[Flathead Fever]

I offer advice not to guarantee a fix, just tests you can pefrom that are free to help keep from buying unnecessary parts.

It all depends on what "skips" means. I did this for a living and had to look at repair tickets written by other people that left out a lot of the details. I worked nights and the driver's days, so I rarely got to talk to them. "If" I could duplicate the problem. I could almost always feel if it was ignition or fuel. The two problems feel completely different.

If you step on the gas further during the problem, does it fall of its face and run out of gas unless you back off the pedal. Does it backfire through the carburetor at all when you give it more throttle. Both of those are signs it's running out of gas. Does the misfire get worse with more throttle than it's probably ignition but if the engine acts like it running out of gas and not misfiring its fuel. When the issue is happening will it idle without the misfire and then when you raise the idle the problem starts again. Once the problem starts does it gradually get worse in a short driving distance or does it stay the same the further you drive. How much fuel is in the tank when it happens. What's the temperature outside. What happens if you give it a little choke when the problem happens. Does it have the neoprene tipped needle and seats on the carb floats or all metal ones. The new neoprene ones are sticking shut after driving them for a while, at least it did on my friend's roadster. You can lightly tap on top of the carb above the needle and seat and see if the open up. Those twist fuel regulators are junk. I had one on a 1966 Mini Cooper S and after a while of driving it would shut the fuel off completely. I would get out twist the regulator and reset it and I was good again for a while. I tried a couple brand new ones and they both did it. Try resetting the regulator when the problem happens. Regardless of it is the problem or not I would get rid of it and get the pump with the correct pressure as checked with a gauge at the carbs. That fuel filter belongs before the pump, back by the tank. It is not protecting the fuel pump from getting junk into it. It's not large enough either. Those were used on Volkswagens and small engines. These old Fords usually have a lot of junk in the gas tanks and will plug those filters up in a hurry. What if that glass filter breaks in the engine compartment or the hose comes off with the electric fuel pump still pumping, the car will burn to the ground. You want the least number of things that can leak fuel near that hot engine and plug wires.

Do you think it's just one Cylinder misfiring or are they all doing it. If it misfires at idle and you have a timing mark, can you put a timing light on it to see if the timing mark is jumping around. That would be a sign of a bad coil or ignition module. How bad is this misfire, is it a little annoying or do you fear you won't make it a block. You can try jumping a wire directly to the coils external resistor (these chrome Mallory's do use them) and bypass the ignition switch. That's probably not a very old Mallory coil on there so it should be good, but you never can tell. The resistors are either good or burned out, I've never seen one have an intermittent problem. We had the same type on the Dodges at work. When they did fail the engine would start while the engine was still cranking bypassing the resistor and then die when the switch returned to the run position You could check the resistance of the coil hot when it's not having the problem and then when it is. Honestly, I hear so many problems with these aftermarket electronic ignitions on flatheads that I don't trust them. I'll just stick to points. I never saw a set of points keep my dad or me from getting where we were going and back home during the points era. You carried spare ignition parts just in case and the tools to install them on the daily drivers like the Mustangs. On the Early Fords my dad always had a spare distributer with him he could swap out, but he never had to.

I have extra electric fuel pumps and I will stick a five gallon can of fuel on the passenger floor with another fuel pump and go for a ride, If the problem goes away, I know it's in the tank, filter, pump or lines. I also have a ignition scope so I can look at the ignition to spot a bad coil or condenser, module, wires... You are at a disadvantage without a scope.