Rear end ratio

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I have a ’30 EDL modal A, I just drove it for the first time after an engine rebuild and am not happy that it tops out around 45MPH. I know this is a heavy car and was built for city driving but I would like to go faster. Any one have experience changing the rear end or adding an overdrive to deal with this? I would like to stay as original as possible. Also I am still looking for sun visors for same car.

Jim Nicholson

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Jim,

Do you know your current R/A ratio? I assume that your tire size is 7.00 x 18?

Bill

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Something is not right, unless you have a rear gear for San Francisco that’s 6.5 to 1 you have some problem. That car will run 65 all day long with only a slight push of the engine. Check to see you are getting full throttle opening and good spark advance on the curve.

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Is your Stromberg a UU-2 with good castings, often people put carbs on from a Stude or Nash and are very under carburated. Ed

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Thank you for the above responses. I have an original carb. I don’t know the rearend ratio and am running the original size tires. I am happy to hear it should drive at 65, so clearly I must figure out what is wrong.

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The carb jets are removeable and interchangeable. They must be at least

#46, AND PROBABLY #50. Venturies are possibly a problem. New ones are available.

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I can attest to the top speed that Ed quoted as our ’29 143 EDLimo will do 65mph all day long.

I would double check your rear end ratio just to be sure, given our car’s age, most times you can never tell what has been done over the years.

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Jim, Be sure your exhaust isn’t plugged also. In the past I have seen critters crawl into the exhaust and fill the muffler with what ever suits them to build a nest.

Good luck,

Jeff

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Jim,

Make sure that the springs in the distributor advance plate are correct, so that you actually get spark advance at higher rpm. (Check running engine with a timing light or meter, looking thru the little cover on the flywheel housing.) I have seen engines put together with .050″ thick spring wire instead of about .035″ (can’t remember exactly), and they didn’t move!

Cheers,

Bob

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There should be a tag showing ratio on one of the rear axle bolts if not removed by a previous owner.

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Thanks for all the input, we will check out all these things when we get the engine back together.

I have had quite a time of it with this so far. My block was cracked when we got the car. I had it welded by a great shop in Iowa. Then I had the babbitt poured and machining done in Illinois. I had to find a couple of replacement rods which Dave Murray was able to help me with. After we had it all together, it started and idled fine, quite and smooth. After ten miles of driving, it developed a rod knock. We took it apart and found the first rod had lost its Babbitt. I talked to the Babbitt shop and he says this occasionally happens from poor adhesion. They are redoing this rod. The other 7 look fine, but we sent them back anyway. This shop is well known to my fellow CCCA members and has done many similar jobs in the past. I have never restored a Babbitt bearing engine before and was surprised by this.

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Jim,

FYI – When we had the 8 in our 1601 redone, we went to insert rod bearings. It is a simple & inexpensive option on the later 8’s, but I don’t know about the ’30. The PAS message board guys will know. There are multiple PAS members who could handle it if you ever wanted to go that route in the future.

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