MTFCA Forum

So I’ve got my T running good, no longer misses and fires right up after the first or second crank cold. But when I shift into second, it lurches a little bit while driving in second. Like the power isn’t smooth. I used to lug the engine when I shifted into second because I had the RPMs too low, now I seem to have the hang of it and it doesn’t do that anymore. But it still lurches or leaps while in second a bit. Is this normal? Is this how they got the nickname “Leaping Lena”?

You engine has a slight miss. Probably in the ignition system.

It might be running a little lean, try turning the carb mixture adjustment counter-clockwise a touch (1/16 turn or less) while it's doing it and see if the miss goes away.

I’ll try adjusting the carb, then if that doesn’t fix it I guess my motor is still missing a little bit! Thanks guys!

When the car is warmed up and running smooth does it seem to stumble or have a slight miss when you speed up the engine while in park? Does it speed up smooth at different spark spark and throttle positions while in park?
If it does any of that it could be carb or coil settings or issues.

But if it’s still smooth it might take a little practice when going from low to high. It’s all in the engine speed and your technique in using the spark and throttle while shifting.

Try raising the spark lever a few notches when you shift to high, then as you begin to pick up speed advance again. Sometimes the spark is too advanced for the speed of the engine and will cause some lurching. Also be sure the parking brake lever is all the way forward because sometimes it will move back a few notches in low and then will not allow the high speed clutch to completely engage. It could also be the fuel mixture or a weak spark on one cylinder. in other words, several different things could cause the problem, so you will need to experiment a bit until you find out exactly what is causing your trouble.
Norm

Did you ever tell us what kind of timer you have? That's another potential source of engine stumble.