| LarryK | -- 10-24-2013 @ 8:53 AM |
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The car is a 1939 Deluxe Tudor with the 221 cubic inch engine. I am experiencing very hard starting when the engine is cold. Yesterday, I was not able to start the car at all. Cold in this case means the engine is at ambient temperature after sitting a day or so in the garage at 60 or 70 degrees F. If I am able to get it started, it runs strong, has good acceleration, no missing, does not overheat, and starts up immediately and repeatedly when hot. The carburetor (Ford Holley 94) has been rebuilt. The coil, condenser, points, and ignition switch are new. Point gap was set at 0.016 inches. Distributor timing was not checked or altered. The ignition system is all Ford 1939 original design with parts changed as mentioned above. The voltage at the coil terminal (measuring terminal-to-ground) is 2.95 volts cold. This drops off quickly to 2.65 volts in about 10 to 15 seconds. I assume this is because the resistor is heating up. It will continue to decrease if the ignition switch is left on. Battery voltage is 6.7 volts. It is a new battery. I have spark at the plugs, but it does not seem to be very strong (my subjective impression). I am concerned that I may be flooding the engine. I can smell gasoline after a few cranking attempts. Not sure how much choke to give it. The owner's manual says to pull the choke out. Not very enlightening. Then there is the decrease in voltage to the coil. Can a resistor go bad? It appears to be the original one. I confess to not having to start cars with manual chokes since the late 1950s when I owned a 1937 85 HP slantback. But that car never gave me any problems and it was in some really cold Ohio winters. All suggestions, brainstorming, and advice will be appreciated and will enhance the entertainment value in owning this car. Thanks
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| deuce_roadster | -- 10-24-2013 @ 9:03 AM |
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When cold, take the air cleaner off and look in the throat of the carb and work the linkage and see if there is any gas squirting. If NO, then the bowl has leaked all the gas out. Suspect the economizer valve and gasket. Especially suspect this if it restarts fine after you have it running. If you do have gas in there when cold, only pull the choke out about 3/4 of the way and as soon as it tries to fire, push it in most of the way and only have the choke out about 1/4 of the travel. Since it runs fine after it does start it sounds like a fuel problem.
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| TomO | -- 10-24-2013 @ 9:14 AM |
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To check for flooding, you can pull the spark plugs and check them for wet gas. To start a flooded engine, push the choke in all the way and floor the accelerator pedal and hold it to the floor while cranking the engine. Try starting it with no choke. Some flatheads do not like to be choked. Tom
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| supereal | -- 10-24-2013 @ 6:17 PM |
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If you have less than 3.5volts at the coil when cranking, cold starting, in particular, will be difficult. Place a jumper from the battery to the coil input and see if it cures the problem. If so, each leg of the system needs to be checked to locate why the voltage is too low. It could be the ignition switch, a poor connection at either end of the resistor, or the coil, itself. Be sure the battery is up to the task. If the voltage across the battery poles falls below 5.5volts when cranking, either the battery is weak, or the charging system isn't doing its job.
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| keith oh | -- 10-30-2013 @ 3:28 PM |
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To start a flooded engine do not push the foot throttle to the floor, this shoots another load of gas in an already flooded engine, rather pull the dash throttle all the way out until it starts.
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| supereal | -- 10-30-2013 @ 5:12 PM |
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Each old Ford I've owned started differently. Some needed the choke, others didn't. My '47 needs a couple of accelerator pumps to start cold. Determine whether you have too much fuel ( flooding) or not enough. If you give your engine a couple of shots of starting fluid (ether) and it pops right off, ot is likely the carb isn't full enough to start easily. If the tail pipe puffs smoke, you have too much. If neither changes the situation, it is probable that there isn't sufficient spark, either from a sick coil or a low battery. Once you solve the riddle, your car should start well, hot or cold.
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| supereal | -- 10-30-2013 @ 5:12 PM |
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Each old Ford I've owned started differently. Some needed the choke, others didn't. My '47 needs a couple of accelerator pumps to start cold. Determine whether you have too much fuel ( flooding) or not enough. If you give your engine a couple of shots of starting fluid (ether) and it pops right off, ot is likely the carb isn't full enough to start easily. If the tail pipe puffs smoke, you have too much. If neither changes the situation, it is probable that there isn't sufficient spark, either from a sick coil or a low battery. Once you solve the riddle, your car should start well, hot or cold.
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| trjford8 | -- 10-30-2013 @ 8:10 PM |
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I agree with Bob that they all start differently. I've owned Fords and Harley Davidsons and they are the same. Each one has a different routine for starting. One thing to also check on your car is the grounds. Make sure they are all tight and clean. Grounds are critical on the 6 volt system.
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