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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / The 38 just won't start!

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Posted By Discussion Topic: The 38 just won't start! -- page: 1 2     ellis734 08-19-2011 @ 1:17 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 11 Joined: Mar 2011 When my father parked his 38 Ford Deluxe 8 years ago it ran. I had the great idea of moving it to my garage to get it going again. Before doing so I had to redo the gas tank and remove the oil pan to clean out the sludge. It put everything back together and I have no spark. Friends tell me its the points. How can the points go bad when the car hasn't been used or is that the point? I'm an amateur looking for some advice. I hate to take the radiator out again to replace the points and is that actually necessary? There's not much room to work down there. 42wagon 08-19-2011 @ 3:06 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 584 Joined: Oct 2009 Ellis Unfortunately I think your friends are right. I have a Model A that sits in an unheated garage from December until April. Very often I find in the spring no spark and that condensation has built up a fine layer of corrosion on the points. By cleaning them with a point file everything gets back to where it should be. 42 Wagon supereal 08-19-2011 @ 3:19 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 No, you don't have to pull the radiator. First, be sure there is power to the coil input. It should be about 3 volts. If you have access to an ohmmeter, connect it between the wire to the distributor and ground after unhooking it from it's wire. When you put the ohmmeter on the 1x input, you should see the needle jump as the engine cranks. If not, remove the distributor and replace the points. If you are not sure how to do it, there are those who do, or send it to Skip Haney for a rebuild. Distributor points oxidize in long storage, and must be replaced. When replacing the distributor, be sure the offset tang is in the correct position before you bolt it in place. doning 08-19-2011 @ 4:08 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 158 Joined: Nov 2009 Ellis, I'm betting also it's your points. My 37 sat over the winter and when I tried starting it...no luck. I removed the distributor, cleaned the points and away I went. Don Henryat1140 08-19-2011 @ 4:42 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 110 Joined: Nov 2009 Also, it isn't necessary to pull the radiator to get the distributor out. It _IS_ easier done with two people, one working under the car. doning 08-19-2011 @ 5:06 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 158 Joined: Nov 2009 Since we are on this subject, is there anything we V8 owners can do so we don't have to clean our points every spring? At times my garage can get so damp it looks like someone took a water hose to my engine. Wrap the distributor with plastic wrap maybe? 37RAGTOPMAN 08-19-2011 @ 5:43 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1958 Joined: Oct 2009 HI you can also use CRC ELECTRIC MOTOR CLEANER, Take one side of the distributer cap loose and swing it out of the way,so you can see the distributer plate, spray the cleaner on the points.this will clean the points, usually this will work, this might be a easy way out, who knows it might just work, and it can do no harm,and if it does run,besure relube the distributer cam, my 3 cents of advice, 37RAGTOPMAN if you send the distributer to SKIP besure to send the coil also,for rebuild,you wll be good to go, have them both done, ford38v8 08-19-2011 @ 5:46 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 Doning, if your garage is so damp and humid, your poor Ford will suffer tremendously over just a few months. I respectfully submit that you may consider an upgrade in storage space as an investment rather than as an expense. If you have only your distributore to worry about, a plastic bag can prove disastrous if left in the same damp environment. Remove the distributor to storage under your bed till driving season. Alan doning 08-19-2011 @ 6:34 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 158 Joined: Nov 2009 It would be great if I could fit the whole car under my bed!!! 40guy 08-19-2011 @ 7:42 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 270 Joined: Oct 2009 You can spray some WD-40 in the distributor. One of the qualities of WD-40 is it displaces moisture. I used to have a 46 that sat outside under a plastic canopy. when it would rain the plastic caused so much condensation in the distributor, I used to have to squirt it periodically; then it would fire right up and run fine. This is an answer to doning's question about prevention but will not help corrosion already present.

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