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Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 7:37 pm
by John Warren
Yesterday, I dusted off my 25 roadster pickup and took it on our clubs breakfast run. Some 25 miles later after breakfast, I go to start it with the crank and it is being unusually stubborn. I go ahead and use the starter but it sounds different when cranking. After it starts it is running great just like it did the whole way here. About a mile later it starts coughing, backfiring, and quits, so I coast off the road. After opening up the mixture some, I try to restart it. While cranking it, starter sounds ratty, it is back firing, coughing and not starting . I’m pretty sure that it went out of time. Is it the cam gear ? Turning the engine over using the hand crank, compression is good so it appears the cam gear is ok. I take the timer off to check it out , the nut was loose and the timing pin was MIA. I didn’t have a pin so I put things back in time ( no pin) and tightened it up. It started and ran great using the hand crank. All seemed ok until I backed out of the parking space. There was a huge puddle of oil there. As it turns out the Bendix came apart and caused the Bendix cover to leak profusely. Had I not had to back out of the parking spot and or the timer not given troubleI, l’m sure I would have ran my engine out of oil. The timer coming lose was definitely a God Sin. Whew 😮

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:03 pm
by Oldav8tor
Luck can manifest itself in strange ways.... your experience is a good example. I've been warned that a leaking starter cover can ruin your engine in no time.

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:05 pm
by TonyB
On Thursday our local club did a school visit. The fourth and fifth grades are learning about Assembly Lines and Henry Ford, so we take a few cars to several schools and give some life to the stuff they learnt.
I took the 1914 touring and it ran fine, as usual when just as we pulled into the lunch stop, never had a T tour without food, and the motor died. After a little investigation we determined the timer wasn’t turning. The nut had come loose, the cup washer moved and allowed the pin to fall out.

First time this has happened in 44 years of driving a T.

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:28 pm
by Allan
Tony, your post reminded me of an experience I had on a National Tour. I came up on a stopped car, with the usual helpful crew already stopped to help. I pulled up on the verge on the inside of the car as they were hand cranking it, chasing coils, plugs etc. Each time they cranked it was the same coil buzzing in its unique tone, so I suggested they drop the timer. Sure enough, the nut was loose, the washer had shifted and the pin was butied in the grease at the bottom.

I spoke to the young fellow who was driving the car at lunch and informed him I would never stop to help him again! He was surprised, until I told him I had been roundly criticised at the morning tea stop by an auto electrician who was in the help crew. He didn't appreciate my help.

Allan from down under.

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:12 pm
by noelchico
I had the camshaft nut come loose on my 23 Touring on our first tour. We were stranded in a depression in the road with no spark. After checking several things, and several people stopping to help, I pulled the timer and found the loose nut, but not the pin. i couldn't find it anywhere under the car. With the trouble trailer coming up behind us, I took an upholstery tack out of the seat and it fit perfectly. Drove about 60 miles back to the base hotel. :D

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:17 pm
by Allan
Perhaps I didn't make my story clear. The young driver was most appreciative, and asked me to help out at any time. it was the auto elec. who had his node out of joint.

Allan from down under.

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:21 pm
by Henry K. Lee
John glad to hear you caught it! Wow, could have been an Oh Sh*t Moment!

All the Best,

Hank

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:59 pm
by John Warren
A little luck or devine intervention, I’ll take it! Thanks Hank.

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:09 pm
by John Warren
A couple of photos of findings. The bolts were were sorta still in place along with the spring. The cover was keeping it sorta together.
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Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:26 pm
by Kenny Edmondson
Pull the starter and rotate the flywheel to see what kind of parts are stuck to the magnets.

Re: Dodged a bullet yesterday.

Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:51 pm
by Henry K. Lee
Looks like you hit Lucky 7’s. 7 beers, 7 hours sleep, and about $7.00 in repairs (used parts of course)!

Hank