The Ford Barn

smross · 04-30-2015, 07:43 PM

I took my '37 Coupe for a drive Saturday afternoon and about two miles from my house the engine died while I was driving it. I tried starting it and it felt like it wanted to catch but it never did. Ultimately, the engine just spun and spun and it wasn't even close to wanting to start. Good Samaritans came along and we put five gallons of gas in the tank (gas gauge does not work). No difference. I sat for 1.5 hours waiting for the flatbed to bring it home and I periodically would try to start it. Again, it would turn over fine but there wasn't a hint of it wanting to start. Since I had no tools with me (lesson learned) I couldn't tell if the electric fuel pump was actually pumping although you could hear it, and I couldn't tell if I had spark. For the record, there wasn't even a hint of gas smell under the hood which was odd as I was trying to start it with choke, without choke, gas pedal to the floor, no gas pedal, etc. The flatbed towed it home and I've been too busy to delve into it until this evening. Just for laughs I tried to start it and it ran as though nothing had ever happened. Then I thought about a locking gas cap that I recently purchased and installed and I wondered if it was vented and if that caused it to stall. I ran the car for a good twenty minutes with the locking gas cap installed and it appears that was not the problem as the car did not die. I also reached under the car to feel if the fuel pump was hot and it was not. Since it was getting dark I elected not to take it for a drive fearing it would die again.

Some background info. about the car. It has a 286 inch flathead with twin 97's, a Mallory electronic ignition, the aforementioned electric fuel pump which runs full time through a regulator set at 3psi, a thermostatically controlled fan and a Powergen alternator. The car has been converted to 12V and it has a new battery.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Regards,

Steve Ross

Don · 04-30-2015, 08:51 PM

Had this problem with a stripped timing gear.might not be your problem since it started next day.

51504bat · 04-30-2015, 09:38 PM

Coil? Gets hot and quits working, cools down and it fires right up. Just a thought.

Lawson Cox · 04-30-2015, 10:07 PM

Bad condenser will present same symptoms.

BrianCT · 05-01-2015, 08:28 AM

Did you try priming the carb when they brought you the gas?
Otherwise it sounds like heat related electrical problem.
Where is that great looking diner?

TJ · 05-01-2015, 08:53 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Are you running a ballast resistor to the coil? That symptom can be indicative of a bad resistor.

Paul Selfe · 05-01-2015, 09:17 AM

Are you still using the original ignition switch? If so, check the connections on the back. I had a similar problem with a loose connection. A little bouncing on the flatbed may have snugged it back up. Paul Selfe.

Steves46 · 05-01-2015, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smross

For the record, there wasn't even a hint of gas smell under the hood which was odd as I was trying to start it with choke, without choke, gas pedal to the floor, no gas pedal, etc.
Regards,

Steve Ross

Steve, this may be a long shot but since you were not getting any whiffs of fuel, you may want to double check your flex hose connection and any other fuel line related connections. Steve

smross · 05-01-2015, 11:37 AM

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like we're leaning towards ignition problems.

I'm bringing the car to Tommy Caruso's shop tomorrow. He's in Tyngsboro,MA and I hear he is the Flathead Guru in this area. I mentioned that the car has a Mallory electronic ignition and he said that he's had more problems with Mallory than he cares to remember. He strongly recommended going back to a points ignition. Has anyone here had problems with the Mallory electronic ignition set ups? Are there any other electronic ignitions that are any good? I'd prefer not to go with points as, frankly, they look like they would be a pain to set given their location on the front of the engine.

smross · 05-01-2015, 11:49 AM

I forgot to mention that the Salem Diner is on Loring Av. in Salem, MA.
It's on the National Historic Register and it's one of two Sterling Streamliner dining cars left in MA. It is still in operation as far as I know.
I should also mention that the photograph was taken by a gentleman named Martyn Goddard who is a highly regarded motoring photographer. The previous owner was a friend of his and Mr. Goddard took a bunch of beautiful pics of the car.

V8COOPMAN · 05-01-2015, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smross

I'd prefer not to go with points as, frankly, they look like they would be a pain to set given their location on the front of the engine.

I believe in an earlier post, you alluded to the fact that your engine is a 59-type. The distributor is kind of "buried" down on the front. Nobody tries to set points with the distributor on the engine. The distributors come off (and re-install) very easily, and are designed to be serviced on the bench. Set-up and serviced correctly, they're extremely reliable. DD

BrianCT · 05-01-2015, 03:20 PM

Thank you for the info on the diner.
If you do go back to points the crab type is the easiest to service.
Most of us only put on a few thousand miles a year so you don't have to
deal with it very often.

scooder · 05-01-2015, 05:28 PM

They maybe a "pain" to set up, not really bad, as mentioned above, you tug the ignition off, do the necessary, and plop it back on.
You gota remember years before the electronic ignitions existed motor vehicles clocked up millions upon millions of miles with a set of points. There only real weakness is terrible quality condensers commonly sold for these. Folks have found though there are still good ones out there, just get the good stuff.
And just imagine, with a stock front mount flathead ignition fitted, your engine will actually have an ignition with a flathead curve in it!
You stated no gas smell at all after all your attempts to fire him up. I'm sure you would have smelt gas if it was at the carb. Don't rule out gas as the issue.
Running the car at idle for twenty minutes don't replicate driving it.
See what your man finds, and let us know. I do agree with him about your ignition, I've worked on thoes Mallory chaps, recurving them, I wouldn't fit one on my stuff, the stock Ford distributors are far superior.
Martin.

