rather bounces around, the springs are weak. (What you will typically see in this situation is the spread between the high and low reading will increase as the engine speed is increased.) If the reading does go to 5, but then slowly goes up from 5, chances are the valves are leaking. If when your engine is idling there is an intermittent drop in the reading, you may have a bad cylinder or a leak in the head gasket. By shorting out a spark plug, one at a time, you should be able to detect which cylinder is the problem. If so, check the gasket for leaks and check the torque on the head bolts (use the proper setting and sequence). If you find two adjacent plugs to be at fault, suspect that the gasket is blown between the cylinders. Just remember that the vacuum gauge is only one of many tools at your disposal. It’s a good idea to take readings from time to time so you know what “your” engine normally does. Because many troubles can cause similar vacuum reading, it is important that you use the other tools available to zero in on the right one. Common sense and the old process of elimination are sometimes all we have. This tool will hopefully help you get to the correct answer faster.
This tech tip was originally provided by Ron Sieloff and printed in the May 2001 “A” Quail Call.
Aug 20, 2011
On the two tooth sector steering gear, the column is adjustable for the spark and throttle rod control arm. Many times I have heard and read articles on bending these small fragile arms. If your control linkage rod seems too short or long, loosen the bolt on the collar located towards the bottom of the steering column. Now you can rotate the column in either direction as needed to change the linage, so the spark advance and retard is in the range of the distributor body slot. Make sure this slot has not been altered. This is very important on the timing of your “A”. If adjusted properly, the distributor arm will move the full width of the slot, with no bend or work freely. NOTE: The seven tooth sector is not adjustable. This is why the idea of bending is necessary, but has been carried on to the two tooth sector.
This tech tip was originally provided by Bob McBride and printed in the August 2000 “A” Quail Call.
Aug 13, 2011
Explosions in the muffler can be the result of intermittent ignition, throttle open and after-burning in the muffler due to lean gasoline mixture. Muffler explosions can occur if the ignition is turned on after the engine is cranked. The cure is to turn on the ignition first. If slight muffler explosions are heard when running downhill with the car in gear, ignition on and the throttle closed, see that the gas mixture is not too lean and that the spark is advanced all the way. Some causes of backfire are cold engine, spark retarded, mixture too lean, dirt in the carburetor, leaking through the intake valve, excessive clearance on the exhaust valves. The lack of sufficient fuel can create overheating of the exhaust manifold, which in turn creates popping noises. Clean out the fuel lines and adjust the carburetor for a possible cure. Symptoms of a leaky manifold are rough idling and poor performance. You can place a few drops of oil around the leaky gasket under the manifold. If the oil is sucked into the manifold and the engine changes in its idle, you could have an air leak at that point. If so, replace the gasket, but make sure the mounting surface is not too badly warped. The clamps holding the muffler to the exhaust muffler can let go with a bang! Don’t forget to check the muffler clamps often for looseness. When you tighten the nuts holding the exhaust and intake manifold in place, be sure to pull the nuts evenly, tightening each a little at a time. This procedure will prevent leaks and prevent the manifold from cracking which sometimes happens. Lastly, the smoke coming out of your tailpipe is telltale. Too much fuel or too little air creates black smoke to trail from the tailpipe. Excessive oil burning causes blue smoke. White smoke is caused by moisture and can be caused by head gasket problems.
This tech tip was originally printed in the Mar/Apr. 2000 “A” Quail Call.
