Technical Flathead won't start!

Yeah I'm not conserned with the plugs really as I was on purposely messing with the timing trying to get it to run.. think it's normal

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Hahaha thanks for the concern but definetly not. Super hard to turn by hand. Gunna pull heads

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This thing has always been hard to turn over by hand. I should have done a compression test before I put it in. Doesn't make sense with such low compression it should be easy to turn over. I must have something together wrong

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You need to go back to basics on this one.

1) figure out the darn TDC, you can do this with a finger to check the compression cycle and a flashlight to see TDC. A flathead will run even when it is vastly out of spec on timing. You do not need to be perfect here, heck I end up using manifold vacuum 90% of the time to set initial)

2) If you are running 97's do they have chokes and if so are they set correctly. (Are the butterflies in good shape, nobody drilled holes through them 40 years ago to go racing)

3) scrub the plugs and put in some fresh fuel.

4)Check the vacuum advance and weights in the distributor are free and the springs are seated properly. (If you have 97's you have no ported vacuum so its going to run like crap anyway. And if the vacuum canister if it was from a stock flathead it will NOT work well with 97's.

5)Check the points.
5.1) Check the spark color.

6) all else fails block off all but one of the carbs to get the velocity up.

A flathead will run with crap gas, out of time with a jumped chain. It will run like crap but it will run.

 

By now, with all the cranking your oil pan might have a lot of gas in it. You may want to check your oil level.

 

Wearymicrobe..Please post up a photo for me of a timing chain in a flathead!!!!!!
[QUOTE="wearymicrobe,

A flathead will run with crap gas, out of time with a jumped chain. It will run like crap but it will run.[/QUOTE]

 

What do you mean when you say the liners grabbed?

 

Good question and you have to have all 8 plugs out when cranking it over to check compression. You don't get an accurate reading if you don't do both. I always let it hit 5 times on each cylinder to get a full and accurate reading on the gauge. I was taught that over 50 years ago and it has worked well since.

 

You will be surprised how much fuel your dumping into your crankcase. When you find this problem. Do not run your engine very long and be sure to change your oil.

 

I got the oil pressure sender wire under the intake gasket once, massive vacuum leak. Same results.

 

I know you tried different distributors but did you try a different coil and also be sure that it's wired properly. I always forget but I think incoming power goes to neg and pos goes to the distributor although I could have that backwards.

 

A couple of thoughts... Seems like most of the external factors were either not changed, or you've tried putting it back to a "Restore Point" when it was at least starting and running. So, maybe something happened inside and out of sight. I had a '70 GTO that was driven into a gas station and was running fine, starting fine, etc. But, when my wife got ready to leave, it would crank but.... nothing. TIMING GEAR had a critical failure, probably from the crank torque when she cranked the starter. The factory gear had fiber teeth that typically failed around 50k miles (the replacement gear was all metal). The story goes that GM made it that way to reduce noise. That explained why it was fine...until it wasn't... When I first bought my 50 F1, with a stock 8BA, I had starting issues until a guy at the parts store asked me to bring in my battery cables. When he looked at them he told me they were sized for a 12 volt system. He made up a custom pair of 2 gauge wire cables that made starting much easier; and, stopped the battery cable overheating issue. It may be time for exploratory surgery ;(

 

I once had a Ford that I replaced the plug wires, it would start but it ran horribly. finally at whit's end I called my dad and he pointed out to me that the Ford distributer turned backward. Duh Oh I had an Olds I was tuning once that after I replaced the points it would not fire, for whatever reason while I was replacing the points and plugs the coil took a dump.

You do not have to be a "flathead" expert to diagnose a flathead. All 4 stroke internal combustion engines need the same thing to operate, spark to the plugs at the proper time and fuel in the combustion chambers.

There is a common thread with engines here that I think one should take note of. let me paraphrase, "My engine was running poorly so I bought this part for it" I have not read the entire thread and probably will not perhaps the problem has been solved. if I were to got by the first post on the thread I would say that whatever problem it had to start with is now kicking your ass.

