The Ford Barn

insomniacshotrods · 08-09-2013, 06:13 PM

My wife and I took the 29 tudor sedan out last night for the first time. Had the windows all rolled down,windshield pushed out,gears grinding,lots of practice stopping. Its kinda scary driving. Has some play in steering,brakes i hope can be improved upon with adjustment. 1 low beam light out but still was able to see better than on high beam. High beams seem to point lower than low beam on road is this normal? Had trouble getting it into second gear alot,but i think its just me. Hard for me to get the double clutch thing down. Been driving standards for years,really miss those synchros on the A. Loved every white knuckle minute of it. Im only going to drive it at night till i can get the shifting down better,kinda embarrassing and noisey. Tranny is growly in first but maybe they all sound that way,never been in one moving. Any way it was cool to drive something 84 years old and see how far we have come and what we take for granted in our modern cars. Back to youtube to get some shifting lessons.

modelAtony · 08-09-2013, 06:24 PM

Welcome to the A world, you'll have fun. Find a school parking lot , Mall or football field parking lot and you and wife just stop and go, stop and go running thru the gears for about 1 hr may surprise you. have fun model A tony Lafayette, LA

fritzz13 · 08-09-2013, 06:26 PM

glad to hear i'm not the only one,took my 28 coupe out last weekend first time for me in a stock model a,loved it,a bit nerve racking but all ended well,can't wait for the next drive.i have great respect for the car owners back in the day.

stallerl · 08-09-2013, 06:33 PM

Wow! Very cool! I also drove a Model A for the first time about a week ago, even though I've owned 3! Up shifting is easy. It's the down shifting that got me. Once I'm satisfied with the mechanics of the car I'll take it to a parking lot as suggested and practice shifting, up and down.
Great times!!! Enjoy your cars!

rscardina · 08-09-2013, 09:10 PM

I'm a new Model A driver also. I almost have a month (about 4 hrs driving time) under my belt. I have been told and find it helps while clutching to hesitate before shifting into the next gear and to shift slow. I wait to a point of slowing down some. My wife and I are having the times of our lives. We have received some great advice to join a local club and we did. You should consider this if you haven't already done so. It's a great source of knowledge and insight.

BILL WILLIAMSON · 08-09-2013, 09:27 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Just push the clutch, slider' out of low into neutral & just WAAAAAIT a bit, & she'll go into second as smooth as BUTTER! Double clutching does NO, I repeat, NO good on upshifts!!! It is TOTALLY necessary on downshifts! In Minerva, I could downshift from high to second at 30 to 35 MPH, without a sound. Takes a lot of practice! You HAVE to adapt yourself to the transmission design. DANGER! Master down shifting before going into steep mountains!!! Bill W.

insomniacshotrods · 08-09-2013, 10:56 PM

Hmmm trying to figure out what i was doing wrong while trying to go to second. Is it possible to go to far over to the right ? Like say im going into fifth on my s10? By the time i was done fumbling around my rpms and speed had fallen so much i just put it back in first and tried again. Ill try the way Bill and rs suggested,didnt know double clutching didnt do any good on upshifts thanks so much for the info.

Mike V. Florida · 08-10-2013, 12:34 AM

Sounds like you had a great time!
Do a search on this site for double clutching.

dumb person · 08-10-2013, 01:10 AM

Maybe high beam & dim wires have been swapped? Or the bulbs are in upside down, i did that once & the light pattern on the wall didn't seem right.

Tom Wesenberg · 08-10-2013, 06:36 AM

I double clutch on upshifts. It's easier than trying to time the exact point in time when you move from first to second and second to third. The amount of time you pause between shifts (when you don't double clutch) depends on how thick the gear oil is. I've done the shifting both ways, but find that double clutching is easier to make a smooth shift.

When you double clutch on downshifting, you'll find that you need to rev the motor more than you think. It is quite a change from third to second.

Dick Webber · 08-10-2013, 01:59 PM

I agree that up shifting should be done slowly and I'll add that this is no Toyota. You do not need to rev it. Shift as per the owners manual. If you wind it out before shifting, it takes a long time for that 63 lb flywheel to slow down to a point where you can upshift. You'll soon find the sweet spots and the double clutch becomes second nature. We all went through this--for me it was 52 yrs ago.

modeleh · 08-10-2013, 06:25 PM

I usually double clutch on upshifts also. One tip that I could give to those new to a Model A, is to ensure your transmission has the correct heavy oil. It makes the gears slow down between shifts, enabling easier matching of gear speeds.

700rpm · 08-10-2013, 11:47 PM

First to second, about 10 mph; second to high, about 16 mph. Don't wind it up. I double-clutch up and down.

BobbyG · 08-11-2013, 02:54 AM

Bit like dancing with your granny - go slowly !

rscardina · 08-11-2013, 12:06 PM

From second to high at 16mph seems awful slow. Mine seems to bog down pretty bad at 20 to 25mph.

