Engine Hard To Start Question

Mitch//pa said:
take a simple 12volt test light and see if your losing power to the coil when you lose spark.
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I will try this this morning. I did jump the ignition switch yesterday and it made no difference. I know that the ampmeter is not working so I will try jump it this morning as well.

I am begining to lose sleep over this problem.

Thanks for all the help and ideas

Bob
 
Bob Grieb said:
I am begining to lose sleep over this problem.

Thanks for all the help and ideas

Bob
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I hear you Bob, also might check the wire under the dist plate that goes to the points, I had one gounding out. Also I would pickup a model a cap, wires, and rotor (cheap) makes timing easier and looks like a model a.
 
Bob Grieb said:
I will try this this morning. I did jump the ignition switch yesterday and it made no difference. I know that the ampmeter is not working so I will try jump it this morning as well.

I am begining to lose sleep over this problem.

Thanks for all the help and ideas

Bob
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The easiest way to jump the amp guage is to just jump across the two wingnuts on the terminal box cover. Of course, the connections under the terminal box lid still must be clean and tight for this jump to work.
 
I do not think you are going to believe this but after trying all the suggestions related to spark and having no success I opened the carburetor. You may remember that I had it rebuilt and had returned it once and was I told that the float had a leak. When I opened it this morning I found that the venturi was broke into two pieces and when reassembling the halves they double gasketed the mating surfaces and applied a blob of silicon on the two halves in hope of sealing the venture. Needless to say the silicon was not gas resistant and I have little pieces of silicon floating in the carburetor, not to mention that the venturi is non functional.

I have contacted the rebuilder this morning and he has been apologetic and vowed to get back to me in the next few hours.

&#^%)@##*
 
Except for the 1928 double venturi, they are cheap and there's no reason to try to use a broken one. I'd rebuild it yourself. That way you know what you have.
 
The effort was not in vain as I now know something about the electrical system and something about a certain carburetor rebuilder.

Thanks to everyone who helped me with the lesson.

Bob
 
yayaaa told ya you would get it mastered. So I guess the saying sticks... Just because it was rebuilt doesn't mean it was rebuilt right!!!
 
Good for you and your tenacity. Big question: are we running yet? Let us know. I've learned a lot from this thread.
Paul in CT
 
1931 flamingo said:
Good for you and your tenacity. Big question: are we running yet? Let us know. I've learned a lot from this thread.
Paul in CT
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Paul - I am not running yet as I have need of a carburetor. I contacted the rebuilder and they were very apologetic and I am shipping the unit back to them but I am trying to get another core that I plan to rebuild myself.

Thanks

Bob
 
A friend came by today with the carburetor off his Model A. My engine was hard to start but it did start and run. The only problem was that it did not accelerate well. When I depress the accelerater it tends to bog down. At least I know the engine will run. Now I need to resolve the accelaration issue. My carburetor should be back early next week and I can continue my project of getting the engine to run. In the meantime I am lookig for another Zenieth core so I can rebuild it myself.

I will keep you posted. Thanks for all the help thus far

Bob
 
Do you have the carb book that Steve Pargetter wrote? It has lots of good information for anyone wanting to work on the carb, and it's very reasonably priced.
 
IrishHills said:
Did you play with the fuel mixture?
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I did but I am not sure it had any effect. Possibly because I am not sure what to do. I started it at about one turn from bottom and move it back and forth about 1/2 turn in both directions. It had little effect.

The engine sounded great and it did not smoke.

I have found and purchased a compression gage that will fit the 7/8 diameter plug hole. I will get it later this week
 
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