VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Dash controls.........

Just rolled a 1932 Sport Coupe off the delivery truck yesterday and right away some questions: (1)Heat control button, I know it controls the heat at the manifold but when and why do I use (pull)it? (2) Spark control, I know it advances or retards the spark and my manual says pull the control when traveling 22 mph or less. Is this commonly done? Is the spark control pushed in to start the car? Thanks.

Your next purchase should be a copy of the Owners Manual and the Repair Manual. They are available from numerous vendors in reprint at a very reasonable price. They will answer your questions and many more you have not even thought about.

Bees, hang in there some of the 32 owners will come along and answer your query. ( I only lust after a '32, my '28, '51, and '53 Chevys don't have a heat control)

While you are looking for an owners manual check out the VCCA.org site and download a membership application. This is the very best club for anyone interested in Vintage Chevrolets. (IMHO)

Hi Bees.

I also have a '32 Sport Coupe and my owner's manual says that the Heat control is a way to control efficiency of the engine. The mixture temperature can be adjusted. I think this means during start-up. Pull out for "heat" when starting in a cold climate. Leave in when starting after engine has warmed to running temperature. I hardly ever use it. My coupe is in the garage. But if I want to go for a ride and it's really cold, I might pull it out half untill the engines warms up. This "heat" feature might have something to do with limiting the use of the choke. More choke equals more gas, and back then everyone was trying to save gas.

My manual also refers to the "spark" as a means to advance the spark when under 22 mph. After that speed the weights will advance the spark.
I hardly use it. I do make sure it's all the way in before starting. If you pull it out just a hair it makes for a slightly faster idle. But that's my car, your's might be differant.

Good luck with your new toy! Mr. Mack has a very good idea! Join Us!

Actually, when the "Spark" knob is pulled out, the spark is retarded (idle slows), and when it is pushed all of the way in, the spark is advanced (idle speeds up). Also, according to the specs. the distributor weights start to advance at 14 MPH, not 22 MPH.

The heat control is to attempt to pre heat or heat up the fuel mixture as it travels through the intake manifold. There is a large "butter fly" valve in the exhaust manifold which at one position forces exhaust gas along part of the intake manifold right below the carb. You pull the dash control out to direct the exhaust toward the intake and carb.

I hardly ever use it becuase I live in God's country, Florida. I was born in Iowa but had the sense to get out of there many years ago.

The "Spark" advances or retards the spark. Now that's an inteligent response.

If you look in the owners manual, it tells you to pull out the throttle button approximately 1/4". It also states "the spark should not be retarded for starting". In cold weather, pull out the heat button as far as it will go.

The manual further states "If necessary, pull out the choke button as far as it will go and as soon as the motor starts, push the button toward the instrument panel a short distance."

Using the choke is all I have needed to start a cold engine. I can't say what you wil have to do in Iowa.

Just a reminder, if you do purchase a trunk for your coupe, only use the correct "Potter" trunk. After market trunks do not look near as good.

Congradulations on buying a 32, the best car Chevrolet ever built.

I guess the stovebolt six starter and bendix is way more stronger that the measily one on the roaring four....because the spark lever is used to start the 28 engine by retarding the spark and keeping the engine from "kicking back" "which can damage the starter when the engine fires".
This is also important when hand cranking the engine with the crank handle, only it is your wrist and arm that is protected. Us roaring four drivers don't need any booster cables, I doubt if they were even invented until after the hand crank became an oddity.
When I was a boy my dad had two car batterys, one in the car and one in the house in the Philco console radio hooked up to the wind charger on the roof of the house. On cold days he would bring the car battery inside and keep it warm and drain the oil out and set it next to the heating stove (fired by natural gas) so that in the morning he had warm oil and a fresh charged battery, that is if the wind blew.....and in North Central Texas it usually blew....The wind charger was the only electricity we had till the REA strung 'lectric lines to us in about 1949.

JYD. That's good advice on the spark control. I guess it depends on how the distributer is set.
Mine seems to run a little fast (maybe smoother) when it's out just a hair. I'd better check that timing again!
Why do you say 14 mph instead of 22? The manual does say 22.... :confused:
Does anyone actually use this thing? I can't imagine keeping one eye on the road, one on the speedo, pushing in the spark knob, and shifting into 2nd gear!

Doesn't matter how the distributor is set, "out" on the Spark knob is retarded, and "in" is advanced. That is even mentioned in the shop manual. When you pull out the spark knob, the distributor turns clockwise, which is retarded. When you push in on the spark knob, the distributor turns counter-clockwise, which is advanced.

My 1932 Chevy shop manual (January edition) says 14 MPH and so does the Delco-Remy specs. on that distributor.

Then it's got to be my timing!
But she climbs hills like a mountain goat! Maybe it's old age. Mine not the engine's...maybe both!

When you check your timing, the spark knob should be all of the way in when the timing is set on 12 degrees advanced.

Then it's probaly the cable. I installed it way after the engine was already running.

The manual advance arm on the distributor should be set so that the pivot is on the left front of the distributor, in a direct line with the spark cable, and it is in the "Up" position, not down. With the timing set at 12 degrees (or 18 degrees where I run mine), the wire on the spark cable is inserted into the pivot on the manual advance arm, and then it is tightened in place with the 8-32 x 3/8 slotted fastener on top.