Technical HELP.... Banger roadster.

Ok guys maybe someone can help me here.. I just got my first banger last week and I replaced my distributor cap, rotor, points, and plugs. My car will not start now. I set the points to .20 and plugs are gapped at .30. The car ran prior to this. The reason I changed all of that is because in order to get it to smooth out I had to retard the timing all the way. Thanks for the help.

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Points at .200? Plugs at .300? I think I see the problem.

 

Lol yeah sorry meant .020 and .030

 

get her to tdc with the pin
set your rotor to just about the beginning of the #1 on the cap with the timing retarded
should start
tk

 

I would leave the timing alone at this point since you didn't change it since the last time it ran and try to figure out why it will no longer run. It sounds like after it is running again the first thing to do will be to set the timing but I wouldn't introduce that now. I sure miss the good old days when you could count on new parts working. Any chance you still have the old parts and can put them back in one at a time? I would start with the condenser. This would make a good post for fordbarn.com.

Charlie Stephens

 

The new body and rotor may be an issue. The last aftermarket one I used had to be filed to get the correct distance between the rotor and the 4 brass terminals in the body. The rotor I used touched two of the terminals on the body. I believe the gap is .025. I filed the four terminals so they were the correct gap. Good luck

 

had a problem like this once, after much looking i found when the condenser was put in that it was somehow grounding out. don't remember exactly how. check that VERY closely.

 

GO to the Fordbarn site and go to the Model A section. You'll get all the correct help you need

 

I know you messed with the ignition, have you checked for spark?

 

We have seen a lot of bad condensers from the Model A suppliers. The off shore stuff is not too reliable. When you go over to Fordbarn be sure and tell them if you are using original style or "modern" style points. We are beginning to see a lot of bad breaker plates on the modern style conversions.

As 46 International said, recheck your work. Good luck.

 

DID you set the points with the rubbing block of the point arm on the tip of one of the lobes of the distributor cam and not on the flat side? This is 99% of an "I just changed the points and now it won't run" problem if the person changing the points does not have experience in setting points.
This is obviously a Chevy truck six cylinder distributor and not a banger distributor but you can see the rubbing block on the point arm in contact with the tip of one of the distributor cam's lobes and the points open at close to the correct setting.


The other issue is where you connected the leads from the points and condensor to the connector that goes to the outside of the distributor. Put the leads on wrong and you have no contact with the lead to the coil. I did that on my 51 Mercury the first time I changed points when I was 16 years old.

 

I got it running now. When I removed the cam to change the points I had it timed 180 degrees backwards

 

Thanks for the update. Glad it was simple.