Technical Help Please

I have a 1931 Dodge Hot Rod with a 1935 Flathead V8 (21 stud)& 3spd manual. I bought it like this a year ago, running and driving, no issues that I new of. This summer it started to spit and sputter & eventually not running at all. I traced it to no power at spark plugs.
Things I know:
The car has been converted (pre my ownership) to 12v.
The generator (rebuilt pre my ownership)still on top, but due to not running I haven't been able to check the voltage on it
Lights, fuel pump, compressor and fans are all grounded to frame
The battery is grounded to frame
The motor & trans are grounded to frame and body
The motors condensor, coil, and distributor are as original (distributor was rebuilt, coil, condensor replaced with NOS)
The carb was rebuilt.
Under the dash there is a new ford solonoid. The prong at 9 o clock has battery in, the two prongs in middle ( one is used for power to coil via a ballast resistor (new mopar type, porcelain), the other is empty), the prong at 3 o clock goes starter.
The ballast resistor has the wire in from solonoid and wire out to condensor,coil, distributor on front of motor.

It won't start.

Questions:
There are two wires off generator, where should they go, what do they do and any specific voltage on these?
What should the voltage be coming out of ballast resistor going to coil?
There is a blue box under dash with three connectors marked: Arm, Flo, Battery I do not understand what that is or how to double check the wires to/from it?
Do I need to worry about the positive ground\negative ground? If so I need more help!

If you need more info, let me know!

Thanks, Erick

 

Welcome to HAMB
Quite an introduction...
No spark to the plugs is what I read as the problem and as a result, no run. Is it crank and no run?
Do you have 12V at the battery? Like if you turn on the headlights do they illuminate?
If it cranks, do you have spark from the coil to the dizzy?
enough questions from me

 

Yes sir I have 13.21V at battery, at solonoid, and at ballast resistor
Yes sir it will turn over but won't start
I am trying to fix but also learn

 

Some of the things that you need for the engine to run in simple terms:
Spark (ignition)You say that you don't have spark at the spark plugs so working backwards, do you have spark at the coil wire? If not we will go the primary side of the coil.
Fuel: You have gas in the gas tank and it doesn't smell like violin lacquer?
Compression: we are going to assume (I know, I know) that since it was running recently, you have compression
and maybe shoot and post a photo of the car.....and engine...

 

find a local old time mechanic...

 

Yes sir I did, JD is a flathead v8 ford guy, he rebuilt the distributor and the carb. In my pee brain I imagine something stupid. Kinda like having a sbc that just won't start, but a turn of the distributor, its running like a champ.

 

Gas, yes fresh, 10 gals, 2.5-3psi fuel pressure at carb
12.92V taken at solonoid, at ballast resistor, at condensor/coil/distributor.
I believe that is to much voltage at coil since that is 6v. I have 4 ballast resistors, they all show 12.92V in and 12.92V going out to coil

 

JD now is sick with Covid, and this flathead is not on his mind.

 

Might I suggest acquiring a new 12 volt coil and ditching the 6 volt coil and all those resisters. One resistor is sufficient. I would say that is your best bet.

 

So I've seen those before but was working with what I have,,,,but that was working but won't now. So maybe knows the time. Lol

 

A couple thoughts, first you say an NOS condenser, Thats not good, they dont age well and can die on the shelf. Anew one from Nappa, there is a number Bubba likes, I will look it up if no one else knows it. And even with a balast resistor I believe you are getting too much voltage at the coil. If you like the look of the original coil, Skip Hainy in florida rewinds them for 12 volts, google "ford collector". You can also buy a plate that covers your distributor where the coil now sits, and has a wire outlet to run a modern coil. The Bosch blue is the favorite, no ballast required with that coil

 

Thanks so much!! Is that last recommendation called " Remote ignition coil adapter" . I don't mind things changing and would prefer simplicity. Can you point me in that direction? Or a picture? I bet I could get one at speedway. Thanks again!

 

Need to figure out where your fire is getting lost. Run a hot wire from the battery directly to the coil to rule out the ignition switch. (Don't forget to unhook this when you're done or you will pop the coil.)

Pull the coil wire out of the distributor and hold it (by the boot, or it will zap you) near the block. If you get a hot blue lightning bolt, your problem is probably elementary (bad rotor, bad plug wires, or bad plugs). If you don't see lightning, pull the distributor cap off and crank it again, see if you have spark at the points.

