Crossroads
VISIT US ON THE WEB: “npmafc.com”
Newsletter of the North Penn Model A Ford Club March 2011
MARCH MEETING
Monday 7th @ 7:30 p.m.
Penndale Middle School
March Refreshments
Bowne, Longcoy, Rogers, Hall
April Refreshments
Anderson, Boslers, W. Watson, Lawn
MARCH BIRTHDAYS
8 Richard Ditzler 27 Anne Condon
12 Franklin Burke 27 Ruth Ann Christ
15 Grace Landis 30 Dave Whitmire
Minutes February 7, 2011 Meeting
Vice President John Elliott opened the meeting at
7:35 p.m. with 34 members attending.
Treasurer’s report given by Charles Kerper Treasurer:
Present balance is $ 1684.48.
Sam High was welcomed as a new member attending
his first NPMAC “meeting”.
OLD BUSINESS:
Our Christmas/Holiday party had an attendance of
64 and a wonderful time was had by all.
Club Lancaster Trip will take place April 29, 30,
and May 1st. The trip will begin on Friday 4/29 and
will include tours in the area and the Model A Day
at Renninger’s.
Pennypacker Mills Day is scheduled for Saturday
April 30 a “rural life” event.
NEW BUSINESS:
The club tools were moved from Barry’s garage to
Joe Silverman’s garage. Gene Yeager headed the
process.
The 75TH anniversary of AACA will be in Philadelphia
at the Sheraton Hotel 2/10 thru 2/12.
Elm Terrace will again be holding a car show and
we hope our club will participate. June is the tentative
time.
North Penn High School Car Show if held to be
considered.
Fred Schempp has organized a tour to Germansville
on Sunday May 15th. It will be a DVR tour including
other places of interest.
Lansdale Under The Lights is June 18.
Club picnic for spring is June 11 at Green Lane
Park. More to follow.
Future tours for the club to be considered: Wheels
of America in Allentown and the Boyertown Museum.
Pete Watson has invited the club to use the lift at
the Old Forge building at 1101 N. Broad Street
ANYTIME with advance notice.
Spring Safety check will be held at Old Forge on
Broad street. Date is April 9th at 9:00 a.m. Coffee
and donuts will be provided by the club.
Dick Longcoy has sent around the room the tentative
Refreshment List for confirmation and any updates
needed.
If you need a name badge, let Dick know.
Dick also is still trying to get everyone’s e-mail address
to try to eliminate costs.
(EDITOR NOTE: all e-mails are sent out in the
“BCC” mode meaning that no one that receives an
e-mail copy gets to see who else was on the sent list
so your privacy is protected.)
The newsletter needs the support of the club members
– send Dick those articles and info - please.
Joe Silverman discussed a Model A hybrid owned
by Steve Sensenich. We hope he will bring the - - -
(Continued other side)
(Continued from first page)
- - - car to the April 9th Spring Safety Check for all to see. (He has since joined our club).
Jerry Anderson presented a paper on Antifreeze and keeping it at the proper pH. Jerry passed out copies for all.
Magnetic club signs are still available at $16 per sign.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. by Vice-President John Elliott.
Respectfully submitted,
Dini Vigliano
Secretary
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Model A truck for sale: Late 1931 Wide Bed, Indented Firewall Pick-up Truck. Original body and chassis in
excellent mechanical condition. Truck originally red, repainted long ago to a washed out green. It has current Pa.
Inspection and is driven regularly. Has Halogen Headlights, LED Tail Lights, New safety Glass, Front End Rebuilt,
Brakes Rebuilt, Gas Tank Cleaned, 4 New Firestone Tires, One original as Spare, Engine very good.
Needs new paint. Body and bed in excellent condition. This is an exceptional find .
EXCEPT FOR POOR PAINT WOULD PASS FOR A TRUE SURVIVOR.
$16,500. Contact Howard Kriebel 610-489-1253.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
A Cliff Wilson Report on AACA Annual Meeting
(Pictures of “woodies” will be at March meeting)
A nice collection of Woodies in the trade show with Joe Rogers III in the mix.
Wayne Watson with his 1911 T was also on display and he presented his Model A seminar on Saturday afternoon
with several NPMAFC members attending.
