Starter bogs down when coil wire attached to distributor

D

don12345

Junior Member
I have installed a new Burtz Block engine in my Model A, including a new distributor. I have not been able to get the car started and running. The starter motor will turn the engine over fine as long as the ignition is switched off. It will turn the engine over fine with the ignition on and the coil wire off the distributor. However, when I attach the coil wire, the starter motor boggs down, indicating a very heavy curren draw, and will barely crank past one or two compression strokes. There is a smell (possibly sulfur) after these cranking attempts.


I checked the Les Andrews diagnostics for the distributor circuit and coil, and I could not find any evidence of a short. I am going to double check to make sure that the timing dimple coincides with top dead center just to make sure that part of the engine assembly was done properly, but it would be very surprising to find the problem there because the engine was run in before delivery.


The starter motor worked fine on the old engine. Battery is new and fully charged. It just feels like that the load on the starter goes up 30-50% when I attach that coil wire.



Any advice or ideas would be very much appreciated.
 
Hello, perhaps wire around the whole amp, and ignition switch, I have a emergency set up that I can use for break down, remove the ignition cable from distributor and screw in the one Snyders sell and have a separate coil to wire to, so not standing by side of road taking car apart, hope this helps.Sounds like a serious short someplace.
 
Another thing is change starter, with the new engine may have more of a load but you mentioned it turned over until ignition is on. Hopefully get some more answers on this.
 
Timing too advanced. Have someone turn the distributer while you crank on it. You'll see things pick up quickly.
 
What does the ammeter tell you when you hook up the coil? Make sure that you have the ignition wiring set up to show discharge when the ignition is on. The wire leading to the coil should be on the opposite of the ammeter than the one going to the battery.

I am also of the opinion that the ignition is too far advanced. The points should just be opening when the piston is at top dead center. To bypass the pin in the dimple, take the plug out of #1 cylinder and peek in to see the piston rise and stop at the top. Make sure you're at the top of the compression stroke for #1 cylinder and not the top of the exhaust stroke by also peeking at the valves to make sure neither are open.
 
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How do you explain the smell?
What does the ampmeter say when you hook up the wire and turn on the ignition without pressing the starter? Make sure your points are closed.
 
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