Feb 19, 2011
Anti-freeze: Drain the water from the radiator and close the petcock. Add the manufacturer’s recommended amount of anti-freeze. Fill the radiator to the top with water and run the engine long enough to mix the water with the anti-freeze. Leave this mixture in the radiator for the entire winter to avoid corrosion.
Battery: If a battery is unused for a long period (more than three months), an occasional charge will keep the battery alert. If you remove the battery from the car, clean and store the batter in a dark dry place. Never place a battery on cement or steel surface. Instead place it on a wood surface.
Brake: The brake should be in a relaxed (off) position.
Cleaning: The car should be cleaned thoroughly. Place moth balls in the pleats and pockets of the interior and spray all cloth covered areas with moth repellent.
Covers: A breathable cover over your Model A will keep the buildup of dirt and dust to a minimum. Do not use a rubberized cover as it will increase the level of condensation and further erode your paint finish.
Polished items: Coat all plated items with a thin layer of Vaseline to protect polished metals from corroding.
Transmission: The transmission should be left in the neutral position.
Ventilate: Leave a window open about ¼” to prevent a buildup of condensation in the vehicle.
Wheels: Jack up the vehicle so that the wheels turn easily, and place a piece of wood under the axle. This prevents dry rotting to occur on the portion of the tire resting on the concrete floor.
This tech tip was originally printed in the October 2000 “A” Quail Call.
Feb 12, 2011
If you are fortunate enough to at some point in your life to restore as “A” Sedan with rain gutters, you may have to rely on replacement or reproduction rain gutters. Sadly, the later was my dilemma as I began work on my recently acquired 1929 Murray Town Sedan. A quick trip to Snyder’s and I had aluminum repro two-piece rain gutters. The backing piece is secured by hundreds of nails into the roof (with the repro, you get to drill all the holes), and the actual gutter piece should snap in place.
The immediate problem was how to bend the rain gutter assembly (you need to bend both pieces at the same time) to fit the downward curve above the rear quarter windows. After much manual effort, I stumbled (literally) across the solution. In the bowels of my tool shed was a 1/2” electrical conduit bender (some call a “hickey”). This little jewel made the job so easy, I had to share it with the world! The accompanying photograph shows the before and after. The gutters come in 10’ lengths. The finished gutter is approximately 6’ long, so you have some material to “test bend” and get up your nerve. GOOD LUCK!
HINT: I could not get the two halves to go together at all. I had to draw file the length of the backing material to get it to mate with the gutter.
This tech tip was supplied by Von Wolfe and printed in the September 1999 “A” Quail Call.
Feb 6, 2011
The next time you do engine work, throw away the pistons and install new ones with cam ground .020 or less! Until recently, most replacement pistons were cam ground as much as .040, too much for the “A” that never reaches the 220 degrees of your late model car. This will result in poor compression and blow by.
Normal choking and blow by will dilute the oil rapidly at about the same rate you burn oil; 500 miles per quart. The level on the dipstick remains high and becomes the consistency of cutting oil in 1500 miles. The “A” normally runs too cool to boil off the gasoline.
On new pistons the thrust surfaces are usually about .003 under bore size. They must be trying to tell us something here, but just try to obtain factory spec clearances. The engineers are always out to lunch. I shoot for .002 side clearance, so far so good.
You will be pleased with the increased performance and will, after the break in, have at least 20# more compression than your buddy’s ride.
This tech tip was supplied by Pete Amsler and printed in the June 1997 “A” Quail Call.
Jan 30, 2011
All Model “A” wheels have the same bolt pattern. All hubs have the matching stud pattern. Unfortunately, it may be disastrous if you install the early 1928 AR wheels on later hubs or the later 21” or 19” wheels on the early AR hubs. Check page 328 of your Model A Service Bulletins. This book is a must for “A” drivers. When pulling wheels, check the area of the drum at the very base of the studs carefully for evidence the wheel nut has bottomed out on the drum. It is has, the hole is worn and elongated. Tight nuts do NOT insure the wheel is secured! The shell should bottom out on the drum at the outer diameter, not at the stud. Find a good wheel, or install a set of Snyder’s wheel nut washers.
This tech tip was supplied by Pete Amsler and printed in the May 1998 “A” Quail Call.
Jan 22, 2011
The Model “A” is not the most fuel efficient car around. I plan my mileage about 1/2 obtained with my aging Caprice. The mixture rod assists in getting maximum mileage by leaning until rough, then backing off until smooth.
All carburetor airplanes use an identical system as the “A”, which is very effective. Modern piston engine airplanes, however add an exhaust gas temperature gauge, leaning to the maximum temperature about 1350 degrees F.
I have these in my “A’s”. Installation is simple and the cost is almost zilch. Remove one of the studs, clamping the intake manifold to exhaust. Take a new stud, drill a .060 hole lengthwise to accommodate a short length of iron and Constantine industrial thermocouple wire, twist together and braze the tip. When hot, this will produce voltage of less than 1 volt at 1350 degrees. I use a calibrated instrument with 2000 degree range for a read out. Any 1 volt gauge will work your concern is only the maximum temperature with a smooth engine.
Minor elevation changes will show a large difference in temperature. Adjust frequently for maximum temperature and you’ll have good reason to look smug and brag when you and your buddies gas up.
This tech tip was supplied by Pete Amsler and printed in the June 1997 “A” Quail Call.