The grandson of legendary GM designer Harley Earl presented a seminar of the accomplishments of Harley's
iconic career of classic car designs from the 20's to the 50's.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
NORTH PENN MODEL A FORD CLUB
2011 REFRESHMENTS LIST
(Would the first name on the left please be the group coordinator)
March 1, 2011 Revision
FEBRUARY
Schneider, Berlinger, Kriebel, Gibby
MARCH
Bowne, Longcoy, Rogers, Hall
APRIL
Anderson, Bosler (Sr.), Bosler (Jr.), W. Watson, Lawn
MAY
Allen, G. Watson, Wood, Driesbach, Abrams
JUNE
Silverman, Burke, Schlorff, C. Wilson
JULY
PICNIC
AUGUST
NO MEETING
SEPTEMBER
Yeager, Hudecki, Vigliano, High
OCTOBER
Gormley, Whitmire, Ditzler, Schempp, Beyer
NOVEMBER
Henderson, Bear, Hollister, Jones
DECEMBER
Reed, Ford, White, Schwab
Touring in the
Model `A' Ford
BY PAUL MOLLER
(June 1988 REPRINT)
The Model 'A Ford was built to be driven!
Although they have passed their 60th anniversary,
they are still driven successfully. While you may
have been driving your "A" on local tours, parades,
'rallies, and other occasional trips around the neighborhood,
and think the' Car runs very, well, then
you may be considering a long trip. So. a National
Meet some distance from home seems possible.
Why not go as so many others have done? So you
plan on changing the oil, greasing the chassis,
'checking tire pressures, and washing the car in
preparation for a trip.
Having traveled extensively in my "A" coupe,
I say GO! Our direct experiences along with that of
others in preparing the vehicle may be of some
help. If you believe your vehicle is in good condition,
ready and able to go, our first recommendation
is a good hard run at highway speeds, around
45 to 50 mph, where the "A" seems to run good.
Experience indicates that most mechanical failures
seem to occur during the first few hundred Miles of
a long trip.
The following suggestions, along with your
own ideas, should go a long way in making the trip
as trouble free and comfortable as possible. Some
suggestions are for maintenance and others are
improvements using modern techniques and materials.
All these will help to make the vehicle safe
and reliable.
While your first impulse is to start with the
engine, I am going to suggest inspecting and repairing,
where needed, everything that helps control
'the car first. Things that affect control are: brakes,
steering, suspension (springs, shocks, etc.).
Lubrication
Start by lubricating all chassis grease fittings
after wiping off dirt from the fittings. While you
are under the car greasing fittings (with car supported
on jack stands), you should be looking for
missing cotter pins, loose nuts or bolts, brackets,
rods, etc. Nothing is too small to overlook for
safety and reliability.
The transmission and differential are easily
lubricated with plastic squeeze bottles containing
85-140W lube. This modem lube is far better than
600W as it carries off heat faster and has greater
film strength, thus giving the gears longer life. A
small pump type oil can filled with 85-140W can
be used to lubricate clevis pins and clutch linkage.
Now is a good time to repack the front wheel bearings
and to see that the rear axle nuts are tight so the
axle key will not shear off: Before the wheels go
back on, add a squirt of WD-40 or similar lube to
the lug nut threads. Use a torque wrench following a
five-pointed star pattern and tighten equally' to 45
ft-lbs torque. Always check the wheel lug nuts before
traveling.
Shock absorbers, provide not only a smoother
ride, but they also help control the vehicle, and the
latter is more important. Check the fluid level,
shock links, arms, and mounting bolts.
Brakes
Brakes too are part of the control system of
the vehicle. If the brake lining, brake drums, rods,
and various mechanical parts are in good condition
(remember, ' they are mechanical brakes!), an
adjustment may be in order. I am going to pass
along a method that works very well.
Assuming that everything is "just right" in the
drums, disconnect all four service brake rods and
block the brake, pedal to the full "up" position.
With all the wheels supported' on jack stands,
adjust each set of brake shoes until you can just
barely, turn the wheel. This "fills the drums with
brake shoes." Then with the arm pushed back
enough to just take the play out, adjust the brake
rod to this position. Repeat on all four corners.
Tighten the jam nuts to prevent rod breakage. Now
all you have to do is back off on the brake shoe
adjusters 6 or 7 clicks and they should be about
perfect.
Steering too is part of the control system of
the vehicle. If the steering system is properly
adjusted and in good mechanical condition, tighten
the bolt securing the pitman arm to the sector
shaft for they do stretch. Tighten the pair of bolts
holding the steering box to the frame. Steering
effort can ,be reduced using a "Steer-eze" kit that
adds Teflon plugs and new springs to the drag link
and tie rod ends. A sector housing fitted with
needle bearings-in place of bushings and a shortened
pitman arm will reduce 'steering effort tp the
,point that the steering wheel almost comes out of a
turn by itself.
