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Bud · 05-11-2010, 09:35 PM

Hi Nick,
My suggestion for what it is worth (and you probably know these things already) are to do the following:
Shine up the electrical contacts in the distributor, gap the plugs (.035"), remove corrosion from the plugs, shine up the coil wire ends plus the contact inside the coil & dist cap. Also shine up where plugs contact head. Then set your points (.018-.022). If you can, I would remove the popout switch cable from the dash and distributor. The reason for this is it will be easier to start the car if you replace the popout switch assembly with a simple switch (these are sold by the parts vendors: Sacramento Vintage Ford sells a replacement switch with keys--part number 606--for less than $20). This way if there is a problem with the popout switch you can just get it out of the picture (save it and restore later). These steps should take care of the ignition system. On old Fords corrosion of electrical connections is a problem, the better contact you can get the quicker it will start. When you get that ignition switch, order a set of points and condenser (these can also be readily obtained from NAPA). Make sure you have fresh gas and the gas does not have a lot of rust in it. I drain my gas tank into a gas can (be careful regarding fire) thru a gas filter. I do that 3 times and usually don't have problems with rust in the carburetor. Regarding the water pump, you could take it off to look at it but with a four blade fan you will have to take off the radiator and it's a long involved procedure (see Les Andrews book from MAFCA or the parts vendors). Perhaps you could back off the packing nut and it might turn. If the belt is off you can run the engine for a while on the battery (no generator) just to get a feel for noises and general initial performance. Hope this helps and good luck.

05-11-2010, 09:35 PM	#76
Bud Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 861	Re: Hello all, new to the forum! Hi Nick, My suggestion for what it is worth (and you probably know these things already) are to do the following: Shine up the electrical contacts in the distributor, gap the plugs (.035"), remove corrosion from the plugs, shine up the coil wire ends plus the contact inside the coil & dist cap. Also shine up where plugs contact head. Then set your points (.018-.022). If you can, I would remove the popout switch cable from the dash and distributor. The reason for this is it will be easier to start the car if you replace the popout switch assembly with a simple switch (these are sold by the parts vendors: Sacramento Vintage Ford sells a replacement switch with keys--part number 606--for less than $20). This way if there is a problem with the popout switch you can just get it out of the picture (save it and restore later). These steps should take care of the ignition system. On old Fords corrosion of electrical connections is a problem, the better contact you can get the quicker it will start. When you get that ignition switch, order a set of points and condenser (these can also be readily obtained from NAPA). Make sure you have fresh gas and the gas does not have a lot of rust in it. I drain my gas tank into a gas can (be careful regarding fire) thru a gas filter. I do that 3 times and usually don't have problems with rust in the carburetor. Regarding the water pump, you could take it off to look at it but with a four blade fan you will have to take off the radiator and it's a long involved procedure (see Les Andrews book from MAFCA or the parts vendors). Perhaps you could back off the packing nut and it might turn. If the belt is off you can run the engine for a while on the battery (no generator) just to get a feel for noises and general initial performance. Hope this helps and good luck.