Model A 4 Banger Experts needed!! Car stalls in Reverse???

Just picked up this 1929 Tudor Sedan all stock. Car runs great, drives great!
Only problem is when I put the car in Reverse, the engine dies???
I'm at a dead stop, I put the clutch pedal in and as soon as the shifter goes up into Reverse, the engine stalls out. I don't even get a chance to let the clutch out and give it any gas.
This has happened twice. Both times the car won't start back up, right away.

Any idea's?

The only known problems that I know of are it needs a carb gasket. I know I'm ****ing some air in. But it runs/idles great in neutral and in any other gear but Reverse.

I also put a new set of points in last night and set the timing. The car started up just fine this morning.

I'm not that familiar with stockers. Any help/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Jeremy

 

You may have a clutch peddle adjustment problem. Where the clutch is not dis-engaging good enough. It may also be the preasure plate is bad.

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Does it have any electrical connection to the shifter or linkage (back-up light, neutral safety switch)?
If yes, disconnect the wire.
If no, it may be just a minor float height problem.

 

If what your saying is happening, would it only affect reverse? Or would it also affect the other gears as well?

 

I thought that too. There's no back-up light or neutral safety switch.
Can you elaborate on the "float height problem"?
Thanks!

 

I'm with panic, does it have a reverse light or something hooked up?

Ahhhh, tooooooooo slowwwwwwwwwwww!

 

Will the car start in reverse with the clutch pedal down?

 

That's a good question....
Both times the car stalled out in reverse, I couldn't get it to start (in any form or combination). It would crank, but not fire. Luckily, both times I was trying to back it into my garage, so I didn't have to push far.

I was going to try and start it later today. I could try it with the car in reverse and the cluth pedal down to see what happens????

 

I just think it's a fluke that it dies going into reverse. Does your driveway have a slope to it?

 

I would look for linkage hitting wiring. Maybe loose engine ground???

 

With engine OFF but ignition ON, remove cap, hook a test lamp to point arm with contact open, ground test lamp to an engine fastener. Shift...does light flicker or die??
Stock A engine is mostly grounded by engine pans...which are generally missing nowadays. I would do this to find or eliminate idea of a funky ground path that is somehow disturbed by reverse...

 

I've kinda been thinking the same thing. Might just be some dumb fluke.
Both times I was in the street about to back in. The street is pretty level.

If I can get it started today, I may just try and put in reverse first, and see if it stalls right away.

 

Thanks Guys. Will try both and see what happens.

 

Then...if the electrons seem not guilty...try yanking out the choke a bit as you shift. Check out other as yet unfathomable demons. Check out mechanical lockup by shifting into reverse and hitting starter...it should be able to move the car backward.
Either electricity is shut off, or gas, or something is not rotating...
And remember, there is NOTHING like a newly purchased Model A for weird problems; a large percentage of A's have been worked on by people with seriously DIFFERENT mechanical abilities, and they all install the cheapest repro parts, which are often riddled with odd failure points.

 

And another whacko thought...shifter comes real damn close to instrument cluster. Could you be nudging the gauge panel, disturbing a traditional rat's nest of bad connections, flaking insulation, and defective repro switch from China?

 

Check the ground connection from the battery. If should be connected to the floor subframe. When I got mine someone had hooked the ground to a bolt on the transmission shifter. Didn't cause the same problem that you are having but did cause an electrical problem that was intermittent.

 

Hey Bruce,

Thanks for all the info! I'm making myself a list of stuff to check out on the car when I get home.

-Jeremy

 

Thanks Joe! I'll check the ground connection.

 

Since this makes no sense at all, basic diagnostic is to try to see what general system is kaput so it can be scrutinized. A basic rule of thumb...anything on a car that makes no sense is probably ground related! Also, ALWAYS ***ume that previous owner was a pathologically stingy ***** who purchased all his parts from Rick's Model A parts at their going-out-of-business sale, failing to note that they were going out of business because none of their parts actually functioned...

 

Check to be sure the motor mounts are tight. Make sure all your wires are ok and not shorting out. Look at the terminal box and the mounting screws. How about the main lead to the dizzy- is it partly unscrewed. How about the grounds and connections in the dizzy? Yes, it goes on and on. That's why we all love em. Can you start it in your driveway and then start moving things and get it to stall? Good luck!

 

your wisdom is profound bruce...ricks is one id forgotten about. it hurts when i recall just how ****ty repro model a stuff was in the dark days of 1980. most has improved since then... model a restorers fugality is topped only by model t guys...QUOTE=Bruce Lancaster;4101647]Since this makes no sense at all, basic diagnostic is to try to see what general system is kaput so it can be scrutinized. A basic rule of thumb...anything on a car that makes no sense is probably ground related! Also, ALWAYS ***ume that previous owner was a pathologically stingy ***** who purchased all his parts from Rick's Model A parts at their going-out-of-business sale, failing to note that they were going out of business because none of their parts actually functioned...[/QUOTE]

 

Before you go looking for more problems, fix the one you know about!


I know of are it needs a carb gasket. I know I'm ****ing some air in.

 

Thanks to everyone with all the great idea's. I went thru everything electrical this past weekend. I checked and cleaned all connections. I properly set the timing and adjusted the points. Car started right up! Drove it for awhile... everything was good! Good in Reverse too!!
I think, maybe, something was loose and it was just a crazy coincidence that it was screwing up in Reverse????

Thanks again Guys!
-Jeremy