Help..trying to get a 31 Phaeton going again

T

TJSHOW

Junior Member
Helping out a neighbor with his 31 Phaeton. Had not been started in over a year. Got it started this evening, ran fine for 15 minutes. I cut off. Started again fine. Did this four to five times. Last time, ran about a minute and cut off. No sputter...just cut off like someone flipped a switch. Can't get it to restart or fire. Really appreciate any suggestions.
 
I pulled the carb and made sure float was good. I'll check for flow to it. Just puzzles me when it died...it died. No stumble like it was starving. I have a '29 and had issues with the wire on the bottom of the dist. plate. Checked that and it appears good on the 31.
 
Check the nuts in the junction box. You can lose connection if the nuts are not tight. I had your issue some time ago. I found the nuts snug but not tight. Tightened them up and good to go.
 
Dick M said:
Check the nuts in the junction box. You can lose connection if the nuts are not tight. I had your issue some time ago. I found the nuts snug but not tight. Tightened them up and good to go.
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Check the connections on the back of the ammeter also.

Good luck - Jm
 
Out of gas? Valve open? Flow at carb drain?

Push car out of garage. Key off, choke the carb for several compressions...pull a couple plugs and see if they're wet and smelly?

When it won't start, is the Henry Jiggle showing on the ammeter? (the primary ignition circuit function) And does it usually show? If it usually shows, and isn't, the problem is in the primary and if it is check the secondary... coil wire to a head nut. Should be consistent and blue-ish.

If the starter is dragging, low battery voltage, try hand crank? Clean ground connections, clean bright metal at the battery and the cross member.
 
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Lift a spark plug strap and bend/position it so its got about a 1/4 inch gap to the top of the plug. Then turn it over, you state its got a hot blue spark but this way you know its getting to the plug, checking at the coil isn't testing the rotor/cap. Put your hand over the carb while cranking, you should get some serious gas in the carb throat. As stated above, pull the gas cap off to vent the tank well. Once you get it running, keep an eye on the gap to the spark plug, it should keep up a nice hot spark.
 
I had a similar problem with one of those after market ignition switches - the kind with two terminals at the back and no armoured cable. The end cap at the back where the terminals are was lose in the die cast housing - the swage was not tight. Putting pressure on the terminals gave a reliable connection so I held pressure there while I forced in some epoxy putty around the edge of the lose cover. Once it had cured, I had a reliable switch that is still there many tens of thousands of miles later but boy oh boy, did it give me grief till I found the $%^&
 
I have a friend who's A did the same thing. Turned out to be the seal stuck on the gas cap. As soon as he opened it he heard it stuck air. It started fine after that.
 
Ayers1 said:
I have a friend who's A did the same thing. Turned out to be the seal stuck on the gas cap. As soon as he opened it he heard it stuck air. It started fine after that.
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Yes, I've seen the little vent hole in the bottom of the cap rust up (probably from condensation in the tank and sitting for a long time). Doesn't have to be closed off completely as even a slight reduction in area can affect the fuel flow
Try running it with out the cap and see if the problem goes away
 
Clean between the points with clean paper (an envelope seems thick enough) to remove possible oxidation, but I'd place my bet on the plugged gas cap.
 
Jump the ampmeter connect both wires to one post . I had a similar problem turned out the ampmeter was faulty .

John in sunny Suffolk County England .
 
I just fixed a 30 that did the same thing. It was a fuel restriction at the firewall sediment bowl. Get it started again and pull the choke rod out to choke it to see if it will keep running. Start checking the gas flow by working your way backwards taking the fuel line off of the carb, then the sediment bowl, and the at the gas tank valve. At one of those locations the gas will stop flowing. I like to remember that most electrical problems are fuel related.
 
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