Tech Q & A for April, 2025

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Q:  My 1931 Fordor started to develop a blown head gasket (coolant into the oil and  oil seepage between cylinders 2 and 3 on the driver side of the block). The motor ran smoothly, but it was time to address the problem.  I removed the set screw under the distributor’s body and found the distributor was firmly frozen in place. So I pulled the head with the distributor on it so I could tap out the distributor from “the inside.”  I think I have a long-shaft distributor because the whole thing came out with the body and there’s no wiggle where a 2-piece would make the connection. The shaft looks pretty corroded.  Should I just scotch-pad it clean and apply a film of oil or lite grease to it before reinstalling?

Respectfully,
Matthew MacRoberts

 

A: Sounds like you’ve opened a can of worms!   Welcome to the club!  I’d strongly recommend you replace that one-piece distributor shaft with a two-piece reproduction.  Some of the new shafts also have a hole drilled into the upper piece to help lubricate the upper bushing.  The screw that holds the cam to the shaft also is drilled for future lubrications.

-Rick Black

 

Q: My 1931 Tudor had the radiator mounting springs on the mounting bolts underneath, I watched a Paul Shinn video where he put them on top. Did someone put mine on wrong?

Thanks,  Larry P.

A: The springs are supposed to be on top, so most likely, yes.  The good news is, that is super easy to fix!  Just remove the hardware (you could even do one side at a time if you wish) and push the bolt in from beneath the front crossmember, then add the spring and then castle nut on top.  Just torque the nut enough to get a cotter pin in, don’t compress the springs all the way.

-Paul Shinn

 

Q:  I have narrowed down my options for safety and comfort purposes to either a Tudor Sedan, or Fordor sedan.  As far as upgrades, I’m thinking about cast iron drum brakes, but I have a few more questions:

1. Would adding another carburetor make any difference or would it burn up more gas?
2. Would converting the battery to 12 volt be beneficial?
3. Would opting for bias-look tires be better than sticking to bias-ply tires?
Thank you,
Cameron

 

A: Hi Cameron,

My opinions:
1.  No.  Stick with the tried and true Zenith.
2.  No.  The 6 volt system is just fine.  If you want brighter lights, use LED bulbs.  I have them on my stock 1931 Tudor and they make a Huge difference.
3.  What are bias-look tires?
-Rick Black
A: I agree with Rick.  As for question #3, the modern reproduction bias ply tires are fantastic.  I have ran both the repro Firestone and Goodyear tires on my cars for many, many thousands of miles.  The radial look-alike tires run great too, and some people absolutely love them.  However, the cost is outrageous.  Most of the time when people say that radial tires “fixed” the imperfections of the Model A’s handling or ride, it is because their car has some worn out part(s) that are the actual problem and going with radial tires masked the real problem.
-Paul Shinn
Q: I recently saw in one of your videos you were adjusting the brakes on one of your cars on a lift. You were using a notched wooded piece from the brake pedal to the steering wheel. Do you know if there is a measured drawing of the wooden piece somewhere so I could make one for myself .  Thanks,

-Craig Algood

A: The brake adjusting stick Paul uses was published in The Restorer in 2000.  It is also illustrated in The Model A Mechanics Handbook, Volume 1 – by Les Andrews, “The Red Book” as Paul calls it.

-Rick Black