Engine dies

Coils are not expensive, try a new one, could be that the coil is heating up and failing
after a period of time, and will run again after cooling down in a short period of time.
Just saying!!
 
Try this...start it. Let a water hose run across the head trying to keep heat off the distributor. If it fails to stall: the condensor is bad, or the ignition switch cable needs backed out a couple turns. Tab in there grounds out as the metal grows with heat.
 
I've used a meter to see when I have contact between the ignition cable end & the lower plate contact point. I'm starting to think I need to put new connectors on the ignition switch wires as well as a new dash wire set. The dash wires I think ate from the original restore in 1974. As many times as I've had the dash out over the years it could be those wires are strained.
 
Had 2 cars in the past that quit while driving. Traced the problem down to defective coils - intermittent. Think I said every cuss word while troubleshooting!
 
Woodie,

You'll be right there in the terminal/junction box. I strongly suggest that you apply the November 1929 service bulletin (page 390 of the service bulletins). If you have never seen your ammeter flicker while turning the engine over (key on), the black wire on the coil negative post should be sourced from the yellow/black stripe wire, on the driver side terminal.

Many early wiring diagrams show this wire sourced from the passenger side, solid yellow wire. Being able to see the flicker in the ammeter will help with finding steady or intermittent spark problems as it tells you that the primary ignition circuit is or isn't functioning all the way from the battery to the grounding of the distributor to the engine head and back to the battery.

Good luck and please let us know the solution when you get there.
 
A couple quick things that came to mind reading your current post:

In chasing down my recent issues, I found one of the studs in my terminal box was loose.

I found old splices in the shielded wire from the switch to the distributor.

I have recently read that often a failing switch can be identified by jiggling the key with the engine running or when cranking to start. If engine running try turning it off and if it goes off as you start to turn it rather that after your turn it (at the end of the distance) it may indicate a bad switch. This is true on aircraft switches as well and there, I have seen this 4 times in the last 50 years. One of those planes was heavily damaged in the landing on a road!
 
Rob Doe said:
A couple quick things that came to mind reading your current post:

In chasing down my recent issues, I found one of the studs in my terminal box was loose.

I found old splices in the shielded wire from the switch to the distributor.

I have recently read that often a failing switch can be identified by jiggling the key with the engine running or when cranking to start. If engine running try turning it off and if it goes off as you start to turn it rather that after your turn it (at the end of the distance) it may indicate a bad switch. This is true on aircraft switches as well and there, I have seen this 4 times in the last 50 years. One of those planes was heavily damaged in the landing on a road!
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Yep, I had that bad repro ignition switch. I also once had a bad condenser that made the car backfire and run poorly. Top speed was only 20 to 25 MPH due to such a weak spark from the bad condenser.

I switched my 28 Phaeton coil feed wire to the driver's side of the terminal box about 12 years ago. This not only let me see if the points are working OK, but will show if you accidentally leave the key on with the engine stopped and the points closed. It doesn't take long to burn up a coil by doing this.
 
Woodie,


I thought of another quick check, if you have safety fuse wired next to the starter, put a new fuse in it. And the fuse holder can also work loose at the rivets to create an intermittent failure. Make a jumper and by pass it to the junction box if necessary.
 
I had my wire in my electrolck armoured cable melt within and short out once. But that does not act intermitenetly.
 
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Here were some head scratching intermittent failures I have witnessed on some past tours.
1. A dime sized foil seal off of a bottle of Heet was acting like a flapper valve in the gas tank outlet. Sometimes stopping fuel flow.

2. The disti flag tab on a condenser broke its spot welding attachment to the metal can. It was loose connection then but it looked perfect to a visual check.

3. A brand new repro ignition cable had a plastic insulator where it goes into the disti. The plastic got warm enough for the spring to melt into this insulator. Therefore causing the issues of initially stalling and then not restarting at all.
 