Removing the floorboards gives access to the
battery and other items. Check the battery charge
and water level. Tighten the battery cables, check
for corrosion, and clean and tighten the battery
cable at the connection to the frame to insure a
good, tight ground connection.
ANTIFREEZE CONSIDERATIONS
The following information was posted on January 14, 2011, on the "Ahooga" Message Board. The poster is
Larry Brumfield, known for his design and manufacture of the after-market high compression Model A engine
head. His posting is provided verbatim.
Don't let the "clean look" fool you into thinking your antifreeze is still good even if the mixture is doing its
job to prevent freezing; if it has been in your A for a long time. Test it to see if it has become acidic!
You can use chemically treated test strips that change color to indicate the pH of the antifreeze. BUT all a
litmus paper reading really tells you is whether or not the antifreeze is alkaline or acidic. It doesn't tell you how much
reserve alkalinity or corrosion inhibitor the antifreeze has left. Nor does an alkaline pH reading always mean the
antifreeze is still good. When the aluminum starts to corrode, such as with an aluminum flat head, the corroding aluminum
can actually make the pH go back up!
This pH I am referring to is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity on a scale, i.e. a pH scale. A reading of 7 is
neutral. Lower numbers represent increasing acidity and higher numbers increasing alkalinity. Pure water is neutral with
a reading of 7.0 whereas battery acid is 2 or 3 on the pH scale while baking soda might be 10 or 11.
A lower pH reading (below 8) would generally indicate bad antifreeze and a need for a change. But at the
same time be aware that the new long-life antifreeze can protect to lower pH, almost 7.
You can also use a digital voltmeter. With the engine off, touch the voltmeter positive test lead to the radiator
(must have good metal to metal contact). Open the radiator cap and insert the negative test lead down into the coolant.
A reading of up to 0.2 volts is considered acceptable and indicates the presence of reserve alkalinity in the
coolant. If the coolant reads 0.3 to 0.6 volts, it is borderline and should be recycled or replaced. A reading of 0.7 volts
or more would tell you the coolant is overdue for a change.
Now, having said all this, I'm trying to think if the following could somehow apply to a Model A, but the corrosion
in the cooling system can occur, regardless of the condition of the antifreeze, if voltage from such things as
starters, ignition, etc., etc. flows through to ground rather than follow their intended ground path.
You can check for this condition using your volt meter with the same method as stated above except
do it while running the starter to crank the engine; then with the engine running and an accessory
turned on such as the lights. If stray current is grounding through the coolant you'll get a voltage reading.
More than 0.15 volts can corrode aluminum and 0.3 volts can be harmful to cast iron.
Note #1: Since it has been a while since most of us took a chemistry class, remember that the
pH scale is a base 10 log scale i.e. moving down the pH scale by one full number (e.g. 7.0 to 6.0)
changes the acidity (hydrogen ion, H+) by a factor of 10. Thus, it would be 10X as acidic. Moving
down the pH scale by two numbers (e.g. 7.0 to 5.0) changes the acidity by a factor of 100 (100X as
acidic).
Note # 2: As stated above, aluminum is more susceptible to corrosion than is cast iron. This is
the basis for the "Aluminum Head Saver" sold by many of the Model A parts suppliers (e.g. Bratton's
part # 8030 @ $7.45). One inserts this aluminum cathode into the coolant system and the cathode is
"sacrificed" to any corrosive effects resulting from coolant that is too acidic, thereby diminishing
any corrosion of the cast iron engine components.
DO YOU EVER FEEL THAT YOU ARE NOT UP TO PAR?
If you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius..
(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.)
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live
forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,"
Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love
to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
Mariah Carey
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life,"
Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body,"
Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,"
Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC .
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,"
A congressional candidate in Texas .
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
Al Gore, Vice President
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"I love California . I practically grew up in Phoenix ."
Dan Quayle
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
Lee Iacocca
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people."
Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away.
May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
Department of Social Services, Greenville , South Carolina
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Traditionally, most of Australia 's imports come from overseas."
Keppel Enderbery
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their eart
throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record."
Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman
Feeling smarter yet?
