Engine died and won't start....

Lebowski

Lebowski

Member
I thought I would take the Model A for a drive this afternoon but after driving up the street about 100 yards the engine died and wouldn't restart. It was on a hill so I coasted back into my driveway where it sits now. The engine cranks with plenty of juice but won't start. The gas tank is 3/4 full so that's not the problem. Any suggestions in lay man's terms as to what I need to do to get it started? Thanks in advance.... :confused:
 
Remove the coil wire with the switch turned on and spin the engine over to see if there is spark. If not, check to see the condition of the dist. points.

With as little info as you gave, it could be one of many ailments.
 
Lebowski said:
The gas valve is on. I'm not quite that stupid....
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IF your going to ask for help then expect LOGICAL ANSWERS.. one of the most common mistakes is forgetting to turn that on......Dont be so sarcastic at the start when you new and asking for help.
 
The most seasoned model A guys forget to turn the valve on but usually figure it out pretty quickly.
Ck what the others said spark, points, clean points, blown fuse if applicable, fuel flow, rotor turning and report back nicely please :D lol
 
Fuel valve, no vent on the gas cap, really weak condensor or coil, keyswitch not fully in the on position are ones I usually start with :)

Let us know if any of these help, and good luck.. And yes, I have owned A's for many years, and the fuel shutoff does get all of us at one time or another..

Best Regards,

Dave in Boise
 
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. The bad news is now when I press the starter button nothing happens. Earlier it would crank over with plenty of juice but now nothing. The good news is my neighbor was riding by on his ATV and I got out a tow strap and he pulled me up into the garage so at least it's inside now. Could the starter button not working have anything to do with the other problem of it cranking over but not starting? I would really like to find someone in the Louisville area who knows Model A's to come over and take a look at it because my mechanical skills are somewhere between slim and none. Thanks again....
 
First, rock the car with it in 3rd gear and see if the engine will turn. If it doesn't rock it hard till it does. This will happen when you rock it backwards. Second, just because the tank is full doesn't mean the carb is. Disconnect the fuel line at the carb and let a quart of gas run into a container. If it doesn't run a full flow to a full quart, blow back into the line and try it again. If this helps, your tank needs flushing. Third, forgetting the fuel valve is not stupid. I bet most here have and more than once. Wait till you forget the switch on :eek:.
 
Lebowski said:
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. The bad news is now when I press the starter button nothing happens. Earlier it would crank over with plenty of juice but now nothing. The good news is my neighbor was riding by on his ATV and I got out a tow strap and he pulled me up into the garage so at least it's inside now. Could the starter button not working have anything to do with the other problem of it cranking over but not starting? I would really like to find someone in the Louisville area who knows Model A's to come over and take a look at it because my mechanical skills are somewhere between slim and none. Thanks again....
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I think your Avatar tells it all :rolleyes:.
And again, good luck :p.
 
Pretty good way to test the WHOLE fuel system flow: Remove the plug under the carb, set a bucket on the floor, turn on the gas & watch it flow for awhile. If it finally fizzles out, then go back up through the system to find the CULPRIT! (Try loosening the gas cap first) Bill W.
 
I almost always would pull the coil wire and check for spark first, but a good quick check for fuel is to crank the engine a couple revs with the choke pulled. If fuel drips or runs out the carb then you should at least get pops, if not a short start. If fuel doesn't drip or run out, then you have a fuel flow problem and could proceed as Bill just posted.
 
Does anyone know of a Model A owner in the Louisville area who might want to take a look at my car and fix it for me? I would be glad to pay them for their trouble....
 
I had the exact same problem with my 31 (Walter) I hadn't started him in a bit so went out on Saturday. One bump of the starter and up he started. I let him set idling for a while then backed him up so as to clean the driveway underneath. As I went to pull him back up as I set in the seat , Walter just died. Had to push him back in place. After reading your post I fiddled with the point gap and he started. I've had this trouble before. I don't know what to do I can't seam to get the point gap to stay. After a bit of running time the gap works open. I've tightened down the point hold down screw.
 
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