| jccorbin | -- 08-08-2010 @ 4:45 PM |
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Obviously I'm an idiot....I have now replaced the 38's coil with a rebuilt one from Skip Haney......and it won't start. I take it off and make sure everything is OK and reinstall it but it still won't start. I replace it with the original and it starts immediatly. All the while my wife is counseling me (in the nicest manner) "if you can't fix it so I can drive it and make it back home just get rid of it". I'm at my wits end and strongly considering torching the '38 in the back yard and buying her a '47 GMC Pickup that she wants. I've been working on English cars for 40 years and I've never had my butt kicked this bad. Is it time to get an adaptor and use a modern coil?????? or just buy the '47 GMC and be done with it......Jerry
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| 37RAGTOPMAN | -- 08-08-2010 @ 5:32 PM |
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I would call SKIP and maybe he can help,[ maybe you overlooked something simple ? ] it might be defective coil, that would be rare but I am sure it happens, SURE SEEMS the way you tell the story that coil is not working,he stands behind his work, did he do the distributer also,? if you checked for 3 1/2 volts to the coil terminal and get no spark to the ignition wires, this might sound stupid, you did install the carbon brush in SKIPS COIL? and is making contact with the rotor. remember you still have fix the car to sell it to buy the GMC, but they are slow on the road,because of thee low gears in the rear, lets hear how you made out on this tread, 37RAGTOPMAN an KEEP ON TRUCKIN,,,,!!!!!!!!
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| jccorbin | -- 08-08-2010 @ 6:07 PM |
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The brush is the first thing I checked. I had a problem with the original coil brush and replaced it with one from a TR-6 engine I have in the garage and it worked fine. I have some friends who are "flathead freaks" and they recommend the adaptor/modern coil as the only sure fix. I am still chasing the losing power when at operating temperature during the Summer. The thing that gets me is that it seemed to fire once every few revolutions with Skip’s coil but started immediately with both the original and the Dennis Carpenter coils. I suppose I need to check the input voltage as that seems to make sense. But, I’ll tell you what……I am getting tired and frustrated of changing this coil especially the bolt that hold the condenser, it seems to get harder and harder every time to align and tighten it………Jerry
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| 40guy | -- 08-08-2010 @ 6:17 PM |
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Don't sell the Ford. They can be temperamental, but I've never seen a problem yet that can't be solved with them. Be patient and sooner or later this forum will come through for you. There's alot of Flathead experience on this forum. I was going to mention the carbon brush as well AND the spring atop of it. Flatheads are a breed of their own and they have kicked all our butts at one time or another, but triumph always comes. Besides; there are already enough GMC's on the road.
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| jccorbin | -- 08-08-2010 @ 7:09 PM |
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I appreciate your words of encouragement but I wasn’t going to sell it…..I was going to run it into the burn pile in the back field which would have been satisfying…..for a few minutes at least. I do love this car, but, just like with my wife, we have our moments and this one has been going on for 26 months now and is beginning to try my patience. Just when I think I have it licked at last and she is running like a champ……..another walk up the hill in the hot sun. Well, at least I’ve lost a lot of weight since we got the ’38 but she is a beauty. I just need to sit back with a beer, relax, and try again tomorrow……or next week…….thanks……Jerry
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-08-2010 @ 9:08 PM |
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Jerry, when you trade off the Skip coil with the old coil, do you also trade off the condenser? This could be the problem, or, as someone else mentioned, the Skip coil itself, in which case he would make good on it. Alan
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| jccorbin | -- 08-09-2010 @ 5:52 AM |
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I use the same condenser. I have 6 vdc at the coil and it does not seem to have a ballast resistor nor can I find one in the wiring diagram. Maybe I need to put one in the coil circuit. I would be very supprised if Skip's coil was bad, it's probably the only good one I have.
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| alanwoodieman | -- 08-09-2010 @ 6:49 AM |
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look under the dash, there is a circuit braker and a ignition resistor mounted on a non metallic board, this is your ignition resistor, a lot of times they are by-passed by putting both wires under one terminal, which would reveal it self in the 6 volts on the coil with the engine running, if you are getting six volts with the engine running then the coil overheats causing the loss of engine power . I also have a Skip converted and set up distributor/coil that will not work, put the original one back on and runs fine. I also have eliminated the coil problem with a modern coil conversion that is internally resisted and I run 6 volts straight to it.
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| jccorbin | -- 08-09-2010 @ 7:22 AM |
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Alan.....Thanks for the info....Where did you get the conversion and the coil?......Thanks......Jerry
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| tbloss | -- 08-09-2010 @ 10:42 AM |
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Hi jccorbin: Its simple. The only mistake you made was not giving Skip a call. He has done thousands of coils and he will fix the problem. Anyway, old fords just don't look right with new style coils. Tom...
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| supereal | -- 08-09-2010 @ 11:50 AM |
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We just fixed a car that cranked fine, had acceptable (it seemed) spark at the plugs, but wouldn't fire, even with a shot of ether. We suspected it was out of time, perhaps a timing gear problem. It turned out to be that the "make" (left hand side) points were open, and only the "break" points were energizing the coil. Someone, some time, installed the points without adjusting them so the faces could make complete contact. It is possible that switching coils is affecting the point adjustment, as we must have the coil to be used in place when we set up a distributor on the machine. The variance in pressure from the coil contact on the rotor can make a big difference in the dwell setting, particularly if the distributor bushings are worn, due to movement of the point cam. This may explain why one coil works, while another doesn't.
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| jccorbin | -- 08-09-2010 @ 12:43 PM |
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Update: I could not get Skip's coil to seat on the distrubutor due to the contact spring being about 5/32" longer than the other two coils and I could not get enough torque on the philips screws to get a good seat. I believe AI found what looks to be a balast resistor high on the inside of the firewall under the dash. This 63 year old body simply will not contort enough to get a meter on it. But, In my quest to reach it I moved a rat's nest of wires and now I'm getting 3 vdc going to the coil without the engine running. I sent Skip an Email about the spring.......Jerry
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| supereal | -- 08-09-2010 @ 2:57 PM |
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Jerry: You should have about 3 volts with the points closed, battery voltage when they are open.
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| jccorbin | -- 08-09-2010 @ 4:10 PM |
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Thanks Super.....I obviously have let my frustration get the better of my common sense......The sweat in my eyes and having to turn my bifocals upside down to work under the dash haven't helped either........I don't know what I would do without the folks on this site.....many thanks to everyone......Jerry
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| jccorbin | -- 08-09-2010 @ 4:47 PM |
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I filed a little off the coil (as Skip suggested) got it seated properly and it started immediatly.......I'm putting the test drive off until tomorrow........Thanks.....Jerry
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