Ford NAA Smoking and Wheel Locking

[OrtisEvans]

My '54 NAA has been doing fine all summer. Last evening, I started it to do some mowing. It did not want to start, and that has never happened before. With the help of some ether, I got it going. It was billowing a large amount of bluish smoke out the tail pipe - also never happened before. I stopped it and looked around. There was oil on the exhaust pipe where it goes into the muffler. It was low on oil, so I added a quart of and restarted. It was still smoking.

The smoke reduced enough that I tried to mow. I have had minor problems for several years with the left wheel locking up when it has sat a while. I assume that the cause is the brakes, since backing up a few feet and then going formard clears it. This time, it kept locking and unlocking so I quit.

First problem: Could it be that the passage that lets oil drain from the top of the head to the oil pan is plugged? That would leaving oil sitting there to slip down the valve stems and into the cylinders. Other ideas?

Second problem: Bad brake springs? Or is there a transmission/differential gear problem that could cause this?

Help!

Ortis

 

[tmajor]

I can't help with the smoking.

I had the same problem with brakes. It turned out, that I had put the springs back on incorrectly. I don't remember exactly how ... the spring was over something, it shouldn't have been, or the spring body was toward the wrong side. Something simple, though.

 

[OrtisEvans]

Thanks Tmajor. I have the new springs. I have the diagram. It helps to know that someone else successfully fixed the same issue

 

[Soundguy]

check to make sur ethe brake mechanism can move / pivot freely, lube the pivots..e tc. bushings.. etc.

if the pads are very new, and still square on the end, chamfer the leading edge a bit.. and if they are adjusted too tight back off a click on the start wheel.

as for the oil.. pull the plugs and read them.. then if you have a compression tester, test it. if you find one fouled black oil plug.. see if that cyl has exceptional compression.. cyls that pump oil can seal better.

soundguy

 

[OrtisEvans]

Thanks, Sound Guy. Good advice on the brakes. On the engne, I was heading toward pulling plugs, checking compression....but I started it one more time. I cleared up in about a minute and ran fine all day. I bet 50 cents there is junk under the valve cover that plugged the drain passages tempoarily. I went from being a qt low on the dipstick to half a qt high. I know, time to pull the valve cover and oil pan and thoroughly clear the sludge. And pull the wheels to work on the brakes.

 

[Soundguy]

drain a lil oil and dump in a quart of atf and a pint can of seafoam.. run around for 20 minutes doing something like mowing, then drain hot and refill with your regular oil, minus a quart, and plus a quart of atf.

soundguy

 

[OrtisEvans]

What is sea foam?

On the brakes - I took the wheel and drum off. Along with the usualy bugs and grass, there was golf-ball sized chuck of what looked like petrified mud wasp nest. Plus, the yahoo who replaced the shoes left out a spring and had the spring for the djuster in upside down so it interfered with adjusting. I fixed all that, lubed it, chamfered the edges, and now it works great.

I'll resolve the engine issue as soon as I find out what sea foam is

TTFN

 

[OrtisEvans]

I just Googled Sea Foam - sounds good - I'll get some. Is it any different or better than other engine flushes?

 

[Soundguy]

i use it and atf fluid, maybee mmo.. but not many other snake oils.

doesn't need to be a flush per se.. can be used as an addative too.