Help! Car won't start...

[Bugman]

My car('55 Plymouth with a flat 6, still 6 volt) won't start. I just got it back together. If we push start it, it runs fine. Smokes a bit, but runs ok. It won't start with the key though. It cranks over like it always did, good spark, got gas. Seems like maybe the starter isn't spinning fast enough to start it. Jumping it with a 12V car doesn't seem to make it spin any faster. Any suggestions? TIA.

-Jeff

[DrJ]

Check to see if the starter to coil wiring is hot/carrying current while cranking. It needs spark while cranking obviously and most crs have a 14.5 volt full hot wire coming from the starter circuit separate from the ignition on wire that goes thru the ballast resistor. It may be brolen/disconnected. either at solenoid, in the wire itself or at the switch if that's where it comes from on that car.

[plan9]

check your starter connections and make sure its getting the right amount of voltage. could be youve got a bad ground.

[Deyomatic]

Is it somehow timing related? Maybe when you push start it you have enough RPM when it catches to overcome timing that is too far advanced or retarded. Just a thought. I know mine has problems starting sometimes when I mess with the timing while it is running. I drive somewhere and it won't start again, but it ran fine when it before I shut it off.

D

[plan9]

deyo - maybe, and that might be the next thing he should look at.. thing is, he says the starter seems not spin fast enough, which leads me to believe its a voltage problem.

[DrJ]

He says it's cranking.
It's not getting juice to the coil to fire the plugs during cranking.
That's where to look.

[plan9]

i need to go back to skool fer reading comprehension 101 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Bugman]

It does spark while cranking. With a plug out and grounded to the head, it sparks nice and consistantly. I've tried starting fluid, but that doesn't help. Adjusting the timing doesn't seem to make much difference either. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

-Jeff

[HonkyTonker]

Don't think i've seen a 6volt yet that didn't soound like it started slow.. sounds like an electical problem

KAN
Buster

[shoebox72]

OK so you got fuel & spark but how is your compression? Maybe the fact that you need the higher cranking speed of push starting, and the smoke would be an indication that a compression test is needed. If you got fuel, good spark & good compression there is no reason it should'nt run. I had a 54 Plymouth, 6cyl 6 volt & it would crank in agony & start on the third rev even on zero degree mornings.

Billy

[Machinos]

It's definitely something between the battery and the starter because it should crank REALLY fast when you jump it with 12 volts (at least from a car, puny portable jumpers don't make it spin that much faster). Unless you had it hooked up to the 12v wrong, in which case it wouldn't spin any faster. Just match black to black and red to red (no, I don't know why it works that way http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif).

Assuming your Plymouth has the same electrical crap under the hood as my Chrysler, try cleaning up the terminals on the starter relay (which is the first thing the hot battery cable connects to). If that doesn't work, your battery cables might be too puny or something. But if turning the key cranks the engine, and it doesn't crank any faster with 12 volts, it's definitely something between the battery and the starter.