Strange problem

[rosenkranswa]

I'm having a strange problem with a couple Model A's.

The issue started a couple months ago with my 1930 Pickup. The car will start fine and keep running, but when I use the foot or hand feed for gas it will stall. After warming up a bit, I can richen the mixture enough, like a full turn rich, and it will rev normally but lope at idle. Leaning the mixture for a smooth idle results in the same stalling response. Its either a reving response or smooth idle, but not both. Taking it for a drive it seems to have less power and will sputter on hard acceleration. Richening the mixture setting on the road helps, but now almost at 1 1/2 turn rich.

Car is bone stock, stock distributor, stock carburetor, timing set accurately, point gap correct, plug gap correct and plugs are dark gray in color. Gas flow is normal, 6v at all the right places.

Now here's the weird part, this morning my 1931 Station Wagon started doing the same thing. Only difference is that its now hard to turn the mixture control on the woody which has never been a problem.

I was considering having the carburetor rebuilt on the pickup before the woody started with the same symptoms. Now I'm wondering if its something else. I can't think what might be common to the two cars other than that they share the same shed.

Any help gratefully appreciated!!

[wmws]

Sounds to me like you got a bad load of gas. I would check screens and the carb jets and passages to make sure nothing is blocked up.

[Mike]

Wayne,
When you have as many cars as we do the problem I have come across is bad gas.

mike

[ronn]

as everyone else says- bad gas. first thought...............................

[Glenn C.]

Is your fuel screen in the tank fuel valve partially plugged ?

[Keith True]

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Have the gas tanks been sealed in the past? Some of the old sealers will dissolve with modern additives.I just saw a couple of tank sealers melt that I had done in the mid-90's.One is on a tractor and the other on a small dozer.They've been fine all these years,then one day they both started gumming up the works.The owner has been running gasahol in them since day one,so I can't blame it on that.

[Synchro909]

I once had that problem - turned out to be a small piece of crud in the main jet.

[Hicktick]

Sounds like a vacuum leak , loose carb ,. intake gasket ,. vacuum wiper ,
I would check those before anything else .,

.,
.,

[Jacksonlll]

On the hard to turn mixture knob, make sure your engine has not shifted downward and put a bind on the shaft. I have seen woodies (should be the same for all), where the rod is in a bind on the way to the carb. Check those mounts.

[rosenkranswa]

Thanks much folks, time to pull and clean the carbs. Neither tank has ever been sealed, so I don't think its old sealer. Let you know if it works.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Problems because of OLD GAS is common. I drove Minerva 400 to 500 miles a month for 8 years on Corn Gas & NEVER had a problem & NEVER even had to clean the plugs. Seems that cars that are driven OFTEN, & driven with GUSTO, always run GOOD. Chief said, "NEW cars that are broken in FAST, always seem to be faster"---???
Bill Gusto & the Fast Dog

[mshmodela]

Toss your gas, and run 100% gasoline... If you're not already doing so... It's a good simple first thing to try first.

[rosenkranswa]

Removed the carb on the '31 Woody today. Checked the mixture knob and its very hard to turn on the carb, so not binding due to misalignment. Brownish sticky stuff all over the mixture fitting and on my hands once out, so certainly looks like bad gas. Interestingly, I had the car out a couple weeks ago for its yearly maintenance routine and everything seemed OK. Must have been on the verge. Off the carb goes to Snyders for a new rebuilt one. If that fixes the problem, and I strongly suspect it will now, I'll send the ones from the Pickup and AA in as well and resolve to drive them a lot more.

[Mitch//pa]

All they most likely needed was a good clean out ...

[rosenkranswa]

Got the rebuilt carb back from Snyder's and installed today. Started right up, did the adjustments and he's running like a champ again. I hadn't been able to get the idle right for some time, but dialed in nicely now confirming my suspicion that the gumming up had been happening for some time. I'll be sending my other three out as budget allows now.

Snyder's service was great! Chatted with their tech guy, boxed and sent my carb as a core, and had the rebuilt one in hand a week later.

[SeaSlugs]

i would just clean them... take them apart, shoot a can of carb cleaner thru each orface, and it will run like new. When i say take apart just split it in half (one bolt) and clean away.

If you dont feel comforitable doing this talk to your local club and im sure someone would do it or teach/show you how.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Oven cleaner with sodium hydroxide should help clean out the passages, and remove rust. I sandblast the cast iron parts, but will have to use oven cleaner on one with plugged passages, and if that doesn't clean them then I'll remove the brass plugs.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by rosenkranswa

I'm having a strange problem with a couple Model A's.

The issue started a couple months ago with my 1930 Pickup. The car will start fine and keep running, but when I use the foot or hand feed for gas it will stall. After warming up a bit, I can richen the mixture enough, like a full turn rich, and it will rev normally but lope at idle. Leaning the mixture for a smooth idle results in the same stalling response. Its either a reving response or smooth idle, but not both. Taking it for a drive it seems to have less power and will sputter on hard acceleration. Richening the mixture setting on the road helps, but now almost at 1 1/2 turn rich.

Car is bone stock, stock distributor, stock carburetor, timing set accurately, point gap correct, plug gap correct and plugs are dark gray in color. Gas flow is normal, 6v at all the right places.

Now here's the weird part, this morning my 1931 Station Wagon started doing the same thing. Only difference is that its now hard to turn the mixture control on the woody which has never been a problem.

I was considering having the carburetor rebuilt on the pickup before the woody started with the same symptoms. Now I'm wondering if its something else. I can't think what might be common to the two cars other than that they share the same shed.

Any help gratefully appreciated!!

Is that a list of cars owned in the past or cars owned now. His many do u own right now! Wayne

[tinkirk]

sounds like they have sat for awhile before pulling them off put a cup or two of WD-40 in the gas and run them,
this should take care of the sticky stuff that tents to happen with gas from sitting for long periods time, and will not heard anything.
has always work for me anyway on several different motors

Good Luck
Tinkirk

[rosenkranswa]

Latest update - just returned from the New England Meet and National Tour, both of which were fabulous. Took the carbs off both the AA and Pickup, split them, and ran a can of Gunk Carb cleaner through every orifice I could find on both.

AAs had some rust in it, but cleaned up quickly. Put it back on and he's running like new. Pickup's was horribly mucked up, had to run a fine wire through the two jets in the venturi before they would take cleaner but all passages did finally open up. Messed up the gasket taking it off the manifold so am waiting for another before I can try it out.

Planning to paint each now with some fuel resistant paint so they look good too. The carb cleaner took most of the paint off one, but not the other.