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Old 06-18-2021, 07:28 PM   #61
Ernie Vitucci
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Default Re: I'm not a Model A person

Good afternoon...One additional thing to check with a blown fuse is the fuse holder. Some of the older ones have very poor rivets and you can move the parts of the holder around a bit...this can cause shorts...see if you can move the parts because they are loose...time for a new holder...Ernie in Arizona
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Old 06-18-2021, 07:38 PM   #62
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..and i used to think the mg midgets and b's were tinkerer's car! Thankfully ford wasn't plagued by lucas electric systems.



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Old 06-18-2021, 11:45 PM   #63
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Are you using a fuse holder with a automatic reset circuit breaker?

One of our members messed with his 29 Coupe off and on for almost a year. It would start just fine and run for a minute or two and then quit. He would try to diagnose the problem and then it would run again, only to quit. Over the period of a year, He replaced the coil distributor fuel filter in the tank generator cur out and several other items.

He thought he had the problem fixed and was going on a club out and got a few blocks from his home and it quit again. Out of desperation he called me for some help to get it back home. When I got to him, I found the car started right up and seemed to be fine. He drove another block or so and it quit again. I immediately checked for spark and there was none. I checked at the fuse holder an the starter and there was no power. I took my knife and shorted across the automatic circuit breaker in the fuse holder and it started right up. This time he had stopped right in front of a hardware store. He purchased a box of 30 amp fuses and replaced the Made in China circuit breaker with a fuse. End of problem.

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Old 06-18-2021, 11:50 PM   #64
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I do not know all of what you have done and exactly what the symptoms are but one thing I ran across that caused all kinds of a problem was poor quality points. I have found points made in China have very little tungsten on the contact surfaces and will burn very easily. You can clean them and the car will run for a little while and then run bad and quit.

Be sure to use good quality electrical components and not the Chinese stuff.

My opinion,

Chris W.
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Old 06-19-2021, 12:52 AM   #65
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If it blew when you started backing, I suspect you may have also had to use the brakes, bad brake light switch? It happened to a friend, car ran great and sometimes as soon as he entered he stepped on brake, sometimes he didn't....etc...was crazy until we realized when he hit the brake pedal the fuse blew! Easy to by pass to check.
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Old 06-19-2021, 08:24 AM   #66
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Look. There’s really not very many classic automobiles that are more “simple”. This is a learning curve, like anything else that’s new or different, and it sounds like you’ve got a car that’s been neglected and abused, so you’ve got some things to remedy, and quirks to figure out. Patience, and stepping away when you’re frustrated; you’ll get there eventually. Think about it; if you had purchased another 50 Buick that had this Model A’s history of ownership, you’d be even more confused than you are right now…
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Old 06-19-2021, 10:19 AM   #67
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It is good to hear that you are still chopping away at the issues. Sometimes you just get fed up, it happens.
It sounds like you have a car with an eclectic collection of issues.
You will help the rest of us as you find the solutions since we will all (possibly) learn new things.
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Old 06-19-2021, 10:25 AM   #68
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Update on progress:
First of all, thanks to everyone who has made suggestions and pointed the way.
The fuse I have is a five dollar inline glass 30 amp fuse (not a circuit breaker) from the hardware store installed between the x and the y. Installing it was the first thing I did to the car. I took nkaminar’s suggestion and disconnected the wire leading from the generator to the light switch and haven’t had any more blown fuses. I have a new lighting harness on order.
When I got the car, there was a button for the horn attached to the steering column with cable ties. The seller told me he didn’t know why the horn button didn’t work, but that he had rigged that up as a solution. The more I find out about this car, the more I realize all the red flags I should have noticed when I first looked at it. This is indeed a learning experience, and maybe I’ll be a lot better prepared if I happen to buy another Model A.
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Old 06-19-2021, 10:38 AM   #69
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Update on progress:

The fuse I have is a five dollar inline glass 30 amp fuse (not a circuit breaker) from the hardware store installed between the x and the y.
That's one way to put it that I've never heard before.
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Old 06-19-2021, 10:40 AM   #70
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Your changing the red flags to checkered flags one at a time! With the lighting wires disconnected how about trying a small victory drive? Keep at it, take a break from it when you need!
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Old 06-19-2021, 11:05 AM   #71
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Garcia,

I’m glad you are making progress. A lot of folks are pulling for you. You’ll eventually get past the issues, and there will be a sense of accomplishment when you get there. A Model A is wonderful car to drive, and it’s an absolute fantastic conversation starter whoever you take one.


