Best Tip?

[cars56]

Can you share the best Model A tip you have ever received?

Mine was to loosen the collar on the steering column and make sure the spark advance touches from side to side.

[MCHinson]

When I bought my Phaeton, it had been stored for about 15 years. The clutch was rusted to the flywheel.

From the MAFCA Website Technical Tips... I got the following Fix for a stuck clutch -


"I put the rear of the car on jackstands and left the rear wheels free to rotate. I then started the car in 1st gear and ran it a minute or two. I accelerated the car to about 20 mph on the jackstands. Then I depressed the clutch and hit the brake fast and hard. It broke loose! I engaged the clutch a few more times on the stands. When I put the car on the ground, the more I drove it the better the clutch worked. I sold the car to a friend of mine who put several thousand miles on the car with no problems.
-- Chip Evans "

It worked wonderfully. A few thousand miles later, I have never had any trouble out of that clutch.

[Ken Ehrenhofer]

After painting a set of wheels make sure you use an exacto knife to shave out the paint from the wheel lug nut chamfers. This will prevent cracking the paint when tightening the lugnuts. Do not forget the spare only neds 3 chamfers shaved out!
Ken

[roccaas]

Buy an old 9/16" open end wrench to heat with torch, bend 60 degrees, and use it to hold the top nut under the bottom of the radiator. Don't mess up your new wrench trying these tool gymnastics.

Disconnect the battery when the car won't be run for a few days.

Always drain the carb bowl after running the car (fuel shutoff). OK that one came from years of yard word with 2 cycle engines.

Carry a cell phone and AAA card.

[zzlegend]

coil polarity

[dlshady]

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Does "Sell that pile of parts and go buy one that already runs" count as a tip? That's what my Dad told me about 5 years ago and I'm beginning to understand why he said it now...


Deron

[vinepro]

A good friend told me to loosen the lug nuts on the back wheel and drive around the block to get the rear brake drums to break loose if you do not have a puller and it does work.

[Doug in NJ]

Originally Posted by Ken Ehrenhofer

After painting a set of wheels make sure you use an exacto knife to shave out the paint from the wheel lug nut chamfers. This will prevent cracking the paint when tightening the lugnuts. Do not forget the spare only neds 3 chamfers shaved out!
Ken

Also don't forget to carry an exacto knife in the car, to fix up the other two holes if you get a flat and have to use that spare tire.

Doug

[Roadster62]

An unrestored car is worth more in parts than a whole car.

['29wagon]

plan on committing yourself entirely !

[29RPU]

My favorite GENERAL tip: Rusty bolts won't break free?...apply heat with a small torch and cool with a wet rag. Most come right off afterwords!

[HoarseWhisperer]

Perhaps not the best, but the latest tip from "The Restorer", July/August, 2010.

I did have one of these incorrect springs in my parts inventory.

[Doug in NJ]

Originally Posted by 29RPU

My favorite GENERAL tip: Rusty bolts won't break free?...apply heat with a small torch and cool with a wet rag. Most come right off afterwords!

That's my favorite tip, too. My mini acetylene torch has un-stuck bolts and screws when all else failed. I haven't ever welded anything with it, but I've still managed to use it many times.

Doug

[Doug Cox]

Welding a flat washer and nut to a broken stud for easy extraction of the broken stud/screw. This trick even worked on a broken screw that holds the Oil pump screen cover on the Model A oil pump..

And I learned of this tip years ago right here on the Fordbarn …

[Ray in La Mesa]

Don't throw away the Bendix spring on the right in the photo above, give it to one of your Model T friends, he'll appreciate it.

[HoarseWhisperer]

Originally Posted by Ray in La Mesa

Don't throw away the Bendix spring on the right in the photo above, give it to one of your Model T friends, he'll appreciate it.

Didn't know that. Thanks for the tip.

[Freddie (Memphis)]

Easy..."join a local Model A Club"....and start using Ford Barn.

[TinCup]

Marco's timing procedure. When I first got my car it was the first thing I had to learn.

[kp]

Dont mess with boiling out an old radiator,get it recored.

[Dave in MN]

Couple tips:
The removal of stuck head and manifold studs using heat and wax.
See the thread: Head / Stud Removal

Look to your Model A friends for help when you need it!

[Jason in TX]

I second Marco's timing procedure. I've shared that with countless new Model A'ers.


The NEATEST tip I received was when I was showing the car at a senior center and this old timer came up to me while I was sitting in the car. His eyes lit up and he said he had a coupe like mine and remembered taking his best girl out for long drives in it. Then he pointed to the gear shift and said, "You know if you lift straight up on that shift lever you can swing it out of the way to make more room for you and your girl."
He said that with a tell tale smile and a wink. I didn't know that at the time and sure enough it did swing out of the way. It seemed like this guy was quite the ladies man back in the day and probably used that trick quite a few times! haha.

[marc hildebrant]

This one I learned the hard way......