DANKENCORP,' _
REMODELING' KITCHENS. BATHROOMS
•
VISIT US ON THE WEB: “npmafc.com”
Newsletter of the North Penn Model A Ford Club March 2011
MARCH MEETING
Monday 7th @ 7:30 p.m.
Penndale Middle School
March Refreshments
Bowne, Longcoy, Rogers, Hall
April Refreshments
Anderson, Boslers, W. Watson, Lawn
MARCH BIRTHDAYS
8 Richard Ditzler 27 Anne Condon
12 Franklin Burke 27 Ruth Ann Christ
15 Grace Landis 30 Dave Whitmire
Minutes February 7, 2011 Meeting
Vice President John Elliott opened the meeting at
7:35 p.m. with 34 members attending.
Treasurer’s report given by Charles Kerper Treasurer:
Present balance is $ 1684.48.
Sam High was welcomed as a new member attending
his first NPMAC “meeting”.
OLD BUSINESS:
Our Christmas/Holiday party had an attendance of
64 and a wonderful time was had by all.
Club Lancaster Trip will take place April 29, 30,
and May 1st. The trip will begin on Friday 4/29 and
will include tours in the area and the Model A Day
at Renninger’s.
Pennypacker Mills Day is scheduled for Saturday
April 30 a “rural life” event.
NEW BUSINESS:
The club tools were moved from Barry’s garage to
Joe Silverman’s garage. Gene Yeager headed the
process.
The 75TH anniversary of AACA will be in Philadelphia
at the Sheraton Hotel 2/10 thru 2/12.
Elm Terrace will again be holding a car show and
we hope our club will participate. June is the tentative
time.
North Penn High School Car Show if held to be
considered.
Fred Schempp has organized a tour to Germansville
on Sunday May 15th. It will be a DVR tour including
other places of interest.
Lansdale Under The Lights is June 18.
Club picnic for spring is June 11 at Green Lane
Park. More to follow.
Future tours for the club to be considered: Wheels
of America in Allentown and the Boyertown Museum.
Pete Watson has invited the club to use the lift at
the Old Forge building at 1101 N. Broad Street
ANYTIME with advance notice.
Spring Safety check will be held at Old Forge on
Broad street. Date is April 9th at 9:00 a.m. Coffee
and donuts will be provided by the club.
Dick Longcoy has sent around the room the tentative
Refreshment List for confirmation and any updates
needed.
If you need a name badge, let Dick know.
Dick also is still trying to get everyone’s e-mail address
to try to eliminate costs.
(EDITOR NOTE: all e-mails are sent out in the
“BCC” mode meaning that no one that receives an
e-mail copy gets to see who else was on the sent list
so your privacy is protected.)
The newsletter needs the support of the club members
– send Dick those articles and info - please.
Joe Silverman discussed a Model A hybrid owned
by Steve Sensenich. We hope he will bring the - - -
(Continued other side)
(Continued from first page)
- - - car to the April 9th Spring Safety Check for all to see. (He has since joined our club).
Jerry Anderson presented a paper on Antifreeze and keeping it at the proper pH. Jerry passed out copies for all.
Magnetic club signs are still available at $16 per sign.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. by Vice-President John Elliott.
Respectfully submitted,
Dini Vigliano
Secretary
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Model A truck for sale: Late 1931 Wide Bed, Indented Firewall Pick-up Truck. Original body and chassis in
excellent mechanical condition. Truck originally red, repainted long ago to a washed out green. It has current Pa.
Inspection and is driven regularly. Has Halogen Headlights, LED Tail Lights, New safety Glass, Front End Rebuilt,
Brakes Rebuilt, Gas Tank Cleaned, 4 New Firestone Tires, One original as Spare, Engine very good.
Needs new paint. Body and bed in excellent condition. This is an exceptional find .
EXCEPT FOR POOR PAINT WOULD PASS FOR A TRUE SURVIVOR.
$16,500. Contact Howard Kriebel 610-489-1253.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
A Cliff Wilson Report on AACA Annual Meeting
(Pictures of “woodies” will be at March meeting)
A nice collection of Woodies in the trade show with Joe Rogers III in the mix.
Wayne Watson with his 1911 T was also on display and he presented his Model A seminar on Saturday afternoon
with several NPMAFC members attending.
