Doesn't like to run

M

mrfirebird73

Member
I am trying to get a 30 fordor sedan to run. It has a modern style distributor and a tillotson carb. It ran for about 2 minutes and quit. Would not start again after that. Put on an original distributor and it started up and ran for about 3 minutes and quit. It would not start back up again. We tried for about an hour and a half and quit after we noticed the coil was too hot to hold onto. Car is still 6 volt with a generator. What am I overlooking?
 
Duh. If the coil is too hot to hold on to, could that not be the problem. Check to see whether or not there's spark at the plug.

When you fix it, please let us know what solved the problem.
 
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Since the same result happened with both distributors it does seem like a fuel issue.

1. Be sure the gas cap is vented
2. Be sure the carburetor is clean inside, it is possible to suck some debris in the jet and then maybe when it runs out of gas, the debris worked its way back out until it was fired back up again.
3. If you had another distributor, try another known working carburetor if you have one.
4. If the above checks out, think electrical. Check for a good strong spark. Could be the coil going bad and it will deliver a charge until it warms up and then starts to fail. Maybe cooled while you changed the distributor and then started back up again until it got warm again.
 
Had the same problem last week. Chased all king of fuel problems. It turned out to be a bad coil. We realized the problem when a drop of oil fell from the coil. Upon touching coil it was HOT. Put in new coil and now she run purrrrrrectly.
 
Shure sounds like the coil!. I had a cut down 28 tractor that my grand son was playing on, he turned the ignition ON and then walked away from it. I knew that the coil was shot when my wife hollered that the tractor was on fier. the morel is-- dont let the ignition ON if the engine isnt running. If the points happen to be closed, the coil WILL overheat.
 
We took the carb off, took it apart, blew it out, reset the float, put back together and it fired right off and stayed running. The coil is fine and working but the modern style distributor does not want to work right though.
 
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