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Need your trouble shooting skills all. Truck won't start.1949 ford f1. I has not been running in 10 years. I am trying to see if I can get this baby started so I can decide on how to proceed. The wiring is shot so at this point I just have the battery connected to the solenoid with an additional wire running to the coil. The starter is connected to the other side of the solenoid. I am using the solenoid button to turn the engine. The engine turns over. It seems slow but in watching videos of 6 volt start ups it does not seem too bad. I have spark but not snapping, just spark. I feel like the engine should at least pop. I think I am not getting gas to the plugs, although I have poured plenty of gas into the carburetor throat (carburetor probably is in need of repair). I have gone through two rotations where I have run the battery down, recharged and done again. No pop. Thoughts?
Got 6 cylinder 226 engine freed up. 6 volt positive ground system New battery. New generator (not connected) New starter. New points and condenser. New solenoid Heavy duty cables all over.
So per suggestion, I have started a new thread for additional help. I hope I did not interrupt another's thread. Since I first posted I am waiting on a compression tester in the mail and a carburetor rebuild kit. My battery has a CCA of 725 but I have run that down a few more times. I do feel like I need to get the engine cranking much faster to give it more time to turn over before the battery goes down again. I wish I could tow it down the road as was suggested to maybe wake it up, but I cannot do that. Thanks, Phil
Glad to see the new thread! That compression test will reveal so much about the health of your engine.
Do you have a battery tester to make sure your new battery isn’t toast? You need to make sure the CCA matches the rating of the battery.
You likely also have a mechanical fuel pump. Which means that you have to crank the engine for a few solid seconds before your carb fuel bowl is full. Down the line you might find it worthwhile to put a low pressure electronic fuel pump on the engine.
Also, pick up that coil voltage tester I posted on the other thread. You need (if I recall correctly) 20k volts time make those plugs glow with a nice white arc. Yellow arc won’t be enough.
You might try putting some SeaFoam down each cylinder, add a tablespoon or so every day for a few days, and turn it over by hand to free up the rings. Before you try starting it, crank it over with the plugs out to get the SeaFoam out of the cylinders. If it does start, it will smoke like hell!
While you're waiting you could pull the valve access covers off and see if any valves are stuck open. Spraying a little SeaFoam or Kroil on them and prying them down may free stuck ones up.
I bought a 239 that had about the same problems and I put some foaming oil into each cylinder and let it set overnight and as the previous man said, I took off the intake manifold and found 2 valves stuck. A lot of Blast it and some pry work freed them and when it did start, the neighbors thought I had a fire,L. Eventually it burned through the foaming oil and cleared up.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a 12 volt battery for initial starting, if the engine is free, using a ballast resistor for the coil if it's 6 volt.
Here's my 254 with the head off running on 12 volts.
I don' t know if this matters, but I have a gas can as my fuel tank with a fuel line hooked into the carburetor thus bypassing the fuel pump. It should still work with gas flow to the carburetor right? I've got seafoam and coil tester on the way but it will probably be a week. I think my battery is okay. Are valve covers the same as the intake and exhaust manifolds? Is that a difficult job to undertake? Before I attempt that should I do the compression check? If I have good compression does that mean my valves are working? Thanks guys.
I am using the button on the bottom of my solenoid as my starter button. Yeah, what damage do I do to my 6 volt coil and points if I connect a 12 volt battery to get the engine cranking faster?
Check your spark plugs to see if they're wet. If so, you're flooded.
On another note, if it's been sitting for ten years somebody could have taken up residence in your intake manifold, especially if an air cleaner wasn't installed. This would prevent the air/fuel mixture from reaching the cylinders.
This is where the driver's seat cushion disappeared to.
I am using the button on the bottom of my solenoid as my starter button. Yeah, what damage do I do to my 6 volt coil and points if I connect a 12 volt battery to get the engine cranking faster?
Like I stated, get an ignition resistor for the coil. Either at NAPA or your local auto parts store. The starter and starter relay (it's not a solenoid) won't mind at all.
I don' t know if this matters, but I have a gas can as my fuel tank with a fuel line hooked into the carburetor thus bypassing the fuel pump. It should still work with gas flow to the carburetor right? It might work if the gas can is higher than the carburetor, otherwise no.
Are valve covers the same as the intake and exhaust manifolds? Is that a difficult job to undertake? There are three covers on the block underneath the manifolds. Not difficult from underneath. Be careful of the gaskets.
Before I attempt that should I do the compression check? If I have good compression does that mean my valves are working?
If you have good compression then pulling the covers wouldn't be necessary.
The valve access covers are under the manifolds. Likely you'll need new gaskets if you remove them. Or use RTV. They aren't easy to get to so you could wait til after the compression test.
Alright. It looks like I will add an ignition resistor to my collection, which if I am understanding, will allow me to use a 12 volt battery for some extra cranking power. I will wait on the value access covers until I complete the compression check. My carburetor throat seems clear and if I put my hand over it I can feel pressure when cranking so I am thinking no critters or nesting. The plugs just don't seem like they are getting gas as I pull them and they don't appear wet even after I have dumped all kinds of gas down the carburetor. My external fuel is above so it runs downhill. Looks like I will work on my carburetor rebuild, do the compression check and then report back. It might be awhile. Thanks for your knowledge and thoughts. Phil
Hey Phil, If your hand feels pressure from the carburetor when you crank the engine over you have one or two stuck intake valves, sorry to say. You should only feel vacuum.
