Hot Rods The 56 buick wagon wont start again?

I replaced the ballest and starter relay and she fired right up. She sat under the carport for a few days while I looked at my dodge p.u.Now she is doing the same thing again .I had to hot wire her to get her down to the garage and she was running like crap. I checked the dwell and its right on the money and getting fuel.Any more ideas? Thanks Bruce.

 

HEY BRUCE I HAVE THE ORIGINAL 2 BARREL CARB OFF MY 364 .. U CAN HAVE IT IF THAT WOULD HELP ANY..

 

Arabie, thanks but I still have the orginal carb on my too.All this crap started after we change the point and condenser in the beast.The dwell is right on but I don't know. I am going to see if I can limp on down to the garage and look at it today.Thanks Bruce.

 

Arbie, I have some extra buick parts too if you need anything just ask and I will see if I have it.Thanks Bruce.

 

Just a thought,try another condenser.Sometimes new doesn't meen it will work.

 

Bruce,re-check the points,are you getting any spark? HRP

 

Did it run okay with the old tune up parts? If so, throw those back in, one piece at a time.

 

I have had to revert back to old condenser, more than once. Don't know why, but sometimes defective from the start. Also, check the wires in the distributor, might be cracked and going to ground, after you moved them around.

 

I got a Willys ('61) in the driveway that had trouble starting. original ignition switch, I added a starter button to the system and cured the problem. We had the same problem with an AD truck a couple of years back and the starter button cured it.

Old ignition switches go bad, sometimes that can be disassembled and cleaned up and then they will work fine, but the button is an easy solution.

 

My 55 Buick had all the weird starter stuff removed, used a push button on the dash. Never failed. I would changer the condenser too.

 

Bruce,has it been damp and rainy? check to see if there is any moisture in the cap.

Pull the coil wire out of the distributor and stick a screwdriver in the hole,hold the wire away from the shaft of the screwdriver and have someone spin the engine over until you see a spark then replace the coil wire and see if it fires off? HRP

 

You might want to see if there is a Ignitor that would fit, eliminated all the issues in my truck and a OT Triumph I have.

 

Porknbeaner, that what I have is a push button under the dash.Thanks Bruce.

 

Thanks for all the advice. Let me go back down and check everything you all said and will post later on and let you guys know if I had any luck .Thanks Again. Bruce.

 

OH, 1 thing I forgot to tell you.I ran a hot wire from the coil to the battery {to get her started} and she fired right up and the motor ran great, when I took the hot wire off she started runny crappy and choppy again again if that any help? Bruce.

 

You may have a wiring issue,check your wiring connections. HRP

 

Bruce
if it is 12v and has points it should be getting 12V on crank to the hot side of the coil anyway. If it starts and runs crappy after you dump the 12v from the coil I would get it warmed up completely before I started chasing gremlins. Carbureted cars run crappy until they warm up unless the carb is spot on. That's just the nature of the beats, they need to run at a higher idle and fatter until they warm up.

Just a thought.

 

Had a similar problem on my brothers 56 Olds after tune up, put the old condenser back in car ran like a champ.

 

I am thinking its in the wiring to the ignition switch. I Changed the coil, checked for spark, check the points they are right and sparking, changed the condenser also . And as for warming up she never had this problem before.Bruce. Going to make me drink early today. lol.Bruce.

 

what they said - swap back the condenser.....kinda why we keep - points/condenser - from a resent tune up.....what's going on with the heater core I sent you ?

 

"Vodka assisted contemplation" solved many of my car problems over the years.

 

Stillrunners, its still sitting on the bench. I have a big hole where the old one came out. Since the car starting running crappy I haven had a chance to try and fit it in there. I will get to it hopefully as soon as I can get the car in and out of the garage on its on power. Bruce.

 

Ran into a problem like this one time and it ended up being coil wired backwards. Didn't even know one would run that way, but ran like crap. Negative ground systems require IGN wire to power coil+ and power must stay on during START. Three threads on this car, and we still do not know if coil+ is getting power during IGN and START, unless I missed something.
Also found points that were not grounding to distributor base one time, therefore not grounding coil- when points closed.

 

In the first post he said "it ran like crap" with a jumper wire that should rule out the switch and most of the wiring.

 

Rfraze I am heading back down to the garage .I will check all three and report back to you later this afternoon.ThanksBruce.

 

I may of found out what was wrong with the wagon but I aint saying nuttun till I go down tomorrow and see if she starts.Bruce.

 

... and it isn't drinking alone if the dog or cat is home....

 

bobs, glad to hear that because the dog and cats are here.lol.Bruce.

 

Well Bruce,It's tomorrow,fess up and tell us what you found. HRP

 

O.K Sorry about the delay in getting back I was still working on the old girl. Rfraze was right in my haste I did install the coil backwards { dumb ass me} Got it running better but when I put here in gear she would stall. I still think it was a wire in the ignition switch dropping voltage . I tapped in to the ignition at the fire wall and ran an in line fuse to the coil{ its an old one and its temp. till I get a new one}She now runs in gear and took it out for a short ride and seem to do well. I am going food shopping with her today .Hopefully she is cured. Thanks .Heres a picture of what I did.Thanks Bruce. P.S. I also ran 2 new wire to the starter button that's what those 2 red wires are. going thur the fire wall.