39 Deluxe will not start, need help!!!!

[Walter Ezzell]

I am trying to help a lady get her husband's 1939 Deluxe 2 door sedan started that has not been run in over three years. He passed away and she is wanting to get it started in order to sell it. It has 50,000 actual miles and from everything I can see it is all original to the max. I need some help with suggestions on what to try next and I will list what I have done in order to let anyone know what they can suggest. The following has been done: New battery, new ground strap, points were burned so they have been replaced with new, new condensor, new coil, plugs cleaned, rotor checked good with spark plug tester- meaning no shorts or cracks, fuel line from fuel pump to gas line on firewall replaced, I was aable to blow air into line fron firewall to tank, and was able to blow from filler next on rear to front of car, gas was all evaporated so new gas was put in tank, connected wire from battery to coil in case inginition switch was not working, made sure back of distributor and crank shaft notches were aligned. Please know we tried most of all of this before replacing points, coil, condensor. Bottom line there was no fire at plugs. Checked this by holding plug wire from plug and no fire jumped also touched it with hand and felt nothing. Then we replaced points which were burned up bad, condensor, and coil and still no fire. Always been told if no fire were can restore the whole car and it will not make a difference , no fire- no run!!! This car had original script rotor, ford script condensor. I am open to any suggestions on what to do next. I love a challenge but this one is getting the best of me.. We poured gas in carb, used starting fluid but to no avail but as long as we have no spark.... nothing will work. If someone would rather talk about this than type here on the internet please feel free call me at 919-779-6270 or cell 919-247-2374 if I can find it.

[Karl Wolf]

Look at distributor, points corroded or stuck, springs rusted away? Karl

[Frank The Plumber]

Don't do the touched it with your hand part too many times, you'll stop your heart.

[41ford1]

You may have a burnt ballast resistor. Try this, run a jumper from the battery to the coil. Spin it over to see if it starts.

[Jack E/NJ]

Walter wrote>>replaced points>>>condensor, and coil and still no fire>>>
41Ford1 sez>>>run a jumper from the battery to the coil>>>

Walter,
Please try what 41Ford1 said and then report back. Thanks.
Jack E/NJ

[Flathead Fever]

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There was another thread recently about a no start problem. Someone suggested that the points needed to be set with the coil mounted on the distributor because the pressure on the rotor changes the point gap. This solved the guy's problem.

You mentioned that you already bypassed the ignition switch and resistor by running a wire directly from the coil to the battery. This is a positive ground system so the positive battery cable goes to ground and the negative side goes to all the components. I believe the coil's primary wire comes from the negative terminal of the battery. You have to think the opposite on everything electrical. Make sure the battery is hooked up correctly and that you jumped the coil primary wire to the negative side of the battery.

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

It's kind of a no branner, If you have run a jumper from the batt to the coil and there is no sign of a spark, there has got to be something wrong with the dist. Remove the dist and have someone check it out that does them all the time. Like Skip Hanny, Bubba, Ken Conn, ect. It's very rare but I've had a couple of those type dist with the rotor cracked on the inside and the spark went right to ground inside the rotor. Are you sure the rotor is turning, like a stripped timing gear? Walt

[41ford1]

Sorry, Reread you first post. You did try the jumper. I think Walt is on the right track. Have one of the guys he lists check check out the distributer and coil.

[Dave72dt]

How far into the primary ign circuit do you have power? Assuming you have power into the coil, do you have power coming out ot it? Yes, go to the next connection point. If yes, go to the next and so on down the line. Slipping a matchbook cover bewteen the points and unhooking the condenser will test the system all the way to the points. If you can't get the points to arc by opening and closing them by hand, cranking it won't make it work either. Make sure the primary system works before worrying about the secondary.

[Walter Ezzell]

Now this is what Fordbarn is all about. Help coming to my rescue. I will try a few of these things and get back to you all as soon as I know what is going on. I am going to start with another whole complete distributor with completely different internal parts as well as making sure that the points are set with the distributor mounted. I have one of skip's coils and will make sure it gets a try also. Ken thanks for your call as well. I will check all the things you suggested as well.

May be a week before I get back to it but will let you all or as we all say here in NC, I will let all ya'll know how it works out. All Ya'll is plural for you all.

Walter

[lee34]

A couple quick checks. make sure the wire from condenser and the spring from the points along with the wire from the coil are insulated from the distributor.also remember that the coil fires when the points open. If the points are dirty (even new ) or not adjusted where they will close you can not open it It is already open and you only get fire when circuit opens


lee34

[FlatheadTed]

Too, if you turn it over and the Amp gauge flickers then you know the points are opening and shutting ,does 39 have just a bat level indicator?

[flatjack9]

Yes.

[FRANK PKNY]

Flathead fever is right on tract. POSITIVE GROUND. How do you have the battery set up and did you run the negitive post directly to the coil? We must know that. Report back. JMHO

[Walter Ezzell]

I ran the wire from the negative post of the battery to the coil. The positive terminal has a short ground strap top the firewall.

Walter