MTFCA Forum

I went to a car club get together tonight and while driving the 22 started having an issue not wanting to rev. It idled fine but would not rev. I throttled back and it limped the car home. While looking the car over at home, I found the cotter key was missing and the rod between the timing lever and the timer had come loose, so that when moving the lever, I was not actually adjusting the timing. I hope I have not caused any damage.

Most likely fine. A slim possibility that running seriously retarded could cause the engine to run too hot and late firing could possibly burn the exhaust valves. But the truth is that a lot of people have driven many miles seriously retarded with no harm done.

The good news is that the Moro meter never showed it getting hot and I only drove a few miles. I will try it again tomorrow.

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Thu May 18, 2023 2:04 am

. . . a lot of people have driven many miles seriously retarded with no harm done.

While this is true, seriously retarded drivers pose the greatest hazard to our model Ts on the road. Be careful out there, guys. They are legion !

I'd concur with Wayne.

Might you have any idea where the timer lug was in its travel? If the rod fell out, the timer should be in last position...which may NOT have been retarded? And was just not enough down position to match the speed you were trying?

Hook it up again, start it up, go for a ride as usual...it will probably be 'fine' and IF it runs 'different' in a significant way then approach the "whatever" from there.

Rich P. Bingham wrote: ↑

Thu May 18, 2023 9:43 am

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Thu May 18, 2023 2:04 am

. . . a lot of people have driven many miles seriously retarded with no harm done.

While this is true, seriously retarded drivers pose the greatest hazard to our model Ts on the road. Be careful out there, guys. They are legion !

And I agree with RICH!! Sadly it seems there are more and more seriously retarded drivers on the road nowadays! T driver beware!

Methinks I should have phrased that sentence a little differently?

No, any good "straight-man" lead to good jokes is a good thing!

Maybe modern cars need a "retard/advance" control for everyone else to make the car's driver smarter!

I fired the 22 up over lunch today and it ran fine once the advance was reattached. I don’t think any damage was done.