VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 almost ready to start it... after 50+ years...... PROBLEMS

Tony is giving good advice. You need to turn the engine by hand to make the ball and pointer line up at the flywheel housing. I doubt if you will ever get it positioned correctly using the starter.

When the flywheel is in that position it means that pistons #1 and #6 are both just before top dead center. That is when you want to ignition to spark. The key is to make sure that #1 is at the top of its compression stroke. Both valves for #1 should be closed. As Tony noted the exhaust valve for #6 should be closing. Piston #6 is at the end of the exhaust stroke and ready to begin the intake stroke. So the intake valve for #6 should be starting to open.

If you do not have those conditions you need to rotate the crank another full turn so set the ball and pointer in the correct position.

The rotor should be pointing to the #1 wire. Now you can rotate the distributor to make the points open.

And stop pumping the gas pedal ETC. as you have the combustion chambers flooded with gas.

I would also stop cranking the engine for extended periods of time. If the engine does not try to fire in the first 15 seconds or so there is no value in continued cranking. All you are doing is overworking the starter and wearing down the battery.

Today I followed Toni & Rusty's directions on static timing of the engine..... this time I think I got it right.... because the engine fired and ran for a few seconds..... it was smooth and didn't back fire.... It is cool here 65 degrees... I did not use the choke, but set the throttle about 1/4 of the way..... and cranked it with the starter...... it ran for about 3-4 seconds and died... this happened several times..... there is gas in the pump glass bowl (full) and the clear fuel filter about 4" from the carb has gas in it too, (half full)..... I don't know why it died after a few seconds..... But I will keep trying. Right now I am charging the Battery.
It only charges up to about 6.3 volts and after cranking, gets down to 5.7- 6.0 volts..... I would like to get some starter fluid tomorrow in town.... and some fuel line to bypass the clear plastic fuel filter near the carb.....
I did check for spark from the big center coil wire, 1/2" from ground... it jumped the gap when I opened the points... and I pulled a few wires and they had spark jumping to the plugs when cranked.....
I did reset the static timing... with #1 valves closed and #6 exhaust valve just closing & intake just opening... But looking at the pointer with a flash light... I can see no ball in sight.... in fact I slowly clicked the starter around the full rotation of the flywheel several times,.... while looking with a flashlight at the pointer... and I could find no ball or bump on the flywheel near the pointer anywhere... so I just went by the #1 & #6 valve positions.... I can Not hand crank the engine, since I installed this new aluminum radiator (it is lower and blocks the crank hole access to the crank pully)..... (It was made for a 1934-36 Chevy truck) But at least , now it fires up and runs briefly..... so I feel I might be making progress...

The fuel filter bowls will only be 1/2 full. Normal.
You may have to pull out the choke in the first minute or two of runnig amd all the way out for the firsr 6 seconeds.

I agree with Gene that you need to use the choke when starting.

I suggest that you pull the lower cover off to expose the flywheel and ring gear. Then you can turn the engine by hand with a “flywheel turning tool” or a screwdriver stuck between the teeth and levered against the bell housing.

No work on it during Wednesday... I am on my weekly town trip.... more on Thursday.... Thank you all for your Help...

I am going to start a new thread.. new post... with the situation from here forward... Titled 'Won't fire up'