What has gone wrong on the road?

Eccentric Old Guy

Eccentric Old Guy

Senior Member
I was reading the thread asking what tools should be taken on a road trip, and am interested in hearing about things that have actually gone wrong.....either to your own model A, or others on the trip.

What is the most common break-down.....and, the least likely?

EOG
 
Coil, distributor, generator, fuel system……I’ve seen about equal amounts of such
Sometimes tires…
 
If your car is in GOOD mechanical condition! Just the standard Ford tool kit that came with the car from the factory.

If not ready for the road. Stay home.

60 plus years driving Model A’s. Never needed a tow. Oh! Always have a reliable spare tire. This would be true for any car.

Enjoy.
 
In 50 years and 125,000 miles of Model A driving, the only things I have had to replace on the road have been: Fan Belt (2), Flat tire (patched the tube), Brake light switch shorted and blew the fuse (disconnected wire to get home), clutch disc springs fell out (towed home), bendix bolt broke on tour one day from home, (just parked on hill to jump start), same situation with a dying battery (jump started to get home), and 1 coil (replaced). I have made many long distant trips (1000 miles or more) in the Model A and have never had any real problems. Well, except for one trip which the engine blew not too far from home. I had the A towed home, put a spare engine I had and started off again for the 7500 mile trip. Model A's are really very reliable.
A friend had a piston split in half on a long tour. We found a local guy with model a parts who had a piston that matched and made the swap in a tractor dealership garage. Total time to diagnosis and complete repair was 5 hours.
 
WHN said:
If your car is in GOOD mechanical condition! Just the standard Ford tool kit that came with the car from the factory.

If not ready for the road. Stay home.

60 plus years driving Model A’s. Never needed a tow. Oh! Always have a reliable spare tire. This would be true for any car.

Enjoy.
Click to expand...

After more than 90 years, NO Model A (here, at least) has its original tool kit and I've never seen one - don't even know what should be in it. Agree 110% on the spare tyre.
I have done a lot of miles in remote areas where there is no help available - not even communications. I've had all sorts of things go wrong. Remember the days of useless tubes? there have been broken bolts and belts. Bolts that have vibrated out, head and manifold gaskets, carburettor problems, failed stater motors, broken wheels and many other things I couldn't list them here. There was even a sore thumb!! :)
I believe the best thing a guy can take is a thorough knowledge of his car and an ability to work around a problem. For example, I know a guy who was on a trip on the gun barrel highway https://www.hemamaps.com/explore/tracks/gunbarrel-highway.
He took NO spares and when his Model A started to misbehave, the problem was eventually tracked to a faulty rotor button. It was repaired on the road and I DO mean ON the road. There is no point pulling off the "road" because nobody might come for weeks. Anyway, he got to the other end with a feeling of achievement he would not have got if he carried all of the spares he could have thought he might need. He figured there was less chance of breaking something if he travelled light.
I often travel with a handful of other guys in a variety of cars - Chevs, Chryslers and others but all from the 1920s. On the most recent trip, one guy broke 2 axles on his '28 Chev. That mudguard (fender) was a bit second hand by the time he got back!
I could go on about these trips for ages but I'll leave you all thinking I am crazy.
 
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I had a drive shaft snap. Another time I had a crankshaft snap. Hopefully my bad luck is all used up, and I'm on to good luck. I have owned my car since 1994.
 
We had our main road into our neighborhood wash out over a year ago and there is no sign that it is going to be fixed any time soon.

Other than a flat tire, the Model A never has a problem but the road not so. I take that back, I did have a slight gasoline leak due to a loose fitting, but that was my fault.
 
The most serious things that have happened to me were the clutch disk disintegrating, the old, crappy aftermarket radiator falling apart, and the pinion loosing all of its teeth.

Keep in mind, my car was not well restored mechanically. A properly restored mechanical system will run for a long time.

Clutches, condensers, coils, points, switches, batteries, and light bulbs all go out eventually.

The least common break down I think would be a rear end. Those guys can go many many miles before something bad happens and usually there is a warning.
 
Things I've had to call a hook for include, Broken rear axe. and broken original clutch arm all in the same driving season. A year to forget.
Other problems that were repaired on the road include, flat tires, points closing up, loose distributor cam, muffler fell off, overheating (add water and continue on), 28 stoplight switch shorted out, original popout switch shorted out, safety fuse mounted on starter shorted out in a rainstorm, cap jet came loose inside a Zenith carburetor and almost got sucked into the engine, just to name a few.
 
The most common problems tend to small easy ones. I had the car die and I quickly discovered that the coil wire had fallen out of the coil. Another one was the starter jamming up which is common.
 
I don't travel great distances so........
My A is covered for unlimited towing......that's the tool package I use! :)
 
When we've caravanned in a group to regional and national meets, we've experienced water pump failures, a generator seize ups, blown head gaskets, a broken rear axle, mufflers falling off, connecting rod cap bearing failure (in addition to the the minor things like points/condensors, overheating etc.) The only one that wasn't fixed along the way was the broken axle. That car got trailered home. The best fix imo was the connecting rod cap. The driver limped the car into the hotel lot where the meet was held, and a swap meet was under way. He found a connecting rod for sale at the swap, dropped the pan, changed the cap, and drove the car the rest of the week end and all the way home with no problems.
 
