Re: Ken's 1937 120 Touring Sedan

Posted by Ken_P On 2018/9/27 19:27:54

I was having a problem where 2nd gear would grind, even with very deliberate shifting and double-clutching. I found I only had about 3/4" of free play. I adjusted it to the recommended 2" of free play (to prevent slipping at 65 mph - ha!) and found that while it shifted much more smoothly, it is still very easy to grind upshifting or downshifting into 2nd. To me, this would indicate a worn synchromesh. The clutch was inspected and has plenty of meat. Any thoughts? I rebuilt the same model of transmission in my 115c before I sold it, but before I go through that process, I thought I would ask here to see if I'm missing something. EDIT: Based on my research, it looks like a bad synchro. It's on the list, but I'll probably try changing the fluid in the transmission first, just in case.

I had the car out Saturday for a car show, putting about 50 miles on it. The car performed very well, except my brake lights stopped working. Something else to add to the winter list.

One last question - the closest ethanol free gas station here in Norfolk that I can find is about 75 miles away. Does anyone have a recommendation for a fuel additive to counter the ethanol problems? My carb was recently rebuilt, and I'll rebuild the fuel pump if I have any problems, but I'm mostly concerned about degradation when the car sits. I can't drive it enough to turn over a tank of fuel every month, especially this winter. Thanks in advance.