My "Problem Child" ran - briefly

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: My "Problem Child" ran - briefly
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 02:13 pm:

After a year and a half apart and a steady six months of weekend work I thought I was ready to run the new motor. Two gallons of gas was added and oil dripped out of the upper tap. Everything looked good so the ignition was turned on and the motor spun over on the starter. The motor ran weakly but stopped whenever the starter was eased off. After a number of attempts at this I tried advancing the spark while it was sputtering on starter. The motor caught and ran well for 3 or 4 seconds then died like somebody shot it.

After some investigation a blown fuse was found in the yellow wire from the starter switch to the terminal block. This was something I had added recently, it is 25 amps.

While doing this, I noticed something leaking on the ground and found an oil leak, one that looks like it could mean trouble. It is right where the hogshead, block & crankcase (pan) meet on the right hand side. Can anything be done about this outside of taking it all apart again? Mebbee some sort of goop might be slathered on to seal it up from the outside?

Here is a pic of the oil leak area:



It all sure looked sweet before I tried to run it! Here are a couple of pics:





It looks like there are four problems now.

1. Fuel leak at the connection between the line and the sediment bulb. This is a seep more than a leak.
2. Something is making the fuse blow.
3. The timing is off and the rod will need to be rebent - again!
4. The oil leak means the hogshead might have to come back off or even that the whole motor may need to be removed so the pan can be taken off for reseal.

This happened Sunday afternoon and I haven't had the heart to work on it since. I did just order a new fuel line nut & neoprene backing for it along with a new timer rod so I will get back to this project. I'm just sore about it now.

Vintage Paul


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Walt Berdan, Bellevue, WA on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 02:34 pm:

Paul,

The oil leak is a classic one. It may not be the last time you see it if you take the transmission cover off again. A trick I've heard but not tried personally is to clean the area as well as you can with brake cleaner or similar solvent, hook a vacuum up to the oil filler, and add some RTV type sealant to the area as you briefly run the vacuum.

It's a nice theory that may be worth testing before you break down to pull the trans cover off. I'd try it if it was my car.

Walt


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bud Holzschuh - Panama City, FL on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 06:59 pm:

Paul

This is little stuff ... annoying but no reason to get discouraged!!

No bent rods? No broken crank? Count your blessings!

I'm sure you'll work out these little problems.

I will second Walts suggestion on the hogshead. If its just a small leak from one spot, a sealant may work. I like acetone to clean where your going to apply the sealant. You might try "the right stuff" sealant.

As for the fuse problem. Disconnect your electrical fixtures (lights, horn, brakelights, etc., until your fuse no longer blows. Then start connecting them one by one - you'll find it!

Cheers


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 09:56 pm:

I third what Walt B says! I have done it and it has worked. Actually, I didn't even use a vacuum cleaner. Just cleaning with a medium/stiff bristle brush and paint thinner followed by lacquer thinner to remove the final residue (makes a difference) (acetone should also work well). Squeeze the favorite gasket sealer hard into the corner and try to push the excess in and later, clean off the rest of the excess.
Good luck! A vacuum should help some.

I would be more concerned about the blown fuse. Fire considerations and all. Where and how is the fuse wired in? Ignition should not be able to blow a fuse over 2amp unless there is a serious short somewhere in the circuit. Start sorting it out how Bud H says.
Fuel line leak. Standard bar soap (slightly wet) is great for sealing fuel fittings and their threads. Just DO NOT get any inside the fuel line.
All minor stuff.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 10:08 pm:

RTV at the oil leak point in the pic will work every time. Done that many times.

Remember Dealers used oil drip pans under new T's in their show rooms.

If the sealants that are avaliable today were avaliable in Fords time he would have used it on his cars I'll bet.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill in Adelaida Calif on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 11:05 pm:

Paul
Do as suggested above and make sure ALL traces of oil are removed before grabbing the RTV.
As for the fuse, I notice that your headlights are not installed. Could the headlight switch be on by accident? Or was the Hudson jealous???


Bill


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 01:23 pm:

I'm too old & fat to find the idea of removing the hogshead while the motor is still in the car very appealing. It was installed with the new motor on a workstand and with the help of a pal. Neither of us had ever done it before and we were as careful as we could be. We used plenty of The Right Stuff just to make sure there wouldn't be any trouble. I will see if I can seal the leak with more goop. It sure can't hurt!

Electrics are a dark art for me. I can't see those little electrons move and have always suspected they are anarchists at heart. Yes, I have a background in British cars & motorcycles so this is probably to be expected. In this case, the headlights were not fitted but the tail light was. It seemed to work fine. A newly added stop light also seems to work fine. Neither was on at this time. The Hudsons might be upset as they have been sitting for the last year and a half while my attention has been taken by this Model T.

Two fuses were added. A 4 amp one was added between the switch & the hot terminal on the coil box in the blue/yellow wire to protect the E-timer. This fuse blew a week before while checking for problems. The 25 amp job was installed on the yellow wire that runs from the starter switch to the terminal strip on the dash. This is the one that blew when the spark lever was advanced Sunday afternoon. Not being an electrical sort, I'm always suspicious of deliberately adding a weak link (fuse) into the system. I know they protect the system but I'm still suspicious! I have no clue as to why this fuse should blow but the ignition one did not.

My spirits were pretty low Sunday. Part of it was the new problems just when I thought I was really making progress at long last and part was the heat. It was 95° in the shade and I was working out in the sun. I'm ready to have another bash at it now.

Vintage Paul, electrically challenged


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 01:49 pm:

There is a blind threaded hole in the block near there for holding the mag ring. It is punched through the casting sometimes. It doesn't leak as long as there's a bolt in the hole...

Do you know the history of your car, Paul?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul O'Neil on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 02:43 pm:

I THINK we have that covered. Here are some pics of the area taken last winter as the motor was going together:





Does all look as it should here?

My car was built with no magneto and I elected not to fit one with the new motor seeing I am using the E-timer. If I had it to do over again, I would put one in so I could go back to stock if I needed to.

I really only know about my car since I bought it. This is a new block, new crank, one new rod, new bearings, new wood bands, new valves & springs, new rings on the old pistons with many other new bits. The cam & lifters, timing gears, three rods (with new babbitt) and Z-head came over from the old motor. The car itself was built from a pile of unrelated parts.

Vintage Paul


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 03:05 pm:

Yes, it looks like you have a dummy - no longer needed - bolt in that hole.


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