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Jeff/Illinois · 09-30-2020, 01:41 PM

Running a 59AB Flathead. 6V POS ground as original. Cranks to beat the band but she won't fire.

Driving home at highway speed, the motor died and I coasted off the road. Wouldn't start. Got flatbedded home.

First thought was condensor, being a Model A guy that is your first go-to point in these situations. Tried two known good condensors and that wasn't it. Swapped out coils and that didn't work.

I'm running a crab type distributor that has been checked out by Bubba, and it is working perfectly. He sent me a 2.0 Ohm 'Made in Germany' coil as the points were a little dirty, and thought the 2.0 would be better than the 1.5 Ohm coil I was running. He did a check on the condensor it was fine. He ran the distributor for quite some time and told me it was working real well. This coil as well as my other one have internal resistors so I moved the wire on my resistor bolted under the dash, to by pass it. Did that quite some time ago. The truck ran fine that way.

Here's what I have come up with.
Ignition 'on'-----
6.02V at the NEG post on coil
.03V at POS side of coil
.03V at Condenser on the Distributor
6.3V both sides of the Buss fuze
6.2V at the yellow wire connection, back of Ignition switch
.2V on other side of Ig. Switch, red/black tracer wire (to coil if I remember ) If you go to a ground point off of the red/black wire you pick up 6.3V

Ignition switch 'Off'----
6.3V to ignition switch yellow wire
Unhook the two wires at the switch and I get 6.4V to the yellow wire (power feed?) and 6.4V to the red/black tracer (to coil) I get the same 6.4V when I touch both of these wires unhooked from the switch and when I check both against a ground point on the body??

I checked the two terminals on the back of the Ign. Switch for resistance against each other, wires unhooked, and get 0.0 Ohms.

Is it my Ignition switch?? I'm getting power to the coil and it's not getting to the distributor. I also switched out the coil wires with a different, known good one, and still the same results.

Thanks for any advice, it has to be something simple and I'm missing it somehow. I'm not one to just start throwing parts at the truck I want to know what happened

Trying to learn here,, as Flatheads are still new to me I've been a Model A guy for 49 years! They seem simpler to keep on the road than a flattie.

Also, how do you change that keyed switch on the steering column ( this is the one I've been calling the Ignition Switch, has the little lever above the key 'On' -'Off'. Like I said the truck cranks like crazy, starting circuit has to be fine. It has a push button starter on the dash not using the original foot operated switch. I got froggy and thought I'd run a jumper across the two wires I took off the switch, didn't make any difference I just wanted to see if I by-passed the switch if it would start. Left that wire on for less than 8 seconds or so got real hot real fast

That's when I decided THAT was not a good idea!

09-30-2020, 01:41 PM	#1
Jeff/Illinois Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,789	'36 Pickup electrical issue Running a 59AB Flathead. 6V POS ground as original. Cranks to beat the band but she won't fire. Driving home at highway speed, the motor died and I coasted off the road. Wouldn't start. Got flatbedded home. First thought was condensor, being a Model A guy that is your first go-to point in these situations. Tried two known good condensors and that wasn't it. Swapped out coils and that didn't work. I'm running a crab type distributor that has been checked out by Bubba, and it is working perfectly. He sent me a 2.0 Ohm 'Made in Germany' coil as the points were a little dirty, and thought the 2.0 would be better than the 1.5 Ohm coil I was running. He did a check on the condensor it was fine. He ran the distributor for quite some time and told me it was working real well. This coil as well as my other one have internal resistors so I moved the wire on my resistor bolted under the dash, to by pass it. Did that quite some time ago. The truck ran fine that way. Here's what I have come up with. Ignition 'on'----- 6.02V at the NEG post on coil .03V at POS side of coil .03V at Condenser on the Distributor 6.3V both sides of the Buss fuze 6.2V at the yellow wire connection, back of Ignition switch .2V on other side of Ig. Switch, red/black tracer wire (to coil if I remember ) If you go to a ground point off of the red/black wire you pick up 6.3V Ignition switch 'Off'---- 6.3V to ignition switch yellow wire Unhook the two wires at the switch and I get 6.4V to the yellow wire (power feed?) and 6.4V to the red/black tracer (to coil) I get the same 6.4V when I touch both of these wires unhooked from the switch and when I check both against a ground point on the body?? I checked the two terminals on the back of the Ign. Switch for resistance against each other, wires unhooked, and get 0.0 Ohms. Is it my Ignition switch?? I'm getting power to the coil and it's not getting to the distributor. I also switched out the coil wires with a different, known good one, and still the same results. Thanks for any advice, it has to be something simple and I'm missing it somehow. I'm not one to just start throwing parts at the truck I want to know what happened Trying to learn here,, as Flatheads are still new to me I've been a Model A guy for 49 years! They seem simpler to keep on the road than a flattie. Also, how do you change that keyed switch on the steering column ( this is the one I've been calling the Ignition Switch, has the little lever above the key 'On' -'Off'. Like I said the truck cranks like crazy, starting circuit has to be fine. It has a push button starter on the dash not using the original foot operated switch. I got froggy and thought I'd run a jumper across the two wires I took off the switch, didn't make any difference I just wanted to see if I by-passed the switch if it would start. Left that wire on for less than 8 seconds or so got real hot real fast That's when I decided THAT was not a good idea!