Hey there, I'm having some issues starting my '24 Model T. It will usually sputter a little bit when I choke it, and sometimes I can get it to start and it will run for ~10 seconds and it will just randomly quit. If I try to start it without choking it it does nothing, it just turns and turns. I've tried adjusting the carburetor and the best I can get still sounds terrible. I don't know if it's an electrical issue or a fuel issue. I just drained the old gas and put in new gas. Could the carburetor be clogged? Or maybe the gas line? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
When you say "old gas", how old would that be? And is this just a new problem that has occurred, or is this something that has been ongoing?
The gas was about a year old. I always start it up this time of year after not having started it for about 10 months, and I haven't had any issues like this before.
That's a long time to have gas just sitting in there, it starts to gum up the works in less time than that. I would recommend you focus on the fuel system first. Pull off the carb and give it a thorough cleaning, and make sure the float is adjusted properly while you have it apart. Also check your tank sediment bulb, it may also be clogged. If the problem still persists, move on to the electrical system.
I think the issue of old gas is often overblown. Yesterday I started up my touring that's been sitting since last June. A couple of slow turns from dying battery were all it took to get going, and it ran fine.
I agree with John about starting with fuel delivery. The fact that it's starting up and running for a little bit suggests that it's getting good enough spark to run. Be sure there are no clogs in the line or the carburetor. I've had a car die from a tiny bit of debris getting stuck in a carburetor passage. All it took to fix it was firing up the compressor and blowing it out.
Jared,
Once you are satisfied with your fuel system and if it still is giving troubles you might look at your intake manifold gasket.
Good Luck!
Running for 10 seconds and quitting, to me, is a sign of too lean a mixture. Open the mixture 1/4 turn more, choke it for one pull, then try to crank it again. Once it runs a minute or so, it may start surging. If so, lean it back out.
On the first start after last winter I cleaned out the filter in the gas shut-off valve. Opened the mixture for 1/4 turn, choked it for four pulls.
Set the contact and get a free start.
I also think your problem should be gas, too lean or a leak in the manifold gasket.
Good luck
Andre
Belgium
Ok this time I made sure that the carburetor was open 1 1/4 turns and when I finally got it to start it ran perfectly for about a minute and then suddenly quit. When I set my key to BAT and hit the starter I hear sparking under the dash, is this normal?
Haven't cleaned the carburetor or the shut off valve filter or done anything else suggested yet but that's my next course of action.
Sparking, or buzzing? It's normal for coils to buzz when you turn on the ignition.
Just tried what you said Hal. It did sound nicer, but still conked out after about 10 seconds.
Yeah I know that they should buzz. I took the cover off and looked at them while it was running and they were sparking a lot.
It sounds to me like you're just running out of gas. The probable reason is that the fuel system is clogged somewhere. If you were able to drain the tank, then it's probably not in the tank. I think I'd turn the fuel off at the tank, disconnect the fuel line at the carburetor end, hold the end of the tube over a coffee can, and turn the gas on slowly (it'll be easier if you have a helper), and see what flow you're getting. If the flow is weak, the line or filter in the potato is plugged. If the flow is strong then you need to look over the carburetor.
Let us know what you find! Good Luck!!!