The grandson of legendary GM designer Harley Earl presented a seminar of the accomplishments of Harley's
iconic career of classic car designs from the 20's to the 50's.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
NORTH PENN MODEL A FORD CLUB
2011 REFRESHMENTS LIST
(Would the first name on the left please be the group coordinator)
March 1, 2011 Revision
FEBRUARY
Schneider, Berlinger, Kriebel, Gibby
MARCH
Bowne, Longcoy, Rogers, Hall
APRIL
Anderson, Bosler (Sr.), Bosler (Jr.), W. Watson, Lawn
MAY
Allen, G. Watson, Wood, Driesbach, Abrams
JUNE
Silverman, Burke, Schlorff, C. Wilson
JULY
PICNIC
AUGUST
NO MEETING
SEPTEMBER
Yeager, Hudecki, Vigliano, High
OCTOBER
Gormley, Whitmire, Ditzler, Schempp, Beyer
NOVEMBER
Henderson, Bear, Hollister, Jones
DECEMBER
Reed, Ford, White, Schwab
Touring in the
Model `A' Ford
BY PAUL MOLLER
(June 1988 REPRINT)
The Model 'A Ford was built to be driven!
Although they have passed their 60th anniversary,
they are still driven successfully. While you may
have been driving your "A" on local tours, parades,
'rallies, and other occasional trips around the neighborhood,
and think the' Car runs very, well, then
you may be considering a long trip. So. a National
Meet some distance from home seems possible.
Why not go as so many others have done? So you
plan on changing the oil, greasing the chassis,
'checking tire pressures, and washing the car in
preparation for a trip.
Having traveled extensively in my "A" coupe,
I say GO! Our direct experiences along with that of
others in preparing the vehicle may be of some
help. If you believe your vehicle is in good condition,
ready and able to go, our first recommendation
is a good hard run at highway speeds, around
45 to 50 mph, where the "A" seems to run good.
Experience indicates that most mechanical failures
seem to occur during the first few hundred Miles of
a long trip.
The following suggestions, along with your
own ideas, should go a long way in making the trip
as trouble free and comfortable as possible. Some
suggestions are for maintenance and others are
improvements using modern techniques and materials.
All these will help to make the vehicle safe
and reliable.
While your first impulse is to start with the
engine, I am going to suggest inspecting and repairing,
where needed, everything that helps control
'the car first. Things that affect control are: brakes,
steering, suspension (springs, shocks, etc.).
Lubrication
Start by lubricating all chassis grease fittings
after wiping off dirt from the fittings. While you
are under the car greasing fittings (with car supported
on jack stands), you should be looking for
missing cotter pins, loose nuts or bolts, brackets,
rods, etc. Nothing is too small to overlook for
safety and reliability.
The transmission and differential are easily
lubricated with plastic squeeze bottles containing
85-140W lube. This modem lube is far better than
600W as it carries off heat faster and has greater
film strength, thus giving the gears longer life. A
small pump type oil can filled with 85-140W can
be used to lubricate clevis pins and clutch linkage.
Now is a good time to repack the front wheel bearings
and to see that the rear axle nuts are tight so the
axle key will not shear off: Before the wheels go
back on, add a squirt of WD-40 or similar lube to
the lug nut threads. Use a torque wrench following a
five-pointed star pattern and tighten equally' to 45
ft-lbs torque. Always check the wheel lug nuts before
traveling.
Shock absorbers, provide not only a smoother
ride, but they also help control the vehicle, and the
latter is more important. Check the fluid level,
shock links, arms, and mounting bolts.
Brakes
Brakes too are part of the control system of
the vehicle. If the brake lining, brake drums, rods,
and various mechanical parts are in good condition
(remember, ' they are mechanical brakes!), an
adjustment may be in order. I am going to pass
along a method that works very well.
Assuming that everything is "just right" in the
drums, disconnect all four service brake rods and
block the brake, pedal to the full "up" position.
With all the wheels supported' on jack stands,
adjust each set of brake shoes until you can just
barely, turn the wheel. This "fills the drums with
brake shoes." Then with the arm pushed back
enough to just take the play out, adjust the brake
rod to this position. Repeat on all four corners.
Tighten the jam nuts to prevent rod breakage. Now
all you have to do is back off on the brake shoe
adjusters 6 or 7 clicks and they should be about
perfect.
Steering too is part of the control system of
the vehicle. If the steering system is properly
adjusted and in good mechanical condition, tighten
the bolt securing the pitman arm to the sector
shaft for they do stretch. Tighten the pair of bolts
holding the steering box to the frame. Steering
effort can ,be reduced using a "Steer-eze" kit that
adds Teflon plugs and new springs to the drag link
and tie rod ends. A sector housing fitted with
needle bearings-in place of bushings and a shortened
pitman arm will reduce 'steering effort tp the
,point that the steering wheel almost comes out of a
turn by itself.
