'30 Model A barely turns over

dfairty1

dfairty1

Junior Member
My '30 A coupe barely turns over & won't start. I have 6.12V at the battery. I pulled both battery terminals & cleaned them. Body Ground seems solid. Pulled starter & bench tested, works perfect. Next steps?
 
Are your cables large enough? 6 volts uses larger diameter cables. The ones for the auto parts store are sized for 12 volts.

Charlie Stephens
 
Charlie Stephens said:
Are your cables large enough? 6 volts uses larger diameter cables. The ones for the auto parts store are sized for 12 volts.

Charlie Stephens
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They are quite large. Not sure if they are original, but definitely are not 12V size. It ran perfectly fine for years. It just started acting up last Summer.
 
Have you done a Load Test on your battery. It may be dying. Your favorite battery store should be able to check it for you.
 
Load test the battery. Local auto parts stores an do the test, most likely for free, less your labor of r&r the battery

I type slower than Y - blockhead :-(
 
It can only be the battery, the starter motor, the starter foot switch, the wires, or the connectors. Eliminate one at a time.
 
nkaminar said:
It can only be the battery, the starter motor, the starter foot switch, the wires, or the connectors. Eliminate one at a time.
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I have eliminated the rest, so battery it is! Will try a load test tomorrow!
 
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Before pulling the battery, turn on the headlights and activate the starter with the ignition OFF. Either you or someone stand in front of the car while this is going on and see if the headlights dim way down as the starter turns. A slight dimming is normal, but if the headlights do dim noticeably and the starter turns the engine over even slower, the battery probably is weak, as has been suggested. Other than problems with the starter itself, this condition could also be caused by a bad ground, although you stated you checked that. You have also verified that the cables are the correct thickness and not auto parts store thin 12-volt cables. With a 6-volt system, good grounds (ground strap and an auxiliary cable) and the correct gauge cables are absolutely essential, something that you might skimp by on using a 12-volt battery. A 6-volt system is less forgiving.
Follow "ModelA29's" suggestion for establishing a good ground to the frame and use an external star lock washer to dig into the crossmember metal. Even though the ground here may look good, the mating area on the crossmember must be shiny down to the metal. I've been fooled by an otherwise clean-looking ground here that affected the starter's operation. Re-check this area and make sure you have the correct braided heavy-duty ground strap and that it is not frayed or corroded from battery acid. Be especially critical where the woven strap enters the attaching end. Often the two are separating from age, battery acid or over-torquing the strap at an odd angle.
Although engine pans only peripherally assist in the electrical system's performance, it's one more area that Ford engineers designed to complete the electrical path throughout the car. I'm not saying a lack of engine pans will cause a starter to turn over slowly. I'm just adding that the engine pans were designed to assist in the overall charging health of a Model A.
Marshall
 
Here is how to install a second ground to the battery.
 

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  • Grounds - Things That Should Be Grounded To The Frame 160kb.jpg
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  • Grounds - Points, Condenser & Spark Plugs 160kb.jpg
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