Sorry, I think I started a new post. We got the tank out in March and had it cleaned out. The company that did it did not recommend sealing it. We finally have it back in (life has been busy this year) and now it won’t start. We had the distributor out and maybe I didn’t put it back correctly. I will say it did run for about a minute, but now won’t start. The carburetor just leaks gas. I haven’t checked yet to see if I have spark. One thing, though….how does the distributor work? Why is there voltage from the key and also from the coil? I understand the coil, but the other baffles me and I’ve been around old cars all my life.
Gas Tank Removal
- Thread starter CatMan1
- Start date
Big hammer
Well-known member
Very common to screw the armored cable into the distributor too far , back it out a couple of turns , with the points opened you should have battery voltage at the movable point , key switch on .
In order to turn the cable out a couple turns I have to take the distributor back out, correct?
Fullraceflathead
Well-known member
No, you should be able to unscrew the cable 1 or 2 turns with the distributor in place.
That is the easiest way to unscrew the cable, but as Flathead suggests you might be able to do so with the distributor installed. To do it that way you will need to rotate the entire cable assembly, which I find extremely difficult, especially with the cable secured under the head nut and the wire routed back into the instrument panel.
With the cable out and the distributor my hand, I put a small dot of paint on the top of the cable housing. That way you have a reference mark as you screw the cable in prior to inserting the distributor into the head. 2-3 full turns should do it.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
The great thing about the model A type distributor is that it only installs one way. Once in, the only two adjustments are the spark control to full retard and the breaker cam turned to just open the points. This is all with the engine rotated to TDC with compression on the #1 cylinder. The timing pin should fit into the dimple on the timing gear through the hole provided there. The dimple is shallow in the gear and sometimes hard to detect but it should be there.
One side of the coil is generally connected to the terminal box power all the time but it depends on what type of ignition switch you have. The Electro-lock OEM type switch opens and closes the ground line to the distributor breaker points. If it has a modern switch it could be different. Some connect to the power in to the coil and some keep it on the breaker side between coil and the breaker points. The only time the coil is fully activated, is when the switch is on and the breaker points are closed. The breaker interrupts the circuit to collapse the magnetic field in the coil and cause a high tension discharge to the distributor and spark plug.
One side of the coil is generally connected to the terminal box power all the time but it depends on what type of ignition switch you have. The Electro-lock OEM type switch opens and closes the ground line to the distributor breaker points. If it has a modern switch it could be different. Some connect to the power in to the coil and some keep it on the breaker side between coil and the breaker points. The only time the coil is fully activated, is when the switch is on and the breaker points are closed. The breaker interrupts the circuit to collapse the magnetic field in the coil and cause a high tension discharge to the distributor and spark plug.
How would I know if the spark lever is adjusted properly?
Les Andrews' Red book has a section on how to properly time an engine.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
The spark lever is all the way up for full retard. If that's where the points open with the rotor master keyway in the breaker cam pointing at the #1 spark plug inner cap electrode then it should be in time. The engine has to be started at full retard to prevent kick back. Once it's started, the spark can be advanced a few notches for a good idle speed. The model A operator's manual (owners manual) has all the info in it. I found a pdf of one on a Google search.
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katy
Well-known member
From the Ford service manual:
1. Fully retard spark lever.
2. Check gap between breaker contact points and if necessary adjust them as described on page 28.
3. Screw out timing pin located in timing gear cover (see Fig. 10) and insert opposite end of pin into opening.
4. With the starting crank turn the engine over slowly, at the same time pressing in firmly on the timing pin. When the piston reaches the end of the compression stroke the timing pin will slip into a small depression in the camshaft gear.
5. With the pin in place, remove the distributor cover and lift off rotor and distributor body.
6. Loosen cam locking screw until cam can be turned.
7. Replace rotor and turn it until the rotor arm is opposite No. 1 contact point in distributor head.
8. Withdraw rotor from cam and slightly turn the cam in a counter clockwise direction until the breaker points just start to open, then securely tighten cam locking screw.
9. Replace rotor and distributor cover.
10. Withdraw timing pin from depression in time gear and screw it back tightly into the timing gear cover.
HTH
1. Fully retard spark lever.
2. Check gap between breaker contact points and if necessary adjust them as described on page 28.
3. Screw out timing pin located in timing gear cover (see Fig. 10) and insert opposite end of pin into opening.
4. With the starting crank turn the engine over slowly, at the same time pressing in firmly on the timing pin. When the piston reaches the end of the compression stroke the timing pin will slip into a small depression in the camshaft gear.
5. With the pin in place, remove the distributor cover and lift off rotor and distributor body.
6. Loosen cam locking screw until cam can be turned.
7. Replace rotor and turn it until the rotor arm is opposite No. 1 contact point in distributor head.
8. Withdraw rotor from cam and slightly turn the cam in a counter clockwise direction until the breaker points just start to open, then securely tighten cam locking screw.
9. Replace rotor and distributor cover.
10. Withdraw timing pin from depression in time gear and screw it back tightly into the timing gear cover.
HTH
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
IMO, you are searching down the wrong street. If the Engine will start and run for about a minute, then I seriously doubt the Ignition Timing is the issue.
It seems more plausible to me that you are having fuel delivery issues. A Carburetor can have enough fuel delivered to it where it will start once the bowl is full, ...however if the fuel flow rate into the Carburetor is very small, it may only run for about 30 seconds before the Carburetor bowl runs dry causing the Engine to stop. The fuel leakage at the Carburetor could be from rust/trash under the Float Valve Needle, -or it may be fuel falling from the Intake when the engine has stopped. This diagnosis would be determined by how much fuel is actually leaking.
It is unfortunate that the company gave you advice not to seal the inside of the tank. Think about it like this. If we find a rusty Fender behind the Barn, we can bring it to the Garage and use a pressure washer and some chemicals to remove most of the surface rust, ...however, if we do not use any type of paint/coating to seal the Fender, isn't it plausible that we will see new rust forming again in a short period of time? If so, what has been gained by what the company did??
Big hammer
Well-known member
BTT Catman 1 got it running ! Points gap was .050 , enjoy the remainder of the driving season !