WAY too hard to start

R

rods29sedan2

Senior Member
Short version:
'25 T sedan: professionally restored in 1981...stored, until recently, since 1983. New battery, fresh fuel; started and ran without too much effort, altho consistent issues with bad fuel due to tank residue. Progessively harder to start until NO start. Rebuilt carb, bypassed old fuel tank for fresh fuel....still no start......convinced that it was a fuel issue, removed tank, chemically cleaned and sealed the tank; bought and installed a new carb......still NO start.....crank, crank, crank......checked individual plugs thru the coil wires and all are getting strong spark. Experimented with needle valve adjustment....no change...an occasional cough (toying with me)....but, NO start.

I've owned several Ts......I know they can be temperamental but.....Short of removing the intake off the engine just to see what it tells me, I'm out of ideas......it just shouldn't be this friggin hard to get it started, esp since it ran so easily and good before.

Any ideas?
 
You say that you check the spark at the wires, but did you pull the plugs out to check if they are fouled?
 
Try some starting fluid! see photo.
 

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Just because the engine was rebuilt in 81, over 30 years ago, have you checked compression? If you are using a timer, have you cleaned it? Maybe a muddoober has built a nest in the intake and as fuel hits the mud it's dropping down plugging the manifold. :) Did you add any oil to the top end? Maybe it's time to have the coils checked. Like someone said, 90% of fuel problems are electrical.
 
I've done all the due diligence I know......it's not my first rodeo....all this is made more puzzling by the fact that it started and ran so easily and well for a month before it shut down. But, I am beginning to suspect some kind of blockage in the intake. I don't know what else it could be......it has fire and it has good fuel....crank, crank, crank......puff once or twice but, the plugs are still dry as bones.
 
Things tend to stick more easily in a good engine. You may have some stuck valves - a compression test or even a thumb over each plug hole while cranking will tell a lot.

Another culprit is often the manifold gaskets. If it has the replacement flat, fiber type it could develop a leak over time. If it has the proper copper rings & glands, a warped exhaust manifold could cause the intake to leak.
 
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had already tried a little squirt of starting fluid. The engine is just not drawing anything. Removed the intake this morning....all clear and normal looking.
 
success......3 stuck valves in the first 2 cylinders.....with some patience and massaging, was able to get them loose. Runs beautifully, again.
 
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