Chrs, How did the pinion gear fail? I’m just not familiar with that happening. I’ve always considered the rear end to be pretty bulletproof except for bearings and seals.

w. Michael
 
Michael, I am not sure exactly what happened but I was having these weird vibrations for a few weeks and then a really bad shuddering and locked up rear wheels. Once inspected, the pinion gear had pretty much no teeth left. The ring had damaged teeth. This can happen when something gets in the oil, or more likely, things just wear over a long period of time and nobody bothers to check on it. I don't think anybody had been in my differential for a long long time.

You can also ruin a pinion by flying through the air over a set of railroad tracks.
 
In 30 years and about 27,000 miles I have only had a few problems. Once my pinion gear failed. It was the only part of the car not restored! There was a big bang as I accelerated away from the gas station and two teeth were knocked off the cog. Once on a long trip my rear brakes failed (in steep terrain) when oil got on the brake shoes from that zerk you are not supposed to grease. Had to replace the shoes. Also had points and (cheap repro) condensers fail.
 
I routinely push in the clutch and coast across railroad tracks to avoid stressing the rear end and transmission. I’m not sure that’s really necessary, or even a good idea, but it seems right to me. I have a friend who locked up a transmission on a washboard road.

W. Michael
 
Here is what I carry. Especially important is a spare clutch release arm and the carb return spring

MODEL A TOOL KIT
FRONT TOOLBOX


Wooden cheese box
Clothes pins
Distributor wrench
Door hinge pin
Fuses-30 Amp
Goop/duct and elect. tape
Ignition Switch bypass
Misc. wrenches/Feeler gauge/screw drivers
Muffler seal
Point file
Short Phillips screwdriver for timing
Spark plug wires
Tire weights
Tube repair kit
Wire
Bendix spring
Carburetor
Clutch release arm
Coils-2 + wires
Compression gauge
Cut out Switch-2
Distributor drive gear and spring
Exhaust Clamp and gasket
Fan Belt
Float adjustment tool
Funnel
Gallon of H2O (on running board)
Gas cap
Gasket seal
Grease gun
Glue
Ignition harness cork and nail (replaces bad switch)
Instant Beer
JB weld
Leather belt (Bearing replacement)
Oil
Misc. nuts, bolts and washers
Multimeter
Polish
Rags
Rod bearing cap
Rubber gloves
Spritzer
Starter switch
Timing Gear (socket and tool in tool bag)
Voltmeter
Water pump and gasket
Water pump grease
Wheel bearings-2 sets
Wheel bearing Grease


PACKAGE TRAY

Batteries

Business cards
Bratton’s catalogue
Flashlight
Fire Extinguisher (on running board)
First aid kit
Good luck charms
Hand wipes
Light bulb box
Model A club Roster (in door pocket)
Repair manual
Snacks
Walkie talkies
Work gloves


UNDER SEAT


Plastic Parts Box
Accelerator return spring
Ammeter-2
Axle key and shims
Axle nut remover
Carb gasket set plus needle valves
Condenser and Points
Gas filter screen and glass gasket
Generator brushes
Distributor cam and cap and bottom plate
Engine bearing shims
Light Bulbs
Plug wires
Rotor
Spark plugs
Speedo gear
Starter Bendix bolts
Water pump packing
Wire ties
Valve and guide
Cotter pins
Crank
Distributor body
Fan belt
Gas gauge repair kit and tools
Small hyd. Jack with base
Lug wrench
8x10 Glossy of Sandy
Stethoscope
Tire tube
Tow rope



RUMBLE AREA


American flags
Blanket
Bungees
Calico chicken
Chock
Flares
Folding chairs (sometimes)
Generator (No)
Head gasket
Paper towels
Poncho
Torque wrench
Tool bag
 
Once, on a tour in Ct., my timing gear failed. I was about 2 miles from our destination when the gear lost half of it's teeth. Got a tow back to Mystic, winched the car onto the trailer and drove the truck and trailer to Worcester to get a new aluminum gear. Replaced the gear when I got home, no trouble since. The engine was rebuilt before I got the car. I bought the car with 300 miles on the rebuilt engine and the gear stripped at 3000 miles. It was a fiber gear.
 
The only problem I have ever had was a bad condenser and a broken door latch spring. That spring broke the first day a Glidden tour and no one had one to loan or sell me. I completed the tour with the drivers door bungeed to the steering column. Not the safest solution but I completed the tour.
 
The only time I was ever left on the side of the road by my A was when I'd had it only a couple months, I had the family all in the car and we'd driven to a restaurant for dinner about 45 miles away. On the way home, about 3 miles from home, it ran out of gas. I now know when it reads just under a quarter tank, its EMPTY!
 
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