A 6v coil will run on 12v for a long time before it fails. Don't worry about that right now.

 

Okay, I didn't realise that about the 6v coil. That settles my mind alittle

 

12V to a 6V coil could be that it finished off the 6V coil but that has to be confirmed.
Do you have spark off the coil wire to the dizzy?
I am trying to guide you thru a troubleshooting process.
If you do, then it could be a problem with the rotor causing no spark at the plug wires
If you don't, then it will be to check out the coil primary. If it checks OK, then it could be point gap has closed up. But until you go thru a troubleshooting sequence you are pissing into the wind....

 

You have talked about possibly replacing the coil, the condenser, some ballast resistors, even the generator, but so far we don’t even know if you have tried to troubleshoot. Shotgunning random new parts at it before you follow the basic troubleshooting steps will only further complicate the issue and burn money. It takes 5 minutes to run through the steps to figure out the problem. Showing voltage on a multimeter means nothing if you can’t physically see a spark where there’s supposed to be one.

 

Ok what's your 5 min of steps?

Fuel? Yes 2.5-3 psi to carb via manual gauge
Power? Yes 12.92V to coil (this seams to hi)
Spark? Yes but seams to me could be strong
Spark Plugs? Yes newer
Solonoid? Yes Replaced due to not working
Ballast Resistor? Yes replaced due to no voltage drop (12.92 in 12.92 out)
Condensor? Coil? Points? Yes replaced with NOS parts because others where original & showing wear & heat (plug wires are original)
Maybe I don't understand....I think I have checked what I know of...just as I would on my 440, 340, slant six or my lawnmower.

 

Like the others stated......"find where you DO have spark" and then work forward.
Slow down....enjoy the hunt....it's a hobby....these thangs are really 'simple' /low tech.
6sally6

 

A couple of you guys have suggested checking for spark on the coil wire. On these engines there is no coil wire as the coil sits on top of the distributor with the secondary contact rubbing directly on the rotor.

 

Okay, I Now have spark to plug when held against head, I have fuel in the carb and you can smell it, plugs smell of it,
I believe when we checked compression was somewhere between 5-1 to 7-1, I can't remember.

 

Sir mine doesn't look like that. It looks kinda like a turtle shell, held on by 3 bolts, condensor between it and block. Post is between the coil and condensor.

 

Okay, if it was running and driving the wiring must be at least near correct. Don't worry about the generator or other circuits, focus on what it takes to get it running again. Your comment on compression makes no sense. You need a compression gauge to test the psi the cylinder is capable of pumping. You need at least 100 psi to get the engine to run. You say you have spark and fuel and that the plugs are wet. It is possible that you have washed down the cylinders with gasoline and now have low compression. A compression test will verify that. Pull the dipstick and see if you can smell gasoline in the oil. If that's the case you need to change the oil, squirt a small amount into each plug hole and turn the engine over with the plugs out.

As others have said you need fuel, spark and compression for the engine to run. You also need the spark to occur at the proper time. According to your statements you have at least two of these. Now verify the compression.

 

Replaced ballast resistor....usually, when one goes bad they pass no power thru them, not full power. So, you say you have replaced the solenoid, with the modern black plastic thing I assume, do you know that one terminal is to give full voltage while starting , and then regular running ignition power would go thru the ballast, which should go down to about 6 volts

 

Thank you, I can do that. Appreciate you keeping it simple. My friend did the compression, but in probably didn't understand. I will go get a gauge. Also you mentioned the fuel, I pulled a plug out and it was wet with fuel, so I pulled them all out. Cleaned them. The cylinders are left plug less alowing them to air out. Is that ok?

 

1- to battery
1-to starter
1-goes to ballast resistor with 12.92v
1-nothing attached.
Is this right?

 

Ok sir, on 6 cylinders I have 100 on 2 I have 90, fuel is in the oil. So I have drained oil and left plugs out of cylinders.

 

You still don't have what some are calling a coil wire. Your secondary (high voltage) connection goes directly to the rotor.

 

Is that within the coil\distributor? I have only one wire that goes to the, condensor/coil/distributor and it comes from ballast resistor in cab.

 

On the solenoid, 2 big terminals, one to battery, one to starter. the two small terminals are sometimes marked S and I which S ( start) should be the trigger for the solenoid to connect, and I ( ignition) would be full voltage to the points to give a hotter spark when starting, but should not be hot when you turn off the starter. Its not necessary, but a good feature the engineers thought. what are you using for an ignition switch?