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Old 10-28-2019, 12:21 PM   #1
30aadoodlebug
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Default Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

Fortunately this is not my car, but a car a friend just bought (Which I advised against.)

The car ran one week ago when my friend went to look at the vehicle. I use that term loosely. Ran for four minutes and then died.

The car was running with the battery changed to negative ground. That was so the original owner could run an electric fuel pump.

It doesn't run now. The distributor is wired 180 degrees backwards. The car goes to start, but as soon as she fires there is a large clunk from the front of the engine and she dies. Im rewiring the car back to the original firing order today, but that hard clunk and then no tart has me pretty worried.

Also, it is not an 8ba, but a 52-53 EAB.

Thanks in advance gents
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Old 10-28-2019, 06:11 PM   #2
corvette8n
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Default Re: Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

Is it 12 volt?, or 6 volt negative ground. You will need to get the wiring straightened out, does it really need the electric pump to run? If not leave it out of the equation for now. Make sure coil is correct and working, points set and Condensor replaced. Once you get that going then work on the fuel.
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Old 10-28-2019, 06:54 PM   #3
34PKUP
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Default Re: Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

Quote:
Originally Posted by 30aadoodlebug View Post

It doesn't run now. The distributor is wired 180 degrees backwards. The car goes to start, but as soon as she fires there is a large clunk from the front of the engine and she dies. Im rewiring the car back to the original firing order today, but that hard clunk and then no tart has me pretty worried.

Also, it is not an 8ba, but a 52-53 EAB.

Thanks in advance gents
If the picture you show is after correcting, at least the passenger side appears to be wired correctly.
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Old 10-28-2019, 07:14 PM   #4
tubman
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Default Re: Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

You do realize don't you, that Ford flathead cylinders are numbered differently than most other V8 engines. Where the others have even numbered cylinders on one side and odd numbered cylinders on the other, Ford flatheads are numbered 1-2-3-4 from front to back on the passenger (distributor) side, and 5-6-7-8 on the other.

I have helped several flathead guys over the years who had wired their cars with the wrong cylinder numbering.
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Old 10-28-2019, 10:13 PM   #5
slowforty
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Default Re: Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

For the fuel pump,with positive ground, just reverse the wires.
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Old 12-02-2019, 12:07 PM   #6
30aadoodlebug
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Default Re: Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

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Hey All,

Sorry for such the delayed response on my end. Yes, I know the proper firing order of flat heads. My friend and I have done some work to the car recently, and the only time the car fired was while checking for spark with the number 2 plug out of the head checking for ground. Could a stuck cutout or shorted out generator cause the car to not fire?

Thanks for all the help!
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Old 12-02-2019, 01:16 PM   #7
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Default Re: Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

That "clunk" could be the distributor. I would pull it and take a look at the gears.
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Old 12-02-2019, 04:09 PM   #8
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Default Re: Basket Case 50 Club Coupe

Do not crank the engine with the distributor removed.
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