Hard to turn engine over A ford 1929

G

gimlegule

Junior Member
If I start the car in 2nd gear rolling down a hill instead od using the starter it will start imediatly, If i use the starter it harly turns and the batterycable get hot and start to smoke, I changed the starter and the battery and both battery cables and still it hardly turns over and smoke start to come from starter if i turn let it go to loong, but it still works but slovely just as the other starter that was newly overhauld and used to work perfekt weeks ago. Can it be a exchous valve that doesnt open, so it create to much compression ? its hard to hand crank when the pictons comes up .I thought aboute the bearing on axcle holding the picton rod that they might been to tight, but they are old and not touched, so probely loose instead of tight. any inputs everything have been fine until reasently it got harder and harder to start with the starter motor until almost impossible
 
Sounds like you have a poor connection to the starter and or the ground. Make sure all connections are clean and tight. Also that the cables are the right gauge. If that doesn't help then I would suspect the starter.
 
wmws said:
Sounds like you have a poor connection to the starter and or the ground. Make sure all connections are clean and tight. Also that the cables are the right gauge. If that doesn't help then I would suspect the starter.
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Good advice on all counts! Wayne
 
Take the starter switch apart. I bet there is a short in there. If there is, it should get very hot when you try to start it.
 
Jacksonlll said:
Take the starter switch apart. I bet there is a short in there. If there is, it should get very hot when you try to start it.
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Do you mean thhe switch where the starter key goes ? I just had the car rebuildt to electronic ignition and had to change the pop out key switch with a modern switch made for A ford el ignition. Was driving it for a a few days after that and it worked fine, then it got harder to turn, all battery cables are new and well grounded directly to the starter and tryed 2 startermotors that should be in great shape overhauld and bought new battery, the negativ cable that goes to the starter got hot, then the starter got hot if i keept trying to start, it goes slowly around. can it be a excchause valve stuck closed so that it creates to much compression to start ?
 
I think Jackson means the starter switch on the top of the starter.

It would be tough for a valve to be stuck CLOSED. If so, it would run very rough or not at all.
 
Ok thanks I changed to a starter that was tested to work very well and same thing happend turns slow and gets very hot, I tried hand crank it feels heavy to turn special when compression builds up, but not sure how hard its supose to be turning it over.
 
Pull the spark plugs out and try to turn it over by hand. Also shine a light in those spark plug holes.
 
forever4 said:
It cannot run with a valve closed.
The camshaft and tappet will not allow it.
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I too think we can dismiss the valve stuck closed theory too. If it were to happen, like Forever says, it wouldn't run. Might even break the cam shaft. Nasty!
If a valve is tight enough to get stuck, it will stick OPEN and that will result in no compression on that cylinder.
 
Synchro909 said:
I too think we can dismiss the valve stuck closed theory too. If it were to happen, like Forever says, it wouldn't run. Might even break the cam shaft. Nasty!
If a valve is tight enough to get stuck, it will stick OPEN and that will result in no compression on that cylinder.
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Thanks good to leave out one obtion !
I will try to remove the starter switch on top of the starter and clean it well inside for durt and bad conections as well aas look for anything abnormal withe the switch.
 
Watch the fan when you shut the engine off. It should rock back and forth as the engine stops. If it comes to an abrupt stop, the engine is binding up.
 
Thanks thats a good tip, you guys knows a lot, I just got my first A Ford, if the fan comes to a quick stop could it be that the bearings in the engine is to tight ? could it be other causes as well ?
 
Use a hand crank to check for hard engine cranking first. You will destroy your new starter if you try it much, pulling as hard as you describe. Awful hard on the battery and cables too.
 
How easy is it to turn with a hand crank?

Make sure your starter bolts are not to long, its a very common mistake people make.. They will rub the flywheel making the engine hard to turn

Try cranking it with the ignition key off, see if it helps.. this will eliminate timing / spark / ignition issue...

As mentioned by Vince forget about a Valve stuck closed..that issue could also take out a fiber style timing gear, but more likely to get forced and stuck open as Synchro909 mentioned

Just mentioning some more things to ponder
 
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Timing too advanced, and cables too small are two good things to check.

Also check that the starter switch 4 mounting screws aren't too long and shorting the field coils.

The screws are 10-32 x 5/16", so don't use 3/8", which is what hardware stores would have.
 
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