Removing the floorboards gives access to the
battery and other items. Check the battery charge
and water level. Tighten the battery cables, check
for corrosion, and clean and tighten the battery
cable at the connection to the frame to insure a
good, tight ground connection.
ANTIFREEZE CONSIDERATIONS
The following information was posted on January 14, 2011, on the "Ahooga" Message Board. The poster is
Larry Brumfield, known for his design and manufacture of the after-market high compression Model A engine
head. His posting is provided verbatim.
Don't let the "clean look" fool you into thinking your antifreeze is still good even if the mixture is doing its
job to prevent freezing; if it has been in your A for a long time. Test it to see if it has become acidic!
You can use chemically treated test strips that change color to indicate the pH of the antifreeze. BUT all a
litmus paper reading really tells you is whether or not the antifreeze is alkaline or acidic. It doesn't tell you how much
reserve alkalinity or corrosion inhibitor the antifreeze has left. Nor does an alkaline pH reading always mean the
antifreeze is still good. When the aluminum starts to corrode, such as with an aluminum flat head, the corroding aluminum
can actually make the pH go back up!
This pH I am referring to is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity on a scale, i.e. a pH scale. A reading of 7 is
neutral. Lower numbers represent increasing acidity and higher numbers increasing alkalinity. Pure water is neutral with
a reading of 7.0 whereas battery acid is 2 or 3 on the pH scale while baking soda might be 10 or 11.
A lower pH reading (below 8) would generally indicate bad antifreeze and a need for a change. But at the
same time be aware that the new long-life antifreeze can protect to lower pH, almost 7.
You can also use a digital voltmeter. With the engine off, touch the voltmeter positive test lead to the radiator
(must have good metal to metal contact). Open the radiator cap and insert the negative test lead down into the coolant.
A reading of up to 0.2 volts is considered acceptable and indicates the presence of reserve alkalinity in the
coolant. If the coolant reads 0.3 to 0.6 volts, it is borderline and should be recycled or replaced. A reading of 0.7 volts
or more would tell you the coolant is overdue for a change.
Now, having said all this, I'm trying to think if the following could somehow apply to a Model A, but the corrosion
in the cooling system can occur, regardless of the condition of the antifreeze, if voltage from such things as
starters, ignition, etc., etc. flows through to ground rather than follow their intended ground path.
You can check for this condition using your volt meter with the same method as stated above except
do it while running the starter to crank the engine; then with the engine running and an accessory
turned on such as the lights. If stray current is grounding through the coolant you'll get a voltage reading.
More than 0.15 volts can corrode aluminum and 0.3 volts can be harmful to cast iron.
Note #1: Since it has been a while since most of us took a chemistry class, remember that the
pH scale is a base 10 log scale i.e. moving down the pH scale by one full number (e.g. 7.0 to 6.0)
changes the acidity (hydrogen ion, H+) by a factor of 10. Thus, it would be 10X as acidic. Moving
down the pH scale by two numbers (e.g. 7.0 to 5.0) changes the acidity by a factor of 100 (100X as
acidic).
Note # 2: As stated above, aluminum is more susceptible to corrosion than is cast iron. This is
the basis for the "Aluminum Head Saver" sold by many of the Model A parts suppliers (e.g. Bratton's
part # 8030 @ $7.45). One inserts this aluminum cathode into the coolant system and the cathode is
"sacrificed" to any corrosive effects resulting from coolant that is too acidic, thereby diminishing
any corrosion of the cast iron engine components.
DO YOU EVER FEEL THAT YOU ARE NOT UP TO PAR?
If you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius..
(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.)
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live
forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,"
Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love
to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
Mariah Carey
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life,"
Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body,"
Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,"
Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC .
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,"
A congressional candidate in Texas .
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
Al Gore, Vice President
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"I love California . I practically grew up in Phoenix ."
Dan Quayle
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
Lee Iacocca
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people."
Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away.
May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
Department of Social Services, Greenville , South Carolina
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Traditionally, most of Australia 's imports come from overseas."
Keppel Enderbery
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their eart
throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record."
Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman
Feeling smarter yet?
DANKENCORP,' _
REMODELING' KITCHENS. BATHROOMS
•
