VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 31 chevrolet poor idling/starting

Recently acquired 31 chevrolet 2-door sedan. car
had sat for 3 years & not run. Gas turned to
varnish like smelling stuff. Replaced gas twice
(2-3 gallons each time), took carburetor off & cleaned, installed new gaskets. Cleaned spark
plugs, rotor & points. Car will not start now at
all. Ran but would not idle before checking the electrical. Suggestions ??
thankyou, billr

Yes, that's my normal order too... first spark, then gas.

Did you do anything to the distributor that may have affected the timing?

Oops... just re-read your note... my "seasoned" guess (based upon years of doing stupid things) is that you've set the gap in the new points sufficiently so that it won't fire... Put a dwell meter on the coil and turn the engine over (with the key turned off)... then see what dwell reading you get. Seems to me that it should be about (someone else fill in this number).

This is almost my number one reason for cars being stubborn to start.

(Sorry, I don't have specs for you, my stuff is still boxed away... and I'm gonna have to get off this forum this weekend and get some of it unpacked!!) :rolleyes:

PS. I'd also like to know how someone can "look down" a carburetor on a '31 Chev?? ha!

Billr: If you either changed the points or removed them for any reason, and if your car still as the original Delco-Remy electrolock, then check your connection between the end of the electrolock and the points, because it sounds like you might have the electrolock grounded. If that's the case, then there will be no spark.