When I first got this car waaaay long ago, with the Model A coupe shell on it, and first drove it, I commented on a 2nd gear ejection issue that was killing me. It never quit doing it, but as the car wound up parked, and I got better at driving stick, I just kinda ignored it. It took about 700 miles for the transmission to go from jumping out of 2nd gear sometimes to making a funny noise while under load in 2nd. It took about 20 miles from then for second gear to turn into a second neutral. Luckily this thing has the grunt to go from first to third, so I made it back to the nest fine, where a rebuilt transmission is already waiting to go in. Now I just have to find time to do it.
Next time you see an old dirt track car with a three speed check out the dash, there’s probably a hook on it. it’s not for your hat it’s to hold the thing in second lol. Glad you got it home
Those were built for little to no roads. How is it garage extraction caused that!?! Leaving extra parts under it?
Chunks from the broken 2nd gear falling into the reverse gear at the bottom of the case & binding up between the gear and the case wall is my guess.
Hmmm. So the trans said NOW! There are 2 kinds of mechanics's cars. Tip-top air frame safety level condition or test how long I can run it before it leaves me stranded.
Had a D-50. It was the newest vehicle I'd owned up to that point, but was BEAT! Parts store runner, then a machine shop runner then the guy that ended up giving it to me! 180K. It was safe with the windows down in a bad neighborhood. Fugly was a nice way to describe it. It was the test vehicle for when a customer asked "how long can I put this off?" Rear drum brakes wore to the point where the shoes were so thin the wheel cylinder popped out.
My buddy had a 76 F100 years ago. We were on the tail end of a long trip bringing some parts back. It had a really bad oil leak but he kept running it, adding oil every fuel stop. At the last stop we thought that the other one topped off the oil. A few miles later, it started knocking and getting louder with every mile. I told him keep going because at this point the engine was roached. We made it home, pulled the engine a few days later and ever rod bearing was aluminum foil thin and a couple had lapped and beaten paper thin as well. We basically ran that 302 for 25-30 miles with no rod bearings left.
That ended up being a hell of a lot of work but we got it done. A bunch of broken bolts and ill fitting aftermarket parts made reassembly a terrible chore. Something isn't quite right but I'm hoping it's just a matter of adjustment in the clutch. I used the pressure plate that came with the new transmission but with the old clutch disc since it was in better shape somehow. There was a weird grinding noise on the first startup which went away after some sparks in the bellhousing and now everything seems to work but the clutch slips when I'm pushing it hard.
There we go... played with the clutch adjustments and we are back in business. Hooks up hard and burns rubber like it's supposed to.
Put out a feeler this morning to see if anyone had some drums (my rears have some bad studs) and a fellow HAMBer said he had some... but I had to take the chassis they were on! Not bad for two benjamins, considering there is a lot here I can use. Engine & transmission aren't locked up and the rear end seems OK from what we can tell so far. The frame was twisted pretty bad up front but it has some usable parts - the crossmembers are in great shape, and the axle appears to be straight. I'll rob the wishbone ball swivel thing to put on the AA, since I had to steal the AA's to replace the one I broke on the T. Tomorrow Saul and I are going to start breaking it up and properly assessing it.
Got what I needed. Looks like I'm not the only one who can't swage studs. Guess if it worked for that guy it will work for me. We'll clean this up and return it to service.
As if I needed any more help breaking shit, I'll be installing a Thomas high compression head soon. Got a great deal from a friend on the head off this engine he picked up. I know there are some corrosion issues with aluminum heads on iron blocks. Something about an anode... Got some homework to do.
I bought some zinc anodes from Amazon for cheap. Used for marine applications. Way cheaper than a “head saver” and the same thing pretty much. Also make sure your radiator is grounded. I ran into corrosion issues on my v8 from that
On mine I drilled a hole on one end and tied a piece of safety wire on it then hooked it over the outlet on the head. Once you put the radiator hose on and clamp it down it holds in place. This is on a v8 though so there may be some difference on a banger as I dont have much banger experience. The anode is sacrificial and mine was pretty chewed up after 3-ish years so they really do work
You can get threaded ones like this and thread them into the water jacket https://boatzincs.com/e-0b/
Quick shout out to two of my favorite vintage tools. I took this chassis apart almost exclusively using this Masterench, with a little help from a British war surplus "Girder" adjustable. These guys stay in my toolkit...
We got the engine out & apart. It took some soaking to get it all the way freed up but it broke loose and spins over smoothly now. I have seen worse engines than this run. Crank thrust is good and the bearings feel fine, although there are no shims left. The cylinder walls are a little scored up but........ it's a Model A. It'd run if I asked it to. Maybe have my machinist bore it to .060 and put these NOS pistons I've had sitting around in it and it can be a backup.
The Jalopy Journal
