Question

T

Tjfoster

Junior Member
Looking at my dad's original 1930 sedan been setting for a few years and the spark advance and throttle levers on the column are lock23rd up is there any way to free them up?
 
Firstly, I'd make sure it is the levers that are stuck. Try taking the rods off the bottom and trying again. The top plate in the distributor might be stuck - same with the linkage at the back of the block for the hand throttle. Does the accelerator pedal move OK? If all this still indicates they are stuck, try a little penetrating fluid on them top and bottom. They might be stuck at either end. If the bottom ends is where the problem lies, try some heat on the column where the rods exit and a tap with a hammer. let us know how you go.
 
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I just freed up a spark lever. After all the solvents etc, I had to twist off the shear pin on the bottom and pull the rod out. Clean it up and reinstall it. They are strong. I don't think you will break it.
 
Do NOT use WD-40, as that's bad on the top potmetal bushing. My 28 were froze from non use when I bought the car. I sprayed some Gibbs or Kroil on the top bushing and lower end, then pulled down hard on them. They moved, so I put oil on them and forced them up and down several times. They were still tight, but keep getting better with use, so I'm good to go. Keep oil on all moving parts, and don't forget the 2 oil pockets on top of the throttle linkage, and the distributor oil cup.
 
Yea pot metal swells up with age - mine were so stuck kroil and a hammer had to tap them out while someone pulled up...(pot metal was cracked and looked like a poofed up marshmallow...)

I really hate pot metal....
 
A better rust penetrant than even Kroil is a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF,shake well, apply and let soak. A study was done to show torque needed to remove rusted nuts:
No oil……………..516 FT/LBS
WD40……………..238 "
PB Blaster……….214 "
Liquid Wrench…127 "
Kroil…………………53 "

It works!
 
What exactly is 'pot metal'? An alloy of some sort, I imagine. But with what purpose was it used? Was it the 'aluminum' of it's day? Thanks
 
A welder friend of mine told me what the alloy was but i cant remember the second element, the first was zinc. Pot metal is very cheap metal.
 
Per the wiki article mentioned by Mitch//pa (thanks) -

Pot metal—also known as monkey metal, white metal, or die-cast zinc—is a colloquial term that refers to alloys of low-melting point metals that manufacturers use to make fast, inexpensive castings. The term "pot metal" came about due to the practice at automobile factories in the early 20th century of gathering up non-ferrous metal scraps from the manufacturing processes and melting them in one pot to form into cast products. A small amount of iron usually made it into the castings, but too much iron raised the melting point, so it was minimized.

There is no metallurgical standard for pot metal. Common metals in pot metal include zinc, lead, copper, tin, magnesium, aluminium, iron, and toxic cadmium. The primary advantage of pot metal is that it is quick and easy to cast. Because of its low melting temperature, it requires no sophisticated foundry equipment or specialized molds. Manufacturers sometimes use it to experiment with molds and ideas (e.g., prototypes) before casting final products in a higher quality alloy.

Sounds like 'stew' for cars....
 
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