newbie with a barn find...

Although the oil will look clean and golden on the dipstick its because all the water ,gloop and nasties have settled out around the oil pump filter pick up gause ready to be pumped around your bearings . Drop the oil pan and pop out the dipper tray and give it a good clean out . Also remove the valve chest plate and clean that out too . The valve chest has the three holes where the oil goes down to the main bearings . Condensation sometimes causes the valve springs to rust so when you start the engine rust particles can go down these holes ,you get the story . Go on "You Tube" there is a video of the gloop in an oil pan ,the engine must have been run to have mixed it all up ,certainly did the engine no good for sure .

John in rainy morning Suffolk County England .
 
Congratulations! I know how you feel. I just inherited a 1929 Tudor from my late father. It's pretty rough but we did get it running last week. Had to replace the gas tank due to rust. Rebuild carb, replace water pump, new brakes.

I really need 4 good used 21 inch tires. Plus a whole bunch of other stuff! Get the Les Andrews Vol 1 book. It's been very helpful.
 
Dang it... I need to build myself a barn so I can be surprised one day and find something good and valuable in it.

Nice find!!
 
2nd on get any old gas out. i like to drain my car from the line going into the carb i slip a tube over the line and put the other end in a can. then you know you got fuel flow to the carb. my oil looked clean like john said from settleing. take off your oil pan. mine had 2 inches of sludge in the bottom. the spark plug wires and gasket kits are pretty cheap. two of mine are home made from 12ga copper wire with the ends smashed flat with a cut out. it came to me like that with one end broke off one. i re smashed it and fixed it as they just give it a cool worked on look.
 
john charlton said:
Although the oil will look clean and golden on the dipstick its because all the water ,gloop and nasties have settled out around the oil pump filter pick up gause ready to be pumped around your bearings . Drop the oil pan and pop out the dipper tray and give it a good clean out . Also remove the valve chest plate and clean that out too . The valve chest has the three holes where the oil goes down to the main bearings . Condensation sometimes causes the valve springs to rust so when you start the engine rust particles can go down these holes ,you get the story . Go on "You Tube" there is a video of the gloop in an oil pan ,the engine must have been run to have mixed it all up ,certainly did the engine no good for sure .

John in rainy morning Suffolk County England .
Click to expand...

I second this.... the gunk and crap is just lying there in the dipper trays ready to be scooped up .

I would never turn over an A engine unless you were just getting it going to sell it ... before ensuring it was going to get some clean oil to its critical parts on the critical first revolutions after sitting forever..

Even by removing the dizzy and pouring fresh oil down, you have zero idea if the dipper tray is full of rusty mud and the fresh oil merely flows over it and into sump, leaving the mud to be scooped up .
 
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The leak from the rear of the trans might be coming from the two parallel shafts held in by a steel plate with a bolt. You can find a cheap fix at most Model A suppliers. A cover is made to go over the plate sealing up the shafts. Good luck and have fun.
 
Draining the oil out of the crank case, trans, rear end can be a problem without disassembly.
The best thing to do is figure out how much sludge is present. If it's like most Mod A s, it's quite a bit. But who knows? Try a solvent that will break down the sludge, Leave it in for a while (a week?) and drain it. While you have the drain plug out, use your finger to measure the sludge. Hopefully, the old owner used modern oil and changed it frequently, but probably not. If the sludge is really thick, the pan will have to be removed and scraped. Be sure to clean the oil pump screen also. Shell Rotella 15 -40 is a good oil for this engine. It can be bought at farm centers all over.
Terry
 
Nice A, enjoy the hobby, don't keep track of expenses, the end result and pride of ownership goes beyond the cost. Keep us informed with progress photos.
The best
 
This a response to post #31. There are two parallel shafts in the transmission which the gears slide on. The are flush with the rear of the transmission case. They are held in place with the steel plate which has a bold holding the plate to the rear of the case. Over time the case and or shafts can wear causing transmission to seep. The suppliers carry a cap which will cover the shafts and stop the leak. It is easy to install. Just remove the existing bolt holding the plate. The seal kit comes with a longer bolt to accommodate the cap. Be sure to keep the steel plate in place, put some sealant on the cap where it meets the transmission case, and install the cap. No more leaks from the shafts. Good luck!
 
Great start. Before you make it run, get a replacement aluminum two blade fan and save your hood and radiator some embarrassing moments. Save the old one in case you decide to build a show car later in life. Change all fluids as mentioned above. I use an Optima battery that I got from Amazon.com. Cheaper than my neighborhood auto parts dealer and has been very good if properly cared for. There are no acid odors or fluids and one could mount it on its side under the seat, my next project. Enjoy your new toy. Join a club or two.
 
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