VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 '26 Engine Won't Start.

G'day, I have my '26 engine turning over & getting a nice blue spark but no sign of the engine wanting to start. What is wrong? I thought maybe I have the spark plug leads around the wrong way. How do I check if they are in the right order? Any other possible reasons why it won't start?
Thanks heaps!
Jimmy

Jimmy B
if you have spark make sure you have gas, spray either to see if it hits. If not and you want to check timing and 26 same as 27 then ...
turn engine by hand crank and line up mark on flywheel marked with No. 25 and line it up with indicator pointer at see through window on right handed side of clutch housing. see where the rotor is this is cylinder number 1. fire order is 1-2-4-3. book instructs to remove distributor and make sure rotor is on right angle 90 degrees away from block, some do not do this step but it is mentioned in book.
good luck
Ken 45145 :vcca:

Have you had the engine running before? Is this a new problem or old?

A 1926 engine is timed the same way as an early 1927 engine,assuming it has the "REMY" distributor Model 374-A.
As you turn the engine over with the hand crank(plugs removed)watch No.1 intake valve open,then close.Have someone hold a thin wood dowel down No.1 plug hole,and continue to turn the engine over until the dowel and No.1 piston reaches top dead center.This is the firing point for the engine.Make sure you have the spark lever in the fully retarded position.
The contact points should be just starting to open,and the rotor button should be as near to being directly under the contact in the distributor cap for No.1 cylinder as possible.
If the ponts aren't just opening,and the rotor button is out of position,then loosen the locknut that holds the points cam in position,crack it loose off the tapered shaft,and turn it,
until the points just open,and the rotor button is in the correct position.
Then place the other plug leads in the correct order,and it should fire up pretty well straight away.If the engine doesn't seem to be getting fuel ,try getting someone to put their hand over the air inlet of the carb,and crank it over by hand about 6 times.That should create enough vacuum to suck enough petrol up.

Thank you. I'll give it a shot and see. How do I tell if the spark is retarded? My engine isn't in the car. I have had to put my 3-port on as the 1-port has a few stuck valves.

To retard the spark for staring,the advance/retard lever that
comes out of the side of the distributor,has to be moved in a clockwise direction(looking down at the top of the distributor)
and moved anti-clockwise to advance the spark for normal running.
You might want to check that the 3 port head has the 2 small water holes in it that match up with the holes at the back of the block,before you run the engine for any length of time.if the holes aren't drilled in the head,then there is no water flow around No.4 exhaust port in the head,and it will boil pretty quick,and you'll risk cracking the head.

Hey Guys

Great pics, best of luck


Ken 45145

I had the motor backfire severely with what I think was advanced spark. Below is where the advance/retard plate was set when I checked the timing originally and where it was set when it back fired.

Should I set the timing with the plate in neutral position? Is this neutral below?


One last thing, is number 1 on the distributor top right or bottom right?
Thanks for your help
Jimmy

Jimmy
find top dead center as CJP advised above and wherever the rotor points thats number 1, then its 1-2-4-3 firing order. Install wires and start. Engine block is 1 thru 4 front to back.
GOOD LUCK!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Ken 45145

Jimmy, I had trouble starting my car after forty years of storage. I found that the distributor had been removed and replaced with the shaft in a diffrent position than recomended in the book. I did the top dead center test for number one cylender and hooked the plug wire on top of the roter bug then connected the rest of the wires in the proper firing order and BAM it started right up. The wires are not in the same position on the cap as the book shows but they are in the same order.
Good Luck
Hutch

If you move the adv/retard distributor arm as far as it will move in a clockwise direction,this will give you the fully retarded spark/timing point for No.1 cylinder to fire.If the arm is moved anti-clockwise(these arm movements are all taken as looking down at the top of the distributor),then the spark will be too far advanced for safe starting,as the spark will occur 30 degrees before top dead centre on No.1 cylinder.
Just work off No.1 piston reaching top dead centre after No.1 intake valve has opened and closed,and you should have the correct firing position for the engine.
If you're still having trouble,send me a PM(with your ph.no.),and we can talk over the phone.

Wow! Really sorry for not replying, I had the engine firing right but it wouldn't run, turns out the engine had no compression so I pulled the engine down and replaced the rings, good thing I did as the mains bearing were buggered also.








I have the engine back together now. Can I ask a favour can someone take a picture of the distributor cam position at TDC I have tried to set the timing but the engine just doesn't want to cooperate and run.

Thank you
Jimmy

Jimmy, don't worry about proper position of the cam. Set the #1 cyl. at TDC (both valves closed and the piston at the very top - put a small dowl rod in the spark plug hole and turn the crank shaft by hand until the piston comes to the top), then set the distributor so the roterbug is ligned up with one of the ports on the distributor cap. Plug the #1 plug wire into that port and the rest of the plug wires in the proper firing order around the cap. You will be limited to the position of the distributor if you have manual spark advance. That connection must be in good allignment with the spark advance rod. You will still have some timing adjustment by turning the distributor in it's socket. This process worked for me. Good Luck

It is common for the cam and crank gears for the 4 cylinders to be mismarked. The crank gear should have the punch mark inline with the keyway and fall between two teeth. The cam gear should have the punch mark on the 15th tooth counterclockwise from the keyway. The tooth directly opposite the keyway is #1. When the punch marks (or corrected punch marks) are aligned then the valve timing will be properly coordinated with the crankshaft.