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Old 06-19-2021, 11:47 AM   #72
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That's one way to put it that I've never heard before.
D'oh! I wanted to go to the garage to make sure, and I used a place holder then forgot about it. The fuse goes between the starter and the terminal box, where it belongs.
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Old 06-19-2021, 12:30 PM   #73
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Good Morning...I forget all the things that you have corrected...have you taken a really good look at the battery ground strap? Some ground straps that are the rubber covered ones can be rotten on the inside...they will carry current until wiggled and then they don't. You might check and if not a good one, the proper one s 00 sized and about the size of your middle finger or so. Many of us use two. One connected to the transmission and the other to the frame...often we mount them from a marine terminal on the positive post of the battery. The marine terminal makes it easy to mount two ground straps on the positive termainal...Ernie in Arizona
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Old 06-19-2021, 12:49 PM   #74
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I hope that you find the right vehicle to suit your style.
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Old 06-19-2021, 04:45 PM   #75
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Well I definitely understand your position as I have known others like yourself in a similar scenario. The likely issue is you purchased a car that you were told was Restored, however in reality, it probably wasn't, ...and now that is affecting your joy. You must remember however, the Model-A was VERY reliable when it was new, ...and can be when it is properly and thoroughly restored to be like it was when new. A 1956 Cadillac can be a unreliable car just like a worn Model-A can, ...so it really isn't that you aren't a Model-A guy, its more than you are a poor soul that was mislead on what you were purchasing. None the less, best wishes and hopefully you will find a better quality vehicle to enjoy.
If all the little things like wiring and carb and ignition are bad chances are the big things are bad too.
I would advise you to make a plan for how to make thecar do what you want it for.
A mechanical restoration would be reliable,.
replacing parts as you go will not.


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Old 06-19-2021, 05:29 PM   #76
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If all the little things like wiring and carb and ignition are bad chances are the big things are bad too.
I would advise you to make a plan for how to make thecar do what you want it for.
A mechanical restoration would be reliable,.
replacing parts as you go will not.


John
If the car in his avatar is the car that he is working on, id say it has gone under some sort of restoration already. I think its a little early to say that he needs a restoration. Im thinking it has probably been restored but not sorted. We all have different views of what a restoration includes. However any rebuild/restoration will require some tinkering to get the last bugs out. Wether it be from human error or faulty products. Keep plugging away Garcia, many smiles to come.
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Old 06-19-2021, 06:11 PM   #77
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Thanks, john in illinois and Slowmotoring. I drove around the neighborhood for two miles today, and I think some of the other problems are showing up now that the engine will keep running. First of all, I have a lot of vibration, and it appears to me that the crankshaft is not steady in its bearings. Second, the steering seems to be hard and with a lot of play, but that might be because I'm used to the steering in a Corolla. The transmission grinds and grunts, but I'm pretty sure that's because of operator error. My wife, who is usually smarter than I on about everything, says I need to take it slowly, visit neutral along the way, and pay attention. It's going to need more work, but it's not the horror show it was a week ago.
What novice would not have fallen for this ad:
For Sale: 1931 roadster Older restoration with less than 400 miles. Run and drives great. Paint shows some age but looks very nice from a few feet. Interior is great, with new clutch, pressure plate, and throw out bearing, new valves, valve guides and muffler. Comes with side curtains and car cover.
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Old 06-19-2021, 06:21 PM   #78
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Default Re: I'm not a Model A person

Model A trannys do not have synchronizers so double clutching works best
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Old 06-19-2021, 07:02 PM   #79
Garcia
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For those who wanted to see more pictures, I've thrown together a google site:

https://sites.google.com/view/1931-roadster/home
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Old 06-19-2021, 07:41 PM   #80
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Shifting clue, be sure the right hand "idle" arm is as slow as the car can stand. You want the transmission as slow as it can be when shifting, but here's a secret....when going from first to second and second the third PUSH THAT SHIFTER HARD TO TO THE RIGHT so the car knows you are in command... seriously...a hard hold to the right when shifting really helps and remember the goal of first gear is simply second gear and the goal of second gear is simply third gear... in other words you should be in third by 15 to 20 miles an hour tops no revs like a motorcycle. These are just lawn mowers......HA HA HA now I'm banned....
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