I don't know what happened

S

Slickwilly

Junior Member
I stuck some wood in the barrel stove last night and got a good fire going. When I went out to the shop this morning it was still warm and all I had to do was put a couple pieces of dry oak in and the fire was burning nice and hot.

That was about the end of my success for today. I wanted to start the Model T. So I moved the timing lever down about 4 clicks and the gas lever down about halfway. The first time I cranked it I only moved it about half a turn when the crank pushed back real hard against my hand. It pushed back hard enough the front of the car slid in the dirt on the floor. So I thought maybe the cylinders were full of gas and I pulled the gas lever about half the way back up. I cranked it again and this time it sounded like it exploded. It backfired loud enough to wake up the neighbors. But it started running.

It was running really good for a little while, then it made a clunk sound and started rattling inside the motor like someone was beating on a railroad track with a hammer. So I gave it just a little gas and it suddenly quit running. And now I try to turn the crank and if it'll turn at all, the motor still won't start. And every once in a while the crank won't turn no matter how hard I pull on it. I'm afraid if I get it running again it might ruin something. And now it looks like there's oil dripping out of it. Is there a chance the water pump locked up too tight? I have to figure out what's wrong because I ended up spending too much time in the shop and now my girlfriend is mad at me. She missed a special meeting at church while I was playing around with the car.
 
How could it still turn over with the crank if the shaft was broken. Sometimes it worked just find and sometimes it would kind of lock but if it was broken wouldn't it just spin?
 
Unless you were starting on MAG, trying to start with the spark lever down at all you were asking for a broken arm. If you're starting on BAT, it should be all the way up.

Your description sure sounds like something inside the engine. Broken rod, broken crank, something. It's easy to eliminate the water pump. Just take off the fan belt. If cranking without it doesn't change anything, you know the pump is irrelevant to the problem.
 
I would pull the lower cover on the engine pan and have a look. I am heading towards Brainerd on Saturday, if you aren't too far away, I could pop by and have a look see if you wanted.
 
The advice so far is all good. I would think it very unwise to try to start the engine again until you look inside. You may already be in the market for another engine.

The description of loud knocking, clunk, intermittant resistance to turn over, and a new oil leak all could indicate a thrown rod.
 
From your description of the symptoms, I'd jump at a chance to have an experienced eye check it out. I hope you'll take Andy up on his offer.
 
I talked to my brother. He's quite a bit older than me and grew up at my Grandparents house. He said when he was little he worked on Grandpa's old truck with Grandpa all the time. I told him Grandpa's old truck was from the 30's and it probably wasn't the same. But he said Grandpa truck was a 1923 model t pickup and that he had helped Grandpa tighten the rods and that he was old enough to remember what they did. He said he'd be interested in buying the Model T from me so I sold it to him. He said he'd come down to Deer River on Saturday to pick it up. I need the money so I sold it to him for $750. He's a pretty good mechanic and has a shop full of tools so I think he'll do pretty good with it. I told him about this forum but he doesn't like computers. His wife practically lives on it but he said it's a waste of time.
 
Willy: Tell your brother that Ford Barn is NOT a waste of time. The guys talked me through a real nasty jam with a stuck rear wheel on my T. The wheel came off with no damage and no cost.
Gotta love that!
 
Willy, you can tell your brother the computer and the internet are like any other medium of communication. Some of what you find is worthless crap that's a waste of time, and some is helpful information that you can put to good use. That's why there's a DELETE function. :)
 
Too Bad, I was looking forward to helping you out. Tell your brother I am still willing to help you guys out if you want. Feel free to call me 320-293-1953 or email me at aloso@q.com; or stop by St Joseph if you ever pass through.

Andy
 
Slickwilly said:
I'm afraid if I get it running again it might ruin something.
Click to expand...

You're right about that! Do nothing to try to start it until you find out what happened!!

Slickwilly said:
She missed a special meeting at church while I was playing around with the car.
Click to expand...

You were having your own religious experence.

While not with a T but with an A, the same symptons and a valve broke off and put a hole in a piston then lodged there in the hole and the engine would not turn over.
 
Sounds like you throw a rod. And its rapped around the crank. And you can't crank it because. The rod is hitting on the block. Been there done that.
 
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