Farmallregular

No parking brake??? Left in neutral??? I also learned to drive in an area with lots of hills, and had how to park on a hill beat into us by the driver's ed teacher...try parallel parking on a steep slope with a 3 on the tree transmission. We were also taught to turn the wheels into the curb, lots of fun with no power steering. Wheel chocks (chalk is too soft) are a safety item to ensure the vehicle can't inadvertently move, but unless there's something wrong the vehicle should be able to hold itself in place even on a steep hill. Keith

See response in your other thread about ignition timing.

The starter usually won't turn the engine fast enough for the magneto to generate a pulse, so most magnetos have a mechanism on the input shaft that holds the armature against a spring and then will trip at a specific point in the shaft rotation and let the spring rotate the armature fast enough through part of a turn to generate the necessary pulse. The points will open near the end of this partial rotation to generate the spark. This mechanism is called an "impulse", and is bypassed (usually with centrifugal weights) when the engine is up to speed. Often you can hear it trip with the engine cranking. Keith

The latter part of 1926 was when the change was made from a 12 volt single unit starter/generator to separate 6 volt generator and starter. The 12V single unit starter/generator was chain driven from the front end of the crankshaft. The two unit 6V starter drove the flywheel, and the generator drove off the same shaft that drives the distributor. The distributor position is also different between the two versions. There are significant external differences in the blocks to accommodate the different placements, and I'm not sure what the differences in the two versions of the cranks might be. I haven't looked at the specs, but I'd suspect that internals like bearings, pistons, valves, cam, etc. are the same. Do you have a copy of the Mechanics Information Manual? It's readily available on ebay, and I think Myers Early Dodge has copies as well. There are photos of the two different configurations. Keith

Could be worse...my Model A has a standard 3-speed shift pattern, and my 1924 Dodge has the pattern upside down...the Model A is the same pattern as the vehicle I learned to drive in, but I have to really pay attention in the Dodge...

Another hobby is antique tractors, including a 1929 McCormick-Deering Farmall. When the F-series tractors were introduced in the early 1930's the original Farmalls acquired the moniker "regular" to distinguish them from the similar F-20.

To add a little more info, fuses also have an "interrupting current" rating, which is indicative of the short circuit current the fuse can safely break. In general, it's acceptable to use a fuse with a higher voltage rating than the circuit it's used on, but not a lower voltage. If you really want to understand fuses, here's a good reference: https://www.digikey.com/en/pdf/l/littelfuse/fuseology Keith

That's interesting...the club I belong to here in Colorado goes out of the way to help newcomers. I've never changed a spring perch, so can't directly help you there. I'd strongly recommend signing up and asking your questions on the Vintage Ford Forum...very helpful group of people. It'd also be worthwhile to buy a copy of Les Andrews' "Model A Ford Mechanics handbook". It's available from any of the Model A suppliers and on Amazon. Because there are other forums dedicated to Model A's, there's very little activity here. I come to the AACA forums mostly because I also have a 1924 Dodge, and there is a relatively active group of old Dodge people here. I only occasionally look at the Model A posts. Keith

You need to go to one of the sites that specializes in Model A's, Vintage Ford Forum or Ford Barn, links at the top of this section. Keith

It was probably originally crimped around the edge to hold the glass in place. Unless you can replicate that process you won't be able to replace the glass.

An analog ohmmeter can tell you if the condenser is open or shorted, but can't directly measure capacitance. As a quick check, you can compare the meter response with the condenser in question to the meter response with a known good condenser. I've seen people claim to be able to do a similar test with a digital multi-meter, but that always looked suspicious to me, although a digital meter will find a short. Different meters may require different range settings. Start with something in the 10K range. Try the measurements a couple times with a known good condenser to get a feel for how the meter responds. Ohmmeters measure resistance by applying a known voltage and measuring the current. When you first connect the ohmmeter to an uncharged condenser, it shows relatively low resistance as the current from the meter starts to charge the condenser, and current decreases, i.e., shows higher resistance, as the condenser charges. Swapping the leads charges the condenser in the opposite direction. Once the condenser is charged, it should show high (10's of thousands) ohms resistance If there's no "bounce" in either direction, and the meter shows a high value of resistance, the condenser is open. If the meter shows a low resistance value after the "bounce", or a low resistance with no bounce, the condenser is either shorted or leaky. Some higher end digital multimeters have a capacitance measurement function, if you happen to know someone who has one. You can also buy relatively inexpensive digital capacitance meters, although I have no experience with them. Ignition condensers are typically around 0.22 microFarads (uF). Keith

Adjusting shims is intended to compensate for babbitt bearing wear. To re-iterate, if the crank has been re-ground undersize you'll need new babbitt, and the mains will also have to be line bored to size after installation in the block. Bearing clearance on these engines was originally set by filing shims until you could feel a little drag when turning the crank. If you use platigage, be sure it's fresh...if the plastic has dried out it'll be harder than the babbitt metal. The Mechanics Information Manual is generally available on e-bay as well. Keith

Is there some reason you think the ignition timing may be off? Has someone messed with it? Number 1 is the front cylinder (closest to the radiator). My mechanics manual doesn't talk about timing a magneto, only timing a distributor, but if it's like other engines with magnetos the impluse should trip just after top dead center with the advance lever in the starting (fully retarded) position. If it trips before top dead center the engine can kick back against the starter, not good. The C/14 mark on the flywheel is top dead center. With the number 1 cylinder on compression, the magneto should trip just after the TDC mark. The manual talks about another mark just past TDC, if it's there that is probably where the magneto should trip. It would have originally had a vacuum fuel tank/pump on the firewall, if there's an electric pump someone has added it somewhere along the line. Be careful with an electric pump, the carburetor was originally gravity fed from the firewall mounted tank, and can't take much fuel pressure. Reproduction Mechanic's Instruction Manuals are readily available on E-bay, if that's an option in South Africa. You might also ask in the Dodge Brothers portion of this forum, someone else may have one with a magneto. Keith

Check the fuse on the starter/generator. It's in series with the field windings and acts as a crude over-voltage cutout. Keith

Unfortunately, a lot of these shows aren't a whole lot more than hour long advertisements for how great that particular shop is. Some of the projects are interesting, but I get tired of all the nonsense & drama that goes along with the build. I like the various iterations of Road Kill, which are basically car related entertainment that doesn't try to be anything else. Roadworthy Rescues & Chasing Classic Cars are also entertaining. Keith