Don't fill the gas tank up to the top. The gas will overflow when the weather is hot.

Marc

[Purdy Swoft]

Many years ago when I was a teenager and had just got my first model A, an older guy showed me a handy fix. If you have condenser failure you can mount a modern condenser to the coil bracket and hook the pig tail end to the switch side of the coil , red wire if you are using original type wiring harness. This works good and moves the condenser to a cooler spot. It is also easier to remove and replace when on the road.

[Earle]

Hey, 29 wagon - You must be right because my wife was just telling me the other day that for buying my '31 roadster and pouring all this time and money into it, I should be committed. I was pleased to see that she cared!

Great minds think alike!

[Earle]

1. Replace the original cut-out or diode cut-out with a voltage regulator in a cut-out housing.

2. Replace regular points with electronic ignition.

3. Don't, under any circumstances, trust an original, metal, two-bladed fan.

4. Install a new, best-quality, leakless water pump.

5. Get crank counter-balanced.

6. Install insert lower rod bearings.

7. Don't take any wooden nickels. (My grandmother's advice when I was a boy)

[MikeK]

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The plastic bag trick for mounting a tire.

[Michael in Sedona]

If your starter hangs up on the flywheel ring gear and jams, put the car in 2nd or 3rd gear, let the clutch out, and rock the car back and forth. This will turn the engine backwards and free up the starter. Have had to do this about 6 times; always, of course, when a crowd is gathered around to watch you start her up and drive off.

I might add that once I replaced the old bendix with one of the new starter drives and got it correctly positioned on the starter motor shaft, this hasn't happened again.

[JoeWay]

Originally Posted by Michael in Sedona

...This will turn the engine backwards and free up the starter...

Good tip, but note that turning the engine FORWARD is more effective at freeing the starter drive.

The starter drive is "coming from behind" to engage the ring gear. If it gets stuck, it's on the back side, so to speak, of engagement. Reversing the starter would free the drive, but we can't do that. Next best thing is to move the engine forward.

Joe

[Rainmaker Ron]

Originally Posted by HoarseWhisperer

Perhaps not the best, but the latest tip from "The Restorer", July/August, 2010.

I did have one of these incorrect springs in my parts inventory.

It makes no difference which side of the car the starter is mounted on..think about it.. the "other handed" spring is used when the starter is mounted BEHIND the flywheel.

Rainmaker Ron

[Rainmaker Ron]

Originally Posted by vinepro

A good friend told me to loosen the lug nuts on the back wheel and drive around the block to get the rear brake drums to break loose if you do not have a puller and it does work.

Surely you must mean loosen the AXLE nuts and not the lug nuts. Running even a short distance with loose lug nuts will make the holes in the rim the size of a peacoat sleeve!
Rainmaker Ron

[Rainmaker Ron]

Originally Posted by Ray in La Mesa

Don't throw away the Bendix spring on the right in the photo above, give it to one of your Model T friends, he'll appreciate it.

Why would a T guy want a reverse drive spring? The T starter is mounted the same as an A. Also, even though the T spring is the same "hand" as the A it is a smaller profile.
Rainmaker Ron

[30Tudor]

I also have to vote for the plastic bag trick for mounting tires as the best tip.

The other one which was helpful was to hang the keys on the gas shutoff valve. This way you know where the keys are and you make sure you leave your car with the gas valve turned off.

Also use a bungee cord to strap a small drip pan (cake pan) underneath the flywheel housing to catch those occasional persistent oil leaks.

[Logan]

-Dont ever leave home without the spare parts
-If your cars broke, leave it at home, dont make it other people problem on tours. (most annoying thing ever!!!)
-on the interstate drive the car, dont let the car drive you. In other words, try the best you can to keep up with traffic. DONT get on the highway if you only drive 35-45, you will get your @ss run over. Ive seen it happen twice.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

MAG's tip today on installing the E brake lever return spring.
http://69.61.21.195/forum/showthread.php?t=10151

[Kurt in NJ]

Always take the gas cap off before you blow into the gas line to clear a blockage.---I learned this on the side of the road in my first year of driving.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by vinepro

A good friend told me to loosen the lug nuts on the back wheel and drive around the block to get the rear brake drums to break loose if you do not have a puller and it does work.

I hope you meant to say "AXLE NUTS" rather then "LUG NUTS".

If you drive on loose lug nuts, you'll quickly ruin the wheels and the brake drum studs.

I just saw that Rainmaker Ron already caught this one. Ron's pretty quick on the draw!

[Harold frm Sebastopol]

I acquired a 28 "barn find" Roadster in 1960 and pretty much put it into storage mode until I retired in 2004. I then joined the local Model A Club and figured to start the rebuilding work and was TOLD "whoa!" (rolling museum). One man, the one that sits high on the hill, suggested I coat her once every 3-4 months with diesel to prevent the mild surface rust from getting worse. Just have to wait a few days before using so the dust and dirt don't stick.