It is very hard trying to remember what and when you did things to your Model A. I strongly recommend keeping a small note book on everything you do to your car. I have two A’s and take care of a third for a friend. In each car, I keep a small book and write down everything I do. Things like oil changes, grease jobs, change points, new tires, clean the plugs, add lube to trans., pack water pump, check king pins, valve job, brake adjust or repair, etc. Anytime you do anything on your car, write it down. Show the date and mileage when you did it. This will let you know how long the points lasted, how long between spark plug cleanings, how many miles on your tires, oil change times, how often you had to add lube to the trans., last time you changed plugs or some other component. As I have problems, I describe what the problem is and what I did to fix it.
I have done this for years, and it has really paid off. If you have more than one car to keep track of, keeping such a log book is a must. I use those small, 3x5 in. ring note books that cost about $1.00. Keep a small pencil with it and always keep it with the car. When you go to sell the car, or hand it down to a new mechanic in the family, it will come in handy, and you will have all the history on your car since you had it.
At the front of your book, put your name and phone number in case you should lose it. Also, put down when you got the car and what you paid for it. If you don’t already have a record of your actions on your car, don’t let that stop you. Start today, and build the history from now on. It will still be worth it. Jack Bahm Jan-2019
Troubleshooting the Model A
When I walk up to a Model A that won’t run, here are the first things I do to try to get it fixed. I always try to figure out if it is spark or fuel.
On the spark (ignition) side: I start with the spark and use a simple test light. I assume that the plugs are not fouled since it was running good before it went down. Honk the horn. If it works, then you know that the fuse is OK and power is probably getting far into the system. With the key off, check to see if you have power to the two coil posts. Both should be “hot”. If they are not, then getting power to both sides should be easy to track down and fix. Check the wiring diagram and do a little tracing. Eye ball the point gap to make sure the points have not closed up too much. Turn the key on and rotate the engine until the points are closed. The easiest way to rotate the engine is by putting the car in third gear and pushing it to rotate the distributor cam. Do not use the fan to turn the engine. The front pulley could break and give you a much bigger problem. That pulley is designed to drive the fan and generator, not drive the engine.)
So, with the key on and the points closed, check the two coil posts again. The red wire should not be hot. This wire goes up to the ignition switch and down to the distributor where the points, being closed, grounds this side of the coil. If the red wire is hot, that means that the circuit is not being grounded by the points. The points may not be closing, they may be dirty or worn out, or the ignition switch may not be closing the connection. Do not assume that the ignition switch is good. Stick with it until the points ground the red wire, and just the points. What this does is charge the coil when the coil sees + on one side and – on the other. As the points open, the coil discharges and fires the high voltage to the plugs. If all of the above is OK, then the ignition system is probably OK.
If it still will not start, make sure the point arm is not touching the cam of the distributor. If it is touching, then change the points and make sure the new ones don’t touch the cam. If the red wire is grounded when it should not be, then it is time to check little black wire under the top plate of the distributor. This is a common failure. It moves as you move the spark lever and it can rub on something and short out. This does mean that you will have to remove the cam and later re-time the system, unless you manage to put the cam (rotor) back very near to where it was when you removed it. The timing won’t be perfect, but probably close enough to get you home. If the wire is shorted to ground, tape it or replace it.
A quick review of the ignition system may help figuring out what is wrong. The current goes from the battery to the driver’s side of the coil, the black wire. Through the coil to the passenger side, the red wire, up to the ignition switch, down to the distributor lower plate area, (but does not touch the plate), to the small black wire under the upper plate, to the movable point arm. All of this is isolated from ground. When the points close, the circuit is completed to ground and the coil is charged. When the points open, the coil fires the high voltage charge to the center of the distributor cap and on to the plug.
On the Fuel side: Loosen the gas cap and listen for a hiss. Sometimes the gas cap vent plugs up. I don’t know how this happens, but it does. Leave it loose while you work on the car. Try to start the car with full choke. Stick your finger in the carb throat near the choke blade. If it is wet with fuel, then the carb is getting fuel. There is always the chance that the carb float is stuck in the up position preventing fuel from getting into the bowl. Give a little tap on the bowl to free it up. The usual suspects are: Dirt in the tank, out of gas, the gas cap, plugged filter, plugged sediment bowl, and the outside chance that you have some bad fuel. Jack Bahm Jan-2019
Thoughts About the Model A
Our Region recently had our 50th Anniversary. While preparing for it, we gathered all the old pictures we could find from the early days of our club. What we found was that the people changed over the years, but the cars did not. They were the same cars, no matter if the picture was black and white or color, and no matter what the imaging system, film or digital. And you know what? They will look the same 50 years from now. A restored and well cared for Model A will look good forever. Then we got to thinking just how long these little toys of ours will last. They won’t rust out, we’ve got them all painted and under cover. They won’t fall apart. They have had 80 years to do that and they haven’t. It’s going to be very hard to wear them out, and I don’t see that happening. Who will inherit them? My guess is that many will skip a generation. The grand kids seem to like them more than our kids do. The Model A has the ability to sit in a garage or barn for 20 years with not much going wrong with it. A little attention and an hour or so and she is running again. The active cars in our club are kept on the go. The mileage awards keep coming in. The cars keep running great. We fix what needs fixing and a lot that does not need fixing. The more we drive them, the better they run. So what is going to make these cars go away? If nothing stands in the way, these cars could be running around 100 years from now. Could that really be? Will the roads go away? Will the Tree-Huggers make us stop driving them? It will probably be something that Washington does that ends the life of the Model A. The Model A does not do well in a Museum. It can not compete on the floor of a Museum. A Model A has to be driven to be appreciated and understood. What ever happens, they have made quite a statement already in the world of automobiles, transportation, and the lives of many people. No other car has withstood the test of time like the Model A, and it is not over yet by a long shot. Our little play-toys are really something. Jack Bahm Jan-2019
