Timing gears 1926 T, HELP

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Timing gears 1926 T, HELP
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Ferguson on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 07:05 pm:

I am working on my father in laws 1926 T. He purchased it without even knowing if it ran, and it didn't. I have done everything I know to get it to run, it will run for 30 seconds or so but poorly. II got all the coils working properly but the problem seems to be the compression. All cylinders have 25-30 PSI. By adding oil to each it increased by 10 more PSI. Rings right? Nope. I pulled the head and pan and removed one piston. They are 060 over and appear to have new rings and pistons. I inspected the valves just by using a flashlight and they appear good and new. What I did find after more tear down was when the timing marks on the crank and cam gears are lined up perfectly, the piston is still down in the cylinder by 3/4" My question is, can the cam gear be incorrectly installed? I believe it is off by 4-5 teeth. That's how far it has turned when I do bring #1 to TDC.
Am I all wet on this or does anyone know the answer? Please help, it's getting frustrating now. Thanks, my name is Roger


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 07:12 pm:

Hi when the timing marks are aligned the #1 piston is still down in the bore. Ill post a few pics of my engine I took awhile back. Sounds more like fuel to me . Make sure the intake is sealing good.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 07:22 pm:

timing pictiming pic 2timing pic 3


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 07:30 pm:

My engine has a 1927 EE crank in it and the crank pin is vertical as shown in the pic. I believe most T engines the crank pin is horizontal when #1 is at TDC. But you should always use the marks on the gears to set timing. The crank pin position is a good trick to easily verify TDC when setting the timer rod, as long as you know the position of yours. I would be interested to know if you have a EE crank and the position of your pin. If you still have the inspection pan off you can see the EE markings on the webs of the crank. Th EE cranks are supposed to be stronger but that is debatable.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan McEachern on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 08:32 pm:

TDC does not occur when the timing marks are together, so don't think something is wrong with them. The crank gear keyway is aligned with the #1 crank pin as shown in the above picture.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By joe bell on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 08:34 pm:

Roger, I would think it is fuel or spark, they will run on low compression with the iron pistons in it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 02:25 am:

Roger. There is one other thing to check. I have seen it a couple times. Take a screwdriver and gently pry the cam gear up and down. I have seen the cam bearing shell be loose in the block. It useally will not affect the starting much but it will cause one to run poorly and overheat if it is very loose. They are supposed to be a sliding fit with no play. You may have to remove the front cam bearing set screw to check it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike_black on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 08:04 am:

fire or fuel. Just because the coils make noise doesn't mean the fire is getting where it needs to be. I would take out the plugs and lay on the head and make sure they are fireing as you rotate the engine with the hand crank. If that checks out, chase the fuel problem. Do you have a Vaporizer or NH ?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 12:02 pm:

Have you pulled the car to get it started? Sometimes if a car has been setting for a long time, it is hard to start, especially in cold weather. I have a suspicion that the problem is in the fuel supply either too rich or too lean. If too lean, it will sputter after being choked but not continue running. In that case rotate counter clockwise the adjustment about 1/4 turn and try to start again. If the fuel is too rich you will flood the engine and it won't even sputter. In that case, let it set about 15 minutes and try again.

If the battery is too low and the starter won't turn the engine, it is also possible it is too low to fire the coils. They might buzz but not give a good spark. Put a battery charger and fully charge the battery and try again.

Anyway, if you pull the car until it starts, then let it warm until fully warmed up, you will probably increase the compression.

How do you know the rings are like new? Do they still have the fine ridges on the edge of them? If so, they might not have fully seated and that would cause low compression.

Don't give up. Just keep trying to start it.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 03:54 pm:

Are you using fresh gasoline?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 04:38 pm:

Roger,

It sounds like your engine is still a bit "fresh". I wouldn't worry too much about the compression right now. It's high enough to run the car and may improve some with use.

In another thread you mention that you've got a vaporizer carburetor. That's where I would focus. Unless they're about perfect they won't run worth a darn. From my minor experience with them, they're a bitch to get right. I'm sure that very experienced folks have no trouble with them. But, inexperienced folks do...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Ferguson on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 09:08 pm:

You guys are great, all of you and I really appreciate your help. After all I've done with this car, I'm beginning to believe the coils need adjusted (not sure what that means) and probably the vaporizer carburetor too.
What do I need to do to get the coils "adjusted"?
I set the top points at 005 and the main set at 1/16 per the book. I have pulled the plugs and turned the crank by hand and yes, it sparks hard when it should, so maybe, the vaporizer is the main problem. What does it take to change to a HN carburetor?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Ferguson on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 09:13 pm:

Ted, good point about the gasoline. There were only a couple of quarts of old gas in it so I added two gallons of fresh. Do you think that could be a part of the problem?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike_black on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 09:22 pm:

The bad has to come out--new gas won't make old gas good--kind of like having a quart of water in your crankcase and adding 4 more quarts of new oil without draining the water!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 09:28 pm:

You will need an intake, a NH carb, and a exhaust manifold. The throttle linkage needs to go thru the block and valve cover so you would need the correct rod and a valve cover with a hole in it. There is also a linkage conversion kit to convert the Vaporizer to NH that goes over the top. I think Langs and some of the other vendors have the kit. The NH is by far the better choice. You can switch back later to the vaporizer after you get it running and learn a little more about the car and vaporizers. If you do not have the hole thru the block for the throttle linkage, I would not knock it out, and then I would use the over the top linkage kit so you could switch back later and still have the correct blocked off area in between #1 and #2 cylinder. All of the 26-27 blocks did not have the blocked off casting. Some will have the linkage hole and some do not.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dale Peterson on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 02:04 am:

Make sure you have a good flow of fuel, rust flakes in the tank can cause a slow flow. If tank is clean and flows freely from the fuel line, replace the carb with a known good one (from a friend's car) and try it to help narrow down the problem.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By keith g barrier on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 05:18 am:

Roger, get those coils set on a hand cranked coil tester or strobe spark before trying any thing with the carb. You cannot set the coils by ear or buzz box and make the engine run properly. KGB


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 08:34 pm:

After you get the coils set, or, if you have spark now, pull the spark plugs and spoon about a teaspoon of fresh gasoline into each cylinder, put the plugs back in and see if she'll at least fire up for one good 2 or 3 second "roar". If so, at least you'll know you probably have problems with that vaporiser carburetor. My '27 depot hack was a very nice running car when I bought it, however, the guys in the Long Beach club that knew the car before I bought it, and knew the old fellow that built it, now deceased, (Pete Cosner) and they remembered that ol' Pete always carried a can of starting fluid with him, because the car was so hard-starting when cold. I got rid of the vaporiser and with an NH Holly, she fires right up on the 2nd or 3rd stroke when cold, every time! FWIW,.....harold


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