I am going to throw this out not intended for anyone in particular, it is just an engine and basic diagnostics usually does not take much more knowledge than tuning one up takes. instead of throwing money at them and depending on dumb luck try figuring out what the problem is then throwing the money at the problem if it is necessary.

 

"You do not have to be a "flathead" expert to diagnose a flathead. All 4 stroke internal combustion engines need the same thing to operate, spark to the plugs at the proper time and fuel in the combustion chambers."

^^^^Totally agree with Mr. Beaner..

 

The asshole in me is thinking "unless it's a diesel".

 

Now there is something that I'll bet you and I could collaborate on, a diesel flathead V-8. I know we can do it GM did it with a 350" gas motor and we are at least as smart as those guys. LOL

 

Beaner, Waukesha made flathead diesels way back in the 30's.

 

yes but were they Fords. LOL

I am thinking merc crank, glow plugs where the spark plugs go, lots of compression and high sulfer diesel ( if we can find it). maybe a couple of hair driers just for grins. Stuff it in a '27 roadster pickup on an A chassis, with an S-10 5 speed and a gear venders and let 'em wonder when we motor through town. LOL

 

I'm anxious to hear about what 'tightened' the engine at this point.
Likely: gasoline washed down cylinders.
Less likely (but possible): gasoline in the pan contaminated the oil, washed the bearings (rods & mains) dry...
Possibly an error occurred in assembly. Wish I was there...

 

We may never know.........................

 

I had the same problem with mine in my '48. It's rock stock. Everything checked out but no boom. It ended up being the 6V starter. It got wet and just wasn't cranking over fast enough. Blew it apart, cleaned up (dried), installed & fired right up. Of coarse I went through just about everything else first.

 

I am working out carb issues on mine as well... flathead and a 97..

was having a hard time getting it to start and run.. wouldn't idle at all..... same problem when I could get it to idle with the choke on it was dumping gas through the mains..

ended up switching bases due to not being able to get the butterflies to close and seal in the base.. when I took it apart to swap the choke linkage I noticed the bushing that was on it was WAY loose.. didn't seem that bad when I was in the carb base..

I bored the other base I had and made a bushing for the throttle shaft and choke on the lathe... adjusted the butterflies were sealed up good when throttle was closed.... cleaned the carb and idle circuits good and installed it...

mixture screws out two turns.. and it started a lot easier now and turned them out 1/4 turn more and it idles and starts great... also no more gas being pulled from the mains...

I think the butterflies not closing and maybe a vacuum leak from the shaft was causing all my issues with starting... now I have to figure out why I t quits accelerating when I hit 45........

fun fun... good luck!!

 

The flathead in my car was hard to start when my dad owned the car. The first thing I did was fix that. Just like twenty8tudor it was carburetor problems. It was running two holly 94s. They had suffered over torquing over the years and dad installed 7.5 power values. I reflated the mating surfaces and put in 3.5 power values. The car starts fine now.

 

Yup, could be those Speedway Super 97's.

 

Pulled the motor out today, iv got to do the clutch on it too.. going to try a couple things tomorrow..
It may be reading low compression because the starters not turning fast enough. Dam 6volt
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I have converted many 6 volt tractors to 12 volt and never changed starters, they crank great! Just don't crank too long if you don't get boom and vroom ! Also did my 39 Tudor with 8ba 40 years ago....still has the same starter!

 

I was surprised when I was looking up new bases when I was fighting mine... I wondered why summit racing wanted 150 for a base and speedway was around 109..

Looked through the specs of them..

Summit is made of steel

Speedway was made out of aluminum

Kinda surprised to see that

 

I thought the motor was on the fresh side.
Did you find some major issue?

 

I had issues with mine, I didn't have enough cranking power from battery, ended up hooking up 2 batteries and she fired right up...