Darn thing won't start...

[Rocketdog1]

Hey all, need a hand with some troubleshooting.

'31 SW TS with stock engine setup.

It's been some time since I tried to start the A (a couple of years), and I'm having a hell of a time. Feel free to scold me for not driving her for so long....unforgivable, I know.

Initially I thought that I'd just flooded it, since we could smell gas and the Tilly was seeping just a bit where she always does. So I went and had a frosty beverage and tried again aout 30 minutes later - no dice. Hmm....

So here's where I'm at:

She turns over just fine - no issues there.
It appears that fuel isn't an issues either.
This leaves us hunting for spark.

Key on, points closed, coil wire 1/4" from a head bolt - open points with a screwdriver and we get spark to the head bolt. Seems like this is how it should be - correct me if I'm mistaken.

Point gap seems fine - haven't touched them since I parked the car and it ran fine at that point, though I guess I could double check them for drill.

Only oddity that I could find is that the ammeter doesn't move - period. No twitch when I turn the key on. No wiggle when I turn the engine over. I know it's been a while but it seems like that thing should be moving at least a little bit.

I'm scratching my head on this one, so I fugured it was time to call in the experts.

Any help/advice provided is greatly appreciated.

[Gary WA]

Clean the points?Plugs clean?

[Rocketdog1]

Not as of yet, but one would think it would at least pop and fart a little bit here and there even if the points/plugs were dirty.

Visually, they looked OK.

But thanks for the input.

[J Franklin]

Clean or replace the points. Your assumption is faulty.

[Rob Doe]

"Only oddity that I could find is that the ammeter doesn't move - period. No twitch when I turn the key on. No wiggle when I turn the engine over. I know it's been a while but it seems like that thing should be moving at least a little bit"

Are you certain the car is wired for the ammeter twitch?

On 6 volt, positive ground systems, the black wire from the terminal box to the - Neg side of the coil must be sourced at the yellow / black stripe terminal inside the terminal box for the primary ignition function to display on the ammeter when energizing the starter.

[stevemclark]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Last time that happened I went 1.5 miles to get gas ,ran fine then when I finished pumping gas it would crank fine and fire ,start then dead. I ended up towing home 1.5 miles for $150 after waiting four hours, insurance is important for $10 a year. It was the condenser,I had some extras and they were all bad.I went this way.A-12102-B Rebuilt Distributor With Electronic Ignition Installed- 6 Volt. $290 made from a stock rebuilt housing so it looks the same and keeps the manual advance,got keep something of the old girl. From Burt's.

[Rob Doe]

Even if the car starts after cleaning the points and resetting the gap to .018 - .022, clean the cable connections at the battery, the starter stud and frame. Clean bright metal. Charge the battery if not already done.

Combined with 2 year old gas, it is possible that cranking with the starter is lowering the system voltage enough to create a weak secondary spark and thus a no-start. Under such conditions, sometimes the car can be started with the hand crank but not while using the starter.

I've experienced a similar condition, once. I had shut the car down and when I tried to restart after several minutes, it would not start. At the time, I was not smart enough to try the hand crank. I had cleaned my grounds recently, but not the cable at the starter stud. (Duh) After cleaning the starter stud, I barely touched the starter button and the car was running.

Good luck. Hope these responses help.

[nkaminar]

Drain gas tank. Drain carburetor. Put in fresh gasoline. Clean points with fine wet and dry sandpaper, 220 grit or finer. Check points conductivity after cleaning as some grit can get caught between the points. If that is the case, clean with some paper. Check points gap. Check spark at plugs by having straps arranged with a gap at distributor housing. Clean and gap plugs. Check compression by hand cranking engine. Disassemble carburetor and clean with the spray cleaner. No need to take it completely apart, just make sure all passages and jets are clear.

The ammeter may not register current drain to ignition. Early cars were wired so that it did not register. Or it may be that it is showing a fault.

[Planojc]

I vote for cleaning the points.

[Big hammer]

Can’t add a thing except get out and do what’s been said!

[Bob Bidonde]

Condensers degrade over time and so to do ground connections.

[Patrick L.]

All, well, some of the above. Plus, squirt a little oil in the dry cylinders.

[katy]

Drain gas tank. Drain carburetor. Put in fresh gasoline.

Ditto, "a couple of years" old gas doesn't ignite the same as fresh gas. Don't ask how I know.

[burner31]

Do you have a fuse by chance, a lot of times they are on/near the starter

[CT Jack]

Lots of good pointers on required maintenance that should be performed. If you want to get it running quickly Bob Bidonde's suggestion to change the condenser is probably the fix.

[midgetracer]

When you open and close the points with a screwdriver, the screwdriver can become the contact area instead of the points. Try using something non conductive instead of the screwdriver and see if you still get spark at the coil wire. I think the points have a coating on them... something common after sitting for extended periods.

[JayJay]

I’m with nkaminar and Katy - drain and replenish fuel, then clean up the points and go from there. Today’s crappy corn fuel just doesn’t age well. I’ve had this issue…

[poweredbylincoln]

Is it a 6 or 12 volt?

[Rocketdog1]

There's a reason I love this forum..... you guys rock!

So, I didn't drain the gas or mess with the carb - FWIW I only use non-ethanol fuel because I know it may sit for periods of time, and we all know what happens when corn fuel sits. (only use it in ALL of my small engines as well...).

Cleaned the plugs, found TDC on #1, cleaned points, reset point gap, reset timing, charged the battery, and.....

VROOOM!

Fired up after about 2 revolutions, just like days of old.

I think, after farting around with it, that the distributor cam bolt was loose and the distributor cam had slipped. Should've caught that sooner I guess.

With that said, we're back in business and THANK YOU to everyone who threw in their thoughts and ideas.

[chap52]

Good job all around. Thanks for the update. We ALL have those head scratching adventures... Chap