Stl Tkn · 08-11-2013, 12:18 PM

Gents - new to my 1930 Model A Roadster and also new to the off frame restoration that I am doing. One quick question on the gear lube, is it the same 600W lube that is used in the rear axle? Dennis

Tom Wesenberg · 08-11-2013, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stl Tkn

Gents - new to my 1930 Model A Roadster and also new to the off frame restoration that I am doing. One quick question on the gear lube, is it the same 600W lube that is used in the rear axle? Dennis

Yes, the steering gear box, tranny, and read end all use the same 600W.

I bought a 5 gallon can of Mobil 636 from my local bulk oil dealer.

TerryH · 08-11-2013, 12:39 PM

I also know that you do not have to double clutch on upshifts, but as others have said it gives you a natural pause while shifting, otherwise you are guessing....just very easy to do. I do not shift into 3rd until at least 20 mph, and that is certainly not winding up the revs......learning to downshift is much trickier, as you need to rev the engine just the right amount, and usually more than you realize as the gear spacing between 2nd and 3rd is quite a bit. Only way to learn it is to practice it...I always downshift when coming to a corner at an intersection, so that is good practice.

jrelliott · 08-11-2013, 01:55 PM

After much practice double clutching, you can get to the point where you can tell from the engine rpm when to shift. I can go from 3rd to 2nd without double clutching and no grinding. 2nd to first requires double clutching. I live where it is hilly and one intersection is on a hill with a Stop sign at the top. As all have said, practice. On your headlights use a welding helment to look at the filaments of the bulbs to see if the center or the upper filament is on. Center filament is high beam, upper filament is low beam. Good luck and enjoy driving your Model A.

BILL WILLIAMSON · 08-11-2013, 02:36 PM

Just put a little kid in your car & listen to his "MOTOR SOUNDS" as he "DOWNSHIFTS"! Then drive your car & make your motor duplicate his SOUNDS!! Bill W.

08-09-2013, 06:13 PM	#1
insomniacshotrods Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Carthage, Missouri Posts: 267	first drive of a model a My wife and I took the 29 tudor sedan out last night for the first time. Had the windows all rolled down,windshield pushed out,gears grinding,lots of practice stopping. Its kinda scary driving. Has some play in steering,brakes i hope can be improved upon with adjustment. 1 low beam light out but still was able to see better than on high beam. High beams seem to point lower than low beam on road is this normal? Had trouble getting it into second gear alot,but i think its just me. Hard for me to get the double clutch thing down. Been driving standards for years,really miss those synchros on the A. Loved every white knuckle minute of it. Im only going to drive it at night till i can get the shifting down better,kinda embarrassing and noisey. Tranny is growly in first but maybe they all sound that way,never been in one moving. Any way it was cool to drive something 84 years old and see how far we have come and what we take for granted in our modern cars. Back to youtube to get some shifting lessons.

08-09-2013, 06:24 PM	#2
modelAtony Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: lafayette,la Posts: 459	Re: first drive of a model a Welcome to the A world, you'll have fun. Find a school parking lot , Mall or football field parking lot and you and wife just stop and go, stop and go running thru the gears for about 1 hr may surprise you. have fun model A tony Lafayette, LA

08-09-2013, 06:26 PM	#3
fritzz13 Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: canada Posts: 73	Re: first drive of a model a glad to hear i'm not the only one,took my 28 coupe out last weekend first time for me in a stock model a,loved it,a bit nerve racking but all ended well,can't wait for the next drive.i have great respect for the car owners back in the day.

08-09-2013, 06:33 PM	#4
stallerl Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Huntington Beach CA Posts: 157	Re: first drive of a model a Wow! Very cool! I also drove a Model A for the first time about a week ago, even though I've owned 3! Up shifting is easy. It's the down shifting that got me. Once I'm satisfied with the mechanics of the car I'll take it to a parking lot as suggested and practice shifting, up and down. Great times!!! Enjoy your cars!

08-09-2013, 09:10 PM	#5
rscardina Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Livingston, Louisiana Posts: 188	Re: first drive of a model a I'm a new Model A driver also. I almost have a month (about 4 hrs driving time) under my belt. I have been told and find it helps while clutching to hesitate before shifting into the next gear and to shift slow. I wait to a point of slowing down some. My wife and I are having the times of our lives. We have received some great advice to join a local club and we did. You should consider this if you haven't already done so. It's a great source of knowledge and insight. __________________ *Ryan Scardina* *Livingston, Louisiana* *1930 LSU Model A*

08-09-2013, 09:27 PM	#6
BILL WILLIAMSON Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: FRESNO, CA Posts: 12,560	Re: first drive of a model a Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Just push the clutch, slider' out of low into neutral & just WAAAAAIT a bit, & she'll go into second as smooth as BUTTER! Double clutching does NO, I repeat, NO good on upshifts!!! It is TOTALLY necessary on downshifts! In Minerva, I could downshift from high to second at 30 to 35 MPH, without a sound. Takes a lot of practice! You HAVE to adapt yourself to the transmission design. DANGER! Master down shifting before going into steep mountains!!! Bill W. __________________ "THE ASSISTANT GURU OF STUFF"

08-09-2013, 10:56 PM	#7
insomniacshotrods Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Carthage, Missouri Posts: 267	Re: first drive of a model a Hmmm trying to figure out what i was doing wrong while trying to go to second. Is it possible to go to far over to the right ? Like say im going into fifth on my s10? By the time i was done fumbling around my rpms and speed had fallen so much i just put it back in first and tried again. Ill try the way Bill and rs suggested,didnt know double clutching didnt do any good on upshifts thanks so much for the info. Last edited by insomniacshotrods; 08-10-2013 at 06:13 PM.