Woodie1 said:
We have a model A that the engine dies on while driving. It is a new rebuild that has about 750 miles on it now. At first when I got it back it was hard to start. I eventually figured where spark & throttle had to be to get it to start. Last week while on tour it died about 8 times. Did so on another day also. It acts like the gas has been shut off. Once it dies it seems like the only way to get it to run again is for it to be pushed & pop the clutch. This morning I checked the gas flow out of the shut off & it looked good. I pulled the gas line to the carb & it looked good. I checked the carb to manifold bolts for tightness, good. I checked the manifold nuts & they were good. It cranks good once it dies, it just refuses to start. Club members checked the spark while I cranked the engine with the starter & they said there was spark. It just seems to be lack of gas. I also blew air through the vent in the gas cap. I'm lost at this point & afraid to take it out again. More ideas would be appreciated.
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be careful of engine rebuilds. Many people out there don't know what they are doing. I know a guy that had his v8 rebuilt and afterwards he was only able to drive at 15 mph.
 
Thought of another past head scratcher to share.

Harbor Freight AG glass fuses that look good but are not connected well internally. Once again they pass visual inspections….
 
modela@aol.com said:
Thought of another past head scratcher to share.

Harbor Freight AG glass fuses that look good but are not connected well internally. Once again they pass visual inspections….
Click to expand...

No more free stuff and no more 20% coupons has left the local H/F store very empty. I don't see how they will stay in business. I have had good luck with their tools though. Someone stole my aluminum floor jack, so I went back to see if I could buy another one. The one they now sell is twice the price and not half as good as the one I bought 5 years ago.
 
I left my key on once with the points closed and the coil got so hot I couldn't touch it. I let it cool down for a couple of hours and the car started right up.

I drove for about 5 blocks and it quit. I had to walk home and retrieve another coil. I installed it on the side of the road and no more problems.
 
Woodie,

I just reread all that is here. Where do we stand?

Paul Shinn on YouTube has a video on clearing the fuel line.

How to drain a Ford Model A fuel tank & clear the fuel line

Paul shows us how to blow on the fuel line to solve some of the restrictions mentioned above.

If the car starts after clearing the line, then you need a "pencil" shaped screen in the top of the gas shutoff valve at the bottom of the tank. Old timers such as one of my good friends made his own back in the day by drilling tiny holes in a piece of copper tubing. 90 year old terne plate coated steel gas tanks have rust in them. The rust happens mostly when cars sit... like yours.

Your coil can be tested on the car. Use an ohmmeter across the - and + primary contacts. Should measure 1.4, 1.5?? ohms. Check from center post (secondary circuit) to either primary post on higher setting. Should measure 8,000 to 12000??
It could still fail when warmed up. That's why you test the spark immediately when car dies.

I bought a new distributor for my car. There were several things in my distributor that were just plain worn out. The buss was filthy and had bends in it, the fiber washer was missing and the screw was too long, the shaft had a lot of vertical play due to missing parts. (allowing possible points to jump up and down). And still there was more.

But even the new distributor had to be checked over. Parts were all new, but connections weren't tight, points block wasn't tight and points were not set etc.

Come back at us with an update, please.
 
Skeezixx said:
I left my key on once with the points closed and the coil got so hot I couldn't touch it. I let it cool down for a couple of hours and the car started right up.

I drove for about 5 blocks and it quit. I had to walk home and retrieve another coil. I installed it on the side of the road and no more problems.
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The best friend I ever had was nicknamed Skeezix. I think I may have burned my coil out the same way recently.
 
I'm and old car guy but a newby to the Model A's. I bought mine last year. It's a learning experience, that's for sure. I was having similar problems with keeping it running. One day I backed it out of the garage and it died right there. I spent a couple of hours getting it running again to get it back into the garage. It turned out to be two different problems. The first problem was the coil. While it was cold it worked fine. As the coil warmed up, it failed. That's easy to check with a multimeter. Or just go buy a new one. They're cheap enough.
The second problem was the small wire hidden inside the distributor between the 2 plates. It was frayed and shorting out sometimes. Easy to fix. sometimes difficult to find.
If you could drive it for 10 minutes and then have a problem, I'd check the coil.
Just change one thing at a time.
That's my 2 cents worth.
Good luck.
 
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