I'm pretty new to the world of antique auto mechanics, so please excuse me if I sound kind of green.... I am.
I've recently acquired a 22 Roadster (my first) which had been sitting for probably a decade. After flushing and cleaning anything "not solid", new plugs, belt, asstd gaskets, new head gasket (pretty dang proud of that!), and lots of tightening, adjusting, and cleaning, the car actually runs pretty well. Once she is warmed up, she idles nice and smooth.
But here is my question. (I'm sure just the first of many to come in this forum.) Why do I seem to be using so much gas? Am I actually burning it, or is it leaking out? Research tells me this car should get around 20-25 mpg. Right now I'm probably getting less than 10!
I have had some trouble with the carburetor leaking, which seems to be remedied by jiggling the choke, or simply tapping it with a wrench. Obviously something is sticking. I'm not sure if this happens when I'm driving. I've been thinking about wiring up a tin can under it to see what I might catch.
I have yet to remove the carburetor, and am debating trying to clean/rebuild it. (That would be another first for me...) The brass tag is very worn, and not legible. I'm thinking it is a Holley NH, which seems to be the least costly if I buy a rebuilt one, a good thing for me.
So I suppose I'm looking for some guidance on what to look for if I try to rebuild or simply clean it, or should I take the coward's way out and just buy the job already done.
Gladly accepting any comments and advice to get this car reliable for the road. Thanks.
It could be the gas valve is a little open making it run rich. i did that and found i could close it much further than i dared without it melting pistons like i had worried about.
Mileage was much better then.
If the carb is going to leak it's going to leak all the time.
Get on the road and open it up.
Turn in the gas needle until the engine falters.
Open the needle until it straightens and then give it touch more.
Mark the starting point so you have an idea as to what's been going on.
I had a problem with slow (drip) leak in the carburetor valve controlled by the float. hardly noticed any liquid on the drip pan under the car but the garage always had a strong gasoline odor after the Model T moved in with us. The manual fuel shutoff valve is stuck in the open position and being located under the fuel tank very inconvenient.
I installed a manual fuel shutoff valve at the carburetor(available from the parts catalogs)and the garage smells better as well as fuel supply depletes slower since the valve is now used when the car is stored between outings on the road.
Trey, welcome to T World. As this is your first Model T, here are a couple of links for you.
http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG80.html
http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG79.html
If this were some complicated modern carburetor, it might be worthwhile buying a rebuilt one. But if it's a Holley NH that's another story. I'm tight enough with a dollar I'd rather consult the MTFCA carburetor book (and the forum) and fix it myself, and not spend the $100+.
Three handy hints from Stan the carburetor pro:
After you drill out the brass plugs to clean the passages, you can tap the holes and install Allen screws instead of plugs. They're easily removed for future cleaning.
Clean out passages with brass-wound guitar wire. It's rough enough to clean the passages but soft enough to not damage them.
Instead of using rivets to hold the tag in place, you can replace them with 4-40 machine screws to facilitate future cleaning.
Another handy hint from the forum: if the brass valve seat or needle seat is stuck and you can't get it out, turn that part of the carburetor body red (not orange or yellow) and let it cool. The stuck part will be unstuck.
Retarded timing will waste gas and cause overheating.
I believe "retarded" isn't acceptable any more... the term is "challenged timing"
(lol)
I was also a little surprised at the unspectacular gas mileage gotten from my Flivver's diminutive 20-horsepower 4-banger. Like you, I was expecting something like 25 MPG. What I'm getting is more like 15-17 MPG.
With sooty-looking spark plugs, I decided I was running a tad rich and so, began a habit of leaning the mixture out after the engine warmed up (I'm told they start and run a little better on the rich side until warmed up and that does seem to be the case with mine). I'm running a high-compression head, which supposedly enhances gas mileage. Baloney, Sliced.
Remember to advance your timing, run lean once your engine is warmed up and avoid low gear except to prevent lugging the engine—oh, and go easy on the throttle 'cause you're going to accelerate slowly, anyway.
Many things can contribute to "where is my gas going". A small drip will evaporate before you notice a puddle of gas, but if it sets for days at a time between running it can add up to gallons. Also driving short distances without a complete warm up will use more gas than driving on a long trip. that is why you get better gas mileage on a trip than when used for short distances. Stop and go driving such as signals and stop signs will also consume gas without adding any miles. Choking will cause some gas loss if it drips after you choke it. Retarded timing and rich mixture contribute to the loss.
Norm
Trey...
If you do have a small drip or leak, be VERY careful where you store your car, and/or make sure you have shut the gas off. It only takes a spark..
Hi Bob,
I don't consider my T to have a "diminutive 4 banger". At almost 3 liters, it is the largest 4 cylinder engine that has been in any of my cars. I've had engines much smaller like my Fiat 850 sport coupe, Opel Kadett 1100 Rallye Sport, VW's from 1100 to 1650cc and a number of more modern cars with 4 cylinder engines between 1800 and 2200cc. And a number of these modern cars have averaged less than 25mpg. So don't be too hard on your old tin Lizzie. 15mpg is pretty good for an old gal....
I run stock engine, aluminum intake, Kingston L4, coils on magneto, Anderson timer, spray needle where it runs best, usually around 30 mph and still only get about 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 average mpg.
Trey,
In another recent thread a forum member reported getting 13 MPG without a carburetor heat pipe and 20 MPG with a heat pipe. Does your car have a heat pipe?
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/282097.html?1346888685
Jim
Not right now. But it's going back on, not because of mileage, because it's turning fall
Wow. Car guys really DO love to talk, don't they?!?! I grew up in a family Ford dealership, so I suppose I should have known what I was in for! Thanks so much for all the input. I welcome each comment, and more hopefully to follow. Perhaps I should adjust my expectations for mpg. Though I still believe something isn't quite right, perhaps I'm not that far from the norm. I'll be fiddling with her some this weekend, and will try some of your suggestions.
Just for those keeping score, my car does not have a fuel shut off valve, it does have a heat pipe, and I'M probably the one whose timing is challenged!
Thanks again for all the tips!