08-10-2013, 12:34 AM	#8
Mike V. Florida Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 14,054	Re: first drive of a model a Sounds like you had a great time! Do a search on this site for double clutching. __________________ What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II

08-10-2013, 01:10 AM	#9
dumb person Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: South pacific island Posts: 1,724	Re: first drive of a model a Maybe high beam & dim wires have been swapped? Or the bulbs are in upside down, i did that once & the light pattern on the wall didn't seem right. __________________ <Link> This is how we roll<Link> "I'm Convinced that no one really reads posts anymore; they just fabricate what they think the post says then ramble on about red herrings."--Bob Outcasts rules of old cars #1 Fun is imperative, mainstream is overrated #2 If they think it is impossible, prove them wrong #3 If the science says it impossible you are not being creative enough. #4 No shame in recreating something you never had #5 If it were not for the law & physics you would be unstoppable

08-10-2013, 06:36 AM	#10
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: first drive of a model a I double clutch on upshifts. It's easier than trying to time the exact point in time when you move from first to second and second to third. The amount of time you pause between shifts (when you don't double clutch) depends on how thick the gear oil is. I've done the shifting both ways, but find that double clutching is easier to make a smooth shift. When you double clutch on downshifting, you'll find that you need to rev the motor more than you think. It is quite a change from third to second.

08-10-2013, 01:59 PM	#11
Dick Webber Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bowling Green KY Posts: 337	Re: first drive of a model a I agree that up shifting should be done slowly and I'll add that this is no Toyota. You do not need to rev it. Shift as per the owners manual. If you wind it out before shifting, it takes a long time for that 63 lb flywheel to slow down to a point where you can upshift. You'll soon find the sweet spots and the double clutch becomes second nature. We all went through this--for me it was 52 yrs ago.

08-10-2013, 06:25 PM	#12
modeleh Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Nanaimo BC Posts: 242	Re: first drive of a model a I usually double clutch on upshifts also. One tip that I could give to those new to a Model A, is to ensure your transmission has the correct heavy oil. It makes the gears slow down between shifts, enabling easier matching of gear speeds.

08-10-2013, 11:47 PM	#13
700rpm Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 5,903	Re: first drive of a model a First to second, about 10 mph; second to high, about 16 mph. Don't wind it up. I double-clutch up and down. __________________ Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole.

08-11-2013, 02:54 AM	#14
BobbyG Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 240	Re: first drive of a model a Bit like dancing with your granny - go slowly !

08-11-2013, 12:06 PM	#15
rscardina Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Livingston, Louisiana Posts: 188	Re: first drive of a model a From second to high at 16mph seems awful slow. Mine seems to bog down pretty bad at 20 to 25mph. __________________ *Ryan Scardina* *Livingston, Louisiana* *1930 LSU Model A*

08-11-2013, 12:18 PM	#16
Stl Tkn Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 13	Re: first drive of a model a Gents - new to my 1930 Model A Roadster and also new to the off frame restoration that I am doing. One quick question on the gear lube, is it the same 600W lube that is used in the rear axle? Dennis

08-11-2013, 12:39 PM	#18
TerryH Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fountain Valley, Calif. Posts: 937	Re: first drive of a model a I also know that you do not have to double clutch on upshifts, but as others have said it gives you a natural pause while shifting, otherwise you are guessing....just very easy to do. I do not shift into 3rd until at least 20 mph, and that is certainly not winding up the revs......learning to downshift is much trickier, as you need to rev the engine just the right amount, and usually more than you realize as the gear spacing between 2nd and 3rd is quite a bit. Only way to learn it is to practice it...I always downshift when coming to a corner at an intersection, so that is good practice.

08-11-2013, 01:55 PM	#19
jrelliott Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Pine, AZ Posts: 794	Re: first drive of a model a After much practice double clutching, you can get to the point where you can tell from the engine rpm when to shift. I can go from 3rd to 2nd without double clutching and no grinding. 2nd to first requires double clutching. I live where it is hilly and one intersection is on a hill with a Stop sign at the top. As all have said, practice. On your headlights use a welding helment to look at the filaments of the bulbs to see if the center or the upper filament is on. Center filament is high beam, upper filament is low beam. Good luck and enjoy driving your Model A.

08-11-2013, 02:36 PM	#20
BILL WILLIAMSON Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: FRESNO, CA Posts: 12,560	Re: first drive of a model a Just put a little kid in your car & listen to his "MOTOR SOUNDS" as he "DOWNSHIFTS"! Then drive your car & make your motor duplicate his SOUNDS!! Bill W. __________________ "THE ASSISTANT GURU OF STUFF"