Starting problems for a 1948 flathead V-8.

36' John

36' John

New member
I have a '36 Ford Coupe with a 1948 flathead V-8.When I turn the ignition on, I get nothing. I know the battery is charged. I always thought the solenoid would click. My guess is that it is a starter not working. I have converted the 6 volt to 12 volt and have a electronic ignition. Anyone have a plan or ideas, any info is appreciated. Thanks, '36 John
 
By design, nothing will happen until you press the starter button - after you turn the ignition on. Check to see if you get voltage at the starter terminal while pressing the start button.
 
Need to post a lot more information, is it wired up like original or modified? Was it working and just stopped or never worked? You can jumper across at the solenoid to isolate the problem.
 
Thanks, for your reply. I will try these recommendations. I am new to this message approach and appreciate your help. '36 John
 
Did you just switch to neg ground and the problem started?

FYI:The starter solenoid that was in my truck wouldn't work when I switched to neg ground. Apparently some will work and other will not when the ground is switched.
 
If your solenoid has two small terminals, determine whether the starter button on the dash furnishes a ground or power to the solenoid. If ground, one of the small terminals must be connected to the battery side of the solenoid. If the button furnishes power, then one of the small terminals must be grounded. Solenoids are not polarity sensitive. The original Ford wiring used a solenoid that had an internal connection to the battery side, and the button was grounded to the dash by its mount. This ground was often lost by poor contact with the dash itself. New starter buttons are available for about ten bucks.
 
Supereal, my starter button and wiring system is set up like factory. I am getting power to the starter button but when pressed, it won’t start the car which makes me feel the ground is bad on the dash. If I bought a newer style starter button, I would hook the current wire going to the original starter button to one terminal on the new starter bottom but where would the second wire go? Just to a better ground?
 
To a ground, the starter button is supplying a ground to the starter solenoid. You can try just shorting the wire from the starter solenoid to ground and see if it is working.
 
If you have changed the solenoid to the type that has two small front terminals and the two large terminals (one on each side) Try using a remote start switch if you have one or I made one out of an old household light switch.
First make sure the car in in neutral and the ign. switch is off. On the solenoid connect one wire to the small terminal on the front where the ignition switch wire attaches (mine happens to be the one on the passenger side). Now connect the other to the large terminal where the battery connects. (or just use a jump wire between these two). The starter should crank.
Using a switch avoids the alarming spark when the connection is made and helps to avoid burned finger tips.
 
ITs the original starter solenoid ( single post ). I can start the car by the button on the bottom of the solenoid so the car starts find. It’s the push button inside the car that I am having a problem with. There is power going to the button inside the car but when pressed, it won’t start the car.
 
There should NOT be power going to the starter button on the dash. It acts as a ground for the solenoid.
 
The stock wiring harness has one wire going to the button on the dash. That’s the wire I have hooked up to the button and I believe it has power going to it. I can check again to make sure. If I take a jumper wire and connect It to the current wire I have hooked up to button, turn the key on and then ground the jumper wire, the car will turn over. Could the button be bad?
 
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The wire to the starter button is the other end of a coil that is connected to the battery hot terminal on the solenoid. It will read a voltage until grounded, then it energizes the coil to pull the contacts closed.

Try grounding the end of the wire that connects to the button. You likely have a bad connection between the button and the dash. The button can be checked with an ohm meter between the connector point and the spring tabs that hold it in the dash.
 
Thanks 40cpe. I did exactly what you mentioned and it within turn the car over so the button must not be ground to the dash well. Could the dash itself not be grounded? Should I run a wire from the dash to a good ground source to help it out?
 
Any additional grounds will help, but first are you sure that the cutout in the dash is clean metal?
Check the wire where it connects to the pushbutton by using a jumper there at the connection. Check it to several different grounds including the dash and see if any of the grounding locations work. If it works on one of the ground locations, it is the pushbutton itself or the ground from the pushbutton to the dash. Hard to believe the whole dash is not grounded, but worth checking.
If none of the ground locations work there is a problem in the wire itself. As already pointed out, an ohm's meter would help check the wire end to end, the pushbutton itself and the pushbutton to ground.
If you don't have a voltmeter to check ohms, you can get a test light with a battery in it and a light that will show a good electrical path.
 
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