New to 1930 Model A Roadster

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

All – I recently purchased a pretty well renovated 1930 Model A, and have been going through usual suspects for tune-up items to get it running smoothly. Two questions: 1) did the 1930 Model A have an oil filter (if yes, where the heck is it?), and 2) my generator isn’t charging my battery, so I want to bench test it, but need to loosen the fan belts and don’t know how.

Any help welcome! I was able to find in the library the original Operations & Care manual, which has been helpful.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

I know on the ’29 an oil filter was optional and if your car has one it will be mounted on the left side of the engine above the generator/water pump assembly.

It would be bolted to the long, water jacket on that side.

As for loosening the fan belts, there should be a pinch bolt at the top of the fan shaft assembly. Loosen the pinch bolt and the fan shaft has a concentric shaft that will twist to allow the fan pulley to move downward.

The linked picture should show both items.

http://audrainautomuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Audrian_Museum-09149-840x600.jpg

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

These Pierce Arrows used the Purolator unit.The 1929’s used the Handy filter but 1930 went to the Purolator unit and these can be used on 1929 also.They look like the old units but have a replaceable modern filter inside.These were recently reproduced by John Cislak and he should still have some available.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

As of last week John still had some in inventory. His number is 413-543-9017 east coast time, use the phone, not email, or it will take two weeks for him to get back to you. Ed

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Hi David, Congratulations on the purchase of your Convertible coupe..

Your engine did have an oil filter. It was a bleed-type of oil filter. What this means is that a small quantity of oil from the main oil gallery is bled off, passed through the oil filter, and drained back into the crankcase.. This differs from a later car or a modern car that has a full-flow oil filter. With a full-flow system, all the oil from the oil pump goes through the oil filter before it goes to the oil galleries and on to the bearings..

So, you must use a proper bleed type filtration system when you put a filter on your engine.. The oil lines or a fitting in the system must have a restrictor to restrict the amount of oil and oil pressure bled from the engine’s oil gallery, or else it could rob too much oil and oil pressure resulting in significant engine damage.

When i read the title for this message, I was really curious, i did not think that there was a Roadster built on a long wheelbase, big-engine [model A] Pierce Arrow chassis.. But then i saw that it was a Convertible Coupe.. The Convertible coupe was made as a model A, and as a Model B. A fixed top coupe was available as a model C.

Sounds like a nice car,, Can you post some photos of it ??

Greg Long

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Regarding your generator, often the brushes are sticky, and are not making good contact on the armature commutator. Often just a lifting of each brush to move it’s tensioning spring, will free it up and get it to have some tension against the commutator.

Using a voltmeter, [remember, your car is +positive ground] Run the engine, the generator should produce between 7 and 8 volts from the wire that comes out of the generator housing.. If it is making voltage, Then check to see if the output wire from the cut-out mounted on the generator is also 7 to 8 volts. if not the cutout is either bad, or it’s contact points are dirty or corroded.. Usually a point file will clean up the points surface and the cut out will be good for another driving season..

I’d do this on-the-car test first, since on your car, the water pump is mounted on the generator housing,, so it’s not just removing the generator, but the water pump as well.

Greg Long

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

Greg,

That restrictor must be in the fittings which attach the lines to the oil filter.My 1929 Roadster has a Purolator cartridge with the original lines.I did notice the hole on the fittings is rather small and when driving the car,the oil pressure was always fine.The new units with a modern filter inside must use what is called a partial flow filter.The 1930-1932 Packards use this same filter.New units with a modern filter were available from Burr Ripley for several years but John’s now are the only ones available.I would suspect the modern filter inside would properly control the oil flow.The problem with using an nos original cartridge would be the filtering material breaking up and clogging an oil line.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

All, thank you very much for all the responses, I am off and running! I attach a photo of the car. It was nicely painted inside and out, but many things were painted over and mechanically inconsistent. I am breaking down a lot of the engine and electrical and making it more historically accurate.

I do indeed see a square-topped plug where it looks like the feed for an oil filter system would be.

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

David,

I recently bought a Pilot Ray light like you have, but don’t have the drive linkage or the connector at the car’s frame. My car is the ’29 Club Brougham, so the linkage should be the same. I do have the links from the light bar. Could you please send me some pics of the attachment pieces and the linkage? If anyone has any of this they would be interested in selling, please let me know. My email is [email protected].

David, Mitch is saying March for my engine. Not holding my breath (too much).

Thanks,

Bob

[Author nameAuthor names are only available to PAS members.]

“David, Mitch is saying March for my engine. Not holding my breath (too much)”

Bob….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…..

Oh, I mean, hope he finishes it! Only took 7 years for one of my engines. I like him like a long lost relative, but time doesn’t mean much to him….

[Author]

Posts