04-30-2015, 07:43 PM	#1
smross Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 17	Mystery Stall I took my '37 Coupe for a drive Saturday afternoon and about two miles from my house the engine died while I was driving it. I tried starting it and it felt like it wanted to catch but it never did. Ultimately, the engine just spun and spun and it wasn't even close to wanting to start. Good Samaritans came along and we put five gallons of gas in the tank (gas gauge does not work). No difference. I sat for 1.5 hours waiting for the flatbed to bring it home and I periodically would try to start it. Again, it would turn over fine but there wasn't a hint of it wanting to start. Since I had no tools with me (lesson learned) I couldn't tell if the electric fuel pump was actually pumping although you could hear it, and I couldn't tell if I had spark. For the record, there wasn't even a hint of gas smell under the hood which was odd as I was trying to start it with choke, without choke, gas pedal to the floor, no gas pedal, etc. The flatbed towed it home and I've been too busy to delve into it until this evening. Just for laughs I tried to start it and it ran as though nothing had ever happened. Then I thought about a locking gas cap that I recently purchased and installed and I wondered if it was vented and if that caused it to stall. I ran the car for a good twenty minutes with the locking gas cap installed and it appears that was not the problem as the car did not die. I also reached under the car to feel if the fuel pump was hot and it was not. Since it was getting dark I elected not to take it for a drive fearing it would die again. Some background info. about the car. It has a 286 inch flathead with twin 97's, a Mallory electronic ignition, the aforementioned electric fuel pump which runs full time through a regulator set at 3psi, a thermostatically controlled fan and a Powergen alternator. The car has been converted to 12V and it has a new battery. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Regards, Steve Ross

04-30-2015, 08:51 PM	#2
Don Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ashland KY Posts: 1,159	Re: Mystery Stall Had this problem with a stripped timing gear.might not be your problem since it started next day. __________________ DON P

04-30-2015, 09:38 PM	#3
51504bat Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: SoCal-Redlands Posts: 3,024	Re: Mystery Stall Coil? Gets hot and quits working, cools down and it fires right up. Just a thought. __________________ Making the simple complicated for over 30 years.

04-30-2015, 10:07 PM	#4
Lawson Cox Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Above the gnat line in Georgia Posts: 7,009	Re: Mystery Stall Bad condenser will present same symptoms. __________________ Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end, the faster it goes. It is better to be seen, than viewed. "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm".

05-01-2015, 08:28 AM	#5
BrianCT Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Windham, CT Posts: 702	Re: Mystery Stall Did you try priming the carb when they brought you the gas? Otherwise it sounds like heat related electrical problem. Where is that great looking diner? __________________ [FONT=Comic Sans MS]

05-01-2015, 08:53 AM	#6
TJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Napa,California Posts: 6,037	Re: Mystery Stall Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Are you running a ballast resistor to the coil? That symptom can be indicative of a bad resistor.

05-01-2015, 09:17 AM	#7
Paul Selfe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Novelty, Ohio Posts: 136	Re: Mystery Stall Are you still using the original ignition switch? If so, check the connections on the back. I had a similar problem with a loose connection. A little bouncing on the flatbed may have snugged it back up. Paul Selfe.

05-01-2015, 11:37 AM	#9
smross Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 17	Re: Mystery Stall Thanks for all the replies. It looks like we're leaning towards ignition problems. I'm bringing the car to Tommy Caruso's shop tomorrow. He's in Tyngsboro,MA and I hear he is the Flathead Guru in this area. I mentioned that the car has a Mallory electronic ignition and he said that he's had more problems with Mallory than he cares to remember. He strongly recommended going back to a points ignition. Has anyone here had problems with the Mallory electronic ignition set ups? Are there any other electronic ignitions that are any good? I'd prefer not to go with points as, frankly, they look like they would be a pain to set given their location on the front of the engine.

05-01-2015, 11:49 AM	#10
smross Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 17	Re: Mystery Stall I forgot to mention that the Salem Diner is on Loring Av. in Salem, MA. It's on the National Historic Register and it's one of two Sterling Streamliner dining cars left in MA. It is still in operation as far as I know. I should also mention that the photograph was taken by a gentleman named Martyn Goddard who is a highly regarded motoring photographer. The previous owner was a friend of his and Mr. Goddard took a bunch of beautiful pics of the car.

05-01-2015, 03:20 PM	#12
BrianCT Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Windham, CT Posts: 702	Re: Mystery Stall Thank you for the info on the diner. If you do go back to points the crab type is the easiest to service. Most of us only put on a few thousand miles a year so you don't have to deal with it very often. __________________ [FONT=Comic Sans MS]

05-01-2015, 05:28 PM	#13
scooder Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,593	Re: Mystery Stall They maybe a "pain" to set up, not really bad, as mentioned above, you tug the ignition off, do the necessary, and plop it back on. You gota remember years before the electronic ignitions existed motor vehicles clocked up millions upon millions of miles with a set of points. There only real weakness is terrible quality condensers commonly sold for these. Folks have found though there are still good ones out there, just get the good stuff. And just imagine, with a stock front mount flathead ignition fitted, your engine will actually have an ignition with a flathead curve in it! You stated no gas smell at all after all your attempts to fire him up. I'm sure you would have smelt gas if it was at the carb. Don't rule out gas as the issue. Running the car at idle for twenty minutes don't replicate driving it. See what your man finds, and let us know. I do agree with him about your ignition, I've worked on thoes Mallory chaps, recurving them, I wouldn't fit one on my stuff, the stock Ford distributors are far superior. Martin.