1937 Ignition Help

[don's 37]

Just your thoughts on this. Last year I started my 1937 Ford 85 HP engine for the first time but had problems starting it. I had gas and I had some spark but it was faint and hard to see. As it turns out I flooded it and that's why it wouldn't start. This past weekend after one full year I tried starting it again but again wouldn't start. I have gas but now no spark. Could my faint spark jump across the plugs electrodes I had last year something to do with it? I would think the spark would be bright and probably should hear it arch across the electrodes?

 

[rotorwrench]

My first guess on the ignition side is the condenser. Battery condition and condition of positive ground post are other things that time will ravage. The modern gas is unstable after 6-months so make sure you have a good fuel supply too.

Kerby

 

[gmc1941]

Too bad your distributor isn't in a postion so you could see if the points are opening and closing. Check to see if you have voltage at the coil with the ignition on. I don't know how your hearing is but when your turning over the engine it's hard to hear the spark, at least for me it is. I just hope you didn't leave the ignition on and did a little welding. Good luck

 

[jimTN]

For one that has been setting a while, points are probabily coated. Pull the caps, remove your vac advance line and hot wire and remove the dist where you can get to the points. Dress them with some very fine sandpaper and clean them with paper run thru them. you can actually check the dist and coil out off the car by using a batt charger, + grounded to the dist and - to the coil terminal. Turn the dist tang and run a screwdriver in to to the rotor to see what kind of spark you are getting. If you know someone with a dist machine, that is the very best way to set your dist up.