VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc 1941 Starting Problem Mystery

When I got back from Bowling Green last year I had to roll the car off the trailer because the car wouldn't start. It started fine at BG and when I loaded it on the trailer. When I got home I had to push it off the trailer and around to line up with the garage door. Anchored the car to a complete 235 engine and a 1948 engine. Had to add some transmissions and other stuff to have enough weight to pull the car in (slight incline to enter the garage). What a mess.

I put off messing with it until about two weeks ago because other things came up and breaking the top of my femur off on the 23 of December 2022. Got a new set of points which didn't fit but new condenser which did fit. O'Rileys stuff. Other than checking the time and fuel pump I didn't mess with anything else. Used a moderate spray of starting fluid and the car started right up.

Question: Can a bad condenser, by itself, cause the engine to not run? I had adjusted the points many times and they were "right on" through all phases of trying to start the engine.

I don't claim to know much about electricity and Fig Newtons (Now just Newtons,)

Your input will be much appreciated. Will too!

Best.

Charlie

Hi Charlie, watch this and it will explain what the condenser does among other tips for tune-up.

The condensor may well have been your problem but I would be more inclined to think dirty points, a small spec of dust will prevent the points closing properly and your checking the gap dislodged the dust allowing contact. In you attempts to start without spark could lead to a fuel flooded situation and the starting fluid helped clear that.
Bascally speculation from this distance after the fact.
Tony

I was having intermittent starting issues with my 38. It didn't make sense. I replaced the condenser on a prayer and that "fixed" it.

Driving thru the center of my home town and the '37 shut off. Couple of guys helped push it out of the way of traffic. Checked for spark at the ends of the ignition wires and found no spark. Checked the point gap, dead on. Power to the coil was there. Changed the condenser and off we went.

One of the failure modes for a condenser is for it to short out internally. This essentially grounds the points so the ignition circuit never opens to let the field in the coil collapse and fire the plugs.