I took my first drive in my Model A today around our little town. Went well, although I will need more work on my double clutching to shift smoother. Car started well and I advanced the spark lever about 1/2 way down the quadrant as noted in the manual. While I was driving, I noticed the car did not have much power in third gear and actually began to slow as I was going up a not-too-steep grade in third gear. After I got home and had the car idling in the driveway, I noticed the exhaust had a bit of black smoke. When I moved the spark arrester lever all the way down toward the floorboard, the car drove much better, had much more power and it cleared up the black smoke. My question is this: is it normal to have the spark arrester lever so far down? Will it cause any problems? I have not read anything on this particular point. Thanks for any advice you may have.
Spark Arrester Lever
- Thread starter Tom L.
- Start date
1930artdeco
Well-known member
Something is not quite right. You should only have to go to about 9 o'clock. You might check to see if your steering columne is in the correct position, check you timing and that the linkage is not bent. Did someone modify the dist. body at all? It sounds like the steering columne might need to be rotated a bit.
Mike
Mike
Russell in Tulsa
Senior Member
Welcome Tom. Usually the spark lever is all the up to start and advanced (pulled downward) three or four notches on the quadrant for moderate speed and 3/4 to full down at top speed. You can adjust it to feel where it runs best.
Get the books and follow the instructions to set the timing and the GAV.
You may also have some carb work to do.
Others on here will help you and also try the Search feature found at the top of the page. Hope you get it smoothed out .
Where are you located?
Get the books and follow the instructions to set the timing and the GAV.
You may also have some carb work to do.
Others on here will help you and also try the Search feature found at the top of the page. Hope you get it smoothed out .
Where are you located?
Will check the steering column and timing tomorrow. Today was my first drive so I don't really have a feel for the car yet. I have been pouring over the Instruction Book and Internet for information and appreciate the advice. I am located east of San Diego, bought the car from my home state of Michigan, and am still learning a lot of the basics.
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
Spark arrester is the screen on top of the steam engine smoke stack.....see my avatar.
I'd say your initial timing is a bit retarded. You could just remove the rotor, loosen the screw and move the cam counterclockwise a few degrees and try it again. Just don't advance it to the point of getting pinging.
I'd say your initial timing is a bit retarded. You could just remove the rotor, loosen the screw and move the cam counterclockwise a few degrees and try it again. Just don't advance it to the point of getting pinging.
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
I agree with Tom about the timing. Congrats with the car.
pat in Santa Cruz
Well-known member
the advance lever is designed to go beyond the recommended location to compensate for timing retarded by either an inaccurate setting or from a worn point block. As the block wears, the gap closes. If the point gap is too small, the effect is to retard the timing. Check the point gap before timing, and always check the timing after adjusting the points. Back in the day, drivers understood that the amount of advance was initially set by the rules laid out in the owners manual, but ultimately determined by feel. If the car has more power by advancing the spark a bit more, then advance it or re time it. Full advance is 3/4 down the register at highway speed, half mast in town.
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
While the lever will do this, I think it was designed to adjust the timing based on the speed of the engine. As the engine speed increases there is a need for the spark to happen sooner which is done by the lever. Later designs did the same thing with weights on the shaft.
socalplanedoc
Senior Member
Hey Tom, I'm in Mira Mesa, will be out a Gillespie Field later today.
I'm still a bit of a Model A newbie myself, have a '30 Fordor. My car likes to run with the spark advance lever nearly all the way down. It will start there too but that's probably becuase it's been converted to 12V, you can practically drive it on the starter motor.
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
My car also starts easily with the lever still advanced, and I have the stock head and 6 volts. My compression is 50 lbs. on each cylinder. Starting with the spark lever advance does run the risk of kickback and a bent armature or jammed gears. Best to push the lever up before stopping the engine each time. That way you're less likely to forget and start on an advanced setting.
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
The owners manual was written 84 years ago and doesn't really pertain to todays fuel and roads. I've had model A's since the spring of 1960, some with slightly higher compression heads. I have cranked my model A's with the spark lever up, fully retarded and run at speed with the spark lever all the way down, fully advanced. This is the way that I was taught to run them by my uncles and other older guys that had driven model A's in the past. In 1931 the gas started to improve with higher octane. Tetraethyl lead was added to cushion timing knocks and the police head was introduced with a compression ratio of 5.22 . They've removed the lead from the fuel, but the higher octane, 87-91 and improived roads that allow speeds of 50 mph or better , will allow running at speed with full advance. the way that the timing is set makes all of the difference. Most timing instructions say nothing about worn in backlash in the distributor and I don't mean as in worn distributor bushings and shaft. When setting the timing, any clockwise backlash that isn't adjusted out will cause the timing to be retarded, to what ever amount of backlash that remains in the clockwise direction, but that is another discussion that I have typed many times.
Modern cars advance and retard the timing automatically as needed. The purpose of the spark lever is to allow the driver to retard for cranking, so as to avoid starter kickback and to retard as needed to avoid timing knock at low speeds when the engine would lug . If the timing is properly set and the engine isn't lugged, there should be no problem running with full advance at speed. If you hear timing knocks when climbing hills or bucking at low speeds in higher gears, retard slightly until symptoms go away or down shift oi both.
Modern cars advance and retard the timing automatically as needed. The purpose of the spark lever is to allow the driver to retard for cranking, so as to avoid starter kickback and to retard as needed to avoid timing knock at low speeds when the engine would lug . If the timing is properly set and the engine isn't lugged, there should be no problem running with full advance at speed. If you hear timing knocks when climbing hills or bucking at low speeds in higher gears, retard slightly until symptoms go away or down shift oi both.
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
This sums up the operation perfectly!
Tom,
Welcome! I have a '31 CCPU and, like you, am a bit of a newbie. I'm in El Cajon if you'd like to get together and compare notes. I have recently replaced the steering box with one from a 50's F100 (Mel Gross in the LA area made it), and have done many other repairs/tune-ups. Send me a PM if you'd like to get in contact.
Welcome! I have a '31 CCPU and, like you, am a bit of a newbie. I'm in El Cajon if you'd like to get together and compare notes. I have recently replaced the steering box with one from a 50's F100 (Mel Gross in the LA area made it), and have done many other repairs/tune-ups. Send me a PM if you'd like to get in contact.