My '50 F1 with Flathead V8 will rarely start. It's all original down to the 6 volt pos ground and generator. Most times it won't start at all. I suspected points/distributor...so I replaced it with Petronix point replacement kit. It started a couple times after alot of turning over and run down battery but if it does start and its after turning over an awful lot. I've used starting fluid and poured gas in carb to no avail.

I'm at wits end trying to diagnose problem. Ignition problem of some sort? Any suggestions appreciated!!

 

You have to take a diagnostic approach to this problem. First, find out if you're getting spark. Then see if you're getting fuel. Do you have good compression? It takes all 3 to light the fire. We'd need a lot more info to do you any good, like was it running before, and suddenly started having problems? When was the last time it ran right?

 

Agreed...need more info. Could be a combo of many things.....

 

^^^ Agree , more info and the proper diagnostics . Guessing can waste a lot of time and money .

 

I agree with the "more info" statements....

...but I'll toss a little conjecture out there. It sounds to me like everything is pretty much stock with the exception of the Pertronix system, including the wiring harness. An old wire harness can have breaks (opens) inside the insulation that are hard to trace and can cause the intermittent problems you describe.
I would start at the distributor and work backwards checking the ignition wiring. Wiggle, tug, shake, and pull, preferably with an ohm meter or a test light (no power in the system with an ohm meter, power on with a test light) so you can see if anything changes.

A lot of older systems had a starting bypass circuit in the ignition system. Under normal operating (key on, engine running) the power to the coil runs from the ignition switch through a ballast resistor and to the coil. The starting bypass circuit bypasses the ballast resistor during engine cranking to provide full electrical power to the coil while cranking. I bring this up because I've seen it where there has been an open in the starter bypass circuit. This can cause the engine to crank and crank without starting....but sometimes the engine will try to start as you roll the key back from crank position to the starting position and the ignition circuit gets powered up in the regular run mode.......after typing all of this I just remembered that your truck probably has a start button and not and crank position on the ignition key so I'm not sure if the old truck has the starter bypass circuit or not.

Good luck, take it a step at a time and work through it logically and you'll find it
Bobby

 

Here's more info- Hopefully it helps

I bought it in '98 and totally restored the truck and it's been on the road since 2000. I went back factory stock. I used stock repro wiring harnesses, rebuilt generator and starter etc. I re used original distributor with new vacuum advance. It ran just fine for the past 12 years but at the end of 2012 I had a few starting issues. I was getting fire to the distributor but not out of it. So... I got the point replacement piece. When I put it on it would start a little better but not a significant improvement. I suspected fuel and have used starting fluid and pouring gas in carb but still no starting.... I don't think its flooding before I put gas in but not 100% sure.
It will start on occasion but never immediately. If it never started or always started things would be more simple to diagnose...

 

So you are getting a hot spark at the coil hi-tension wire, but not out of the spark plug wires? Check the rotor and cap carefully.

 

sometimes my mechanical fuel pump on the 53 takes a bit of cranking to get fuel into the carb before it will start.
Some people have installed electric fuel pumps before the mechanical ones just to get them started quicker. (especially after sitting for a week) Are all the fuel lines clear, is it maybe drawing air into a line somewhere from a fitting etc??

Good luck.

 

It has been fifty years since I owned any flathead V8 but I have owned a few. If I remember right, they're hard to flood if all else is good. Has the carb been rebuilt with modern ethanol friendly components? Power valve leakage will allow the carburetor to drain. What about the accelerator pump, is it working? How about that battery, load tested? Age does not mean much. How about the cables, big old heavy cables? Is your coil correct and hooked correct polarity?
And If the starter is dragging internally, it could be drawing too much current to allow enough to fire the ignition. And have you tried hotwiring it, battery to coil?
Just a few things to consider. Luck.

 

Agreed, if the coil is sparking then the low voltage side of the ignition system must be working ok. So, as Ross mentioned, look at the coil wire, distributor cap and rotor.

Bobby

 

It just occurred to me, even with the Pertronix, you have a wire running under the points plate to the coil? Frequently they will get rubbed bare and short out randomly.

 

Any updates?? are you up and running yet?

Bobby

 

Sorry guys.... been busy busy. Hopefully I will have time this weekend to try a few more things and be able to give updates.

 

No problem. We know how it is.
As Ross mentioned, pay some attention to the wiring inside the distributor. As he said, its prone to shorting and or breaking after so many years of service.

I'll keep my fingers crossed
Bobby

 

Doesn't the Pertronix module have its own wiring that replaces the original primary wire in the distributor? And how about the flexible ground wire?