**February is for Bangin'** Feb 2013 Banger Meet

I do not know much about Rebel wiring kits. I order my wiring from Macs or Sacramental vintage Ford. You can buy different and separate harnesses. They come cut to lenght, correct ends, and are color coded to the original drawings. They look like original. They are simple and easy to install. I run an an original Power House generator and 6 volt positive ground. I use the fuse on the starter and one on the power house output. I am happy with the current set up.

 

Having a fuse on the generator output is BAD!

If the fuse blows while you are driving, the output of the generator (the generator being a third brush unit) Will rise to the point that the generator will self destruct in a very short time. This is because the nature of third brush units is that they try to control amperage output--and when the generator is disconnected from the rest of the system (by the blown fuse) there is no current flowing (amperage) so the voltage goes sky high.

You can actually use a 6 volt third brush generator to charge a 12 volt system without any modification other than adjusting the third brush to cut the amp output to about half what the safe level was on 6V--with the A Ford about 15 amps. The safe level is the amount of heat that the generator is capable of dissipating--this is measured in watts. Watts equal volts times amps. To charge the battery, the generator must put out more voltage than the battery. In the case of a 6V system this is about 7.5 volts, so 7.5 times 15 amps equals about 112 watts.
One hundred twelve watts divided by 15V (approximate 12V charging voltage) equals 7.5 amps safe limit. Actually, in real life this can be upped to 10A without any problem, because the A generators have a large safety margin.

Probably much more than you wanted to know about Ford generators.

Herb

 

The fuse on the generator will protect the generator if the points stick and the generator wants to motor. This fuse will probably not blow when the generator is running.

 

Anyone have access to the article from Restorer with the square bowl carburetors offered for the 'A's.?

 

Back to the ignition....I tried to see if I could get a spark from the coil-to-cap wire by removing it from the distributor and holding it to a head bolt.

I tried two different coils with the same outcome.....no spark at the head bolt, no matter where I held it! Unless it was so incredibly faint that I couldn't see it inside my garage...under poor fluorescent lighting! (mental note: NEW LIGHTS!)

Let's see....
6v to starter...check!
6v to each side of coil...check!
6v to point post...check!
...and...
6v to the coil-to-cap wire (when not energizing the starter)!

Any suggestions?

 

did you make sure positive to positive and negative to negative on the coill? 6v coil? just getting back to basics before you spend money.

sounds like a bad condensor, I had the same problem. I swapped out the originals points plate for a modern one that has a modern condensor mounted right on it. It was a cheap fix. Pic attached.

 

Skryla

Yep, neg wire from starter block to neg side of coil, then wire from pos coil to terminal to distributor base, right? I'm skipping the ammeter and switch at the moment, and just clipping the coil to the starter block with a large alligator clip.

As I mentioned above, it was suggested that I pull the coil-to-cap ignition wire (to the rotor) to see if I can get a spark to a headbolt....no luck! But there is 6v on the wire! That eliminates the condenser out of the circuit. Any other suggestions?

 

Personally, I got fed up. Bought a new coil; plugs; cap; modern points assembly, and fired it up. I did the same as you bypassing all circuits and wired direct to the coil from the battery with alligator clips. Once she fired up, I reintroduced the ignition circuit to the dizzy and coild.

make sure the wire attached to the points is not partially or fully grounding out to the inside of the dizzy. sometimes they fray and ground out.

 

Take the cap off. There has to be a wire or clip connecting the condensor to the points. Remove it, which eliminates the condensor. If you don't have spark then you have other problems. If you do have spark replace the condensor, as was suggested. The engine will run without a condensor, but will burn the points.

 

Is there a GOOD earth from the battery to the engine block/distributor body ? ( the engine mounts are NOT a good earth.

are the points opening AND CLOSING?

They have to do both for it to work. Try holding that lead near an earth point and opening and closing the points with a screwdriver ( insulated ).
If you turn the motor until the points are open ( distributor cap removed) and then just bridge the gap with the tip of the screwdriver and then remove it , that should produce a spark...about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. ( Do it with the lights off ..poor lights are better than bright lights for seeing the spark.
Once you have spark from the coil lead to the head...try turning the motor again .

If there is spark using the screwdriver but not when turning the motor over the points are probably either not opening and closing, or the points are burned and dirty....carefully file them with a points file so that they close with the faces parallel to each other. If they are really badly burned the condenser is probably faulty.

The standard test for the condensor used to be to usea lead to charge it up ( being careful at all times to avoid touching both the body and the lead simultaneously. Once charged you throw it to the apprentice telling him to "catch this", if he lights up the condenser is fine...doing it's job.

If there is no spark when you flick the points with with the screwdriver then the points are not switching...either no current to them or no earth from them.
Once you get a consistent spark at the head bolt try to the top of the rotor...if it sparks there the rotor is faulty...earthing.
If not put the cap on and try starting the car again. ( assuming the timing is correct)

 

The head is polished and ready to instal.

Before:




After:

 

Well, i finally got back to the rear main seal thing on my B. The second casting worked fine, much better. I ddi get a " beige" seal but it really didn't fit well. I used a chevy 350 main cap for my dimensions, the fine print on the beige one said it was oversized for a 400, no problem the blue one fits perfect.
I had to cut away the outside of the rear main cap to accomodate the seal, bored it 3.12", the only machining needed to my engine for this. An easy one, non critical.

I made an insert to hold the seal in the outer groove from 3/8" aluminium plate. Much easier than working with a casting. Still it took me the best part of the day.

Here's pics from the day's efforts

 

Here is two more final ones. I forgot to take pix of the upper piece being machined but well...

I hope to put the motor together tomorrow...

Cheers!

Matt

 

Saw this on the main board. No other info.

 

Looks good Matt,
How do you like the fit of that crank?


.

 

I think the Scat crank is about the nicest A/B crank I've seen. I hope to get it bolted in tomorrow and possibly fill all the other holes in that block, then I'll say for sure.
I did plasti gauge the mains and they are dead on. I am using stock SBC rod bearings for the mains, 2 pair per cap.

The crank came with a sweet set of H beam rods ( it is drilled for full pressure). I have a set of custom JE pistons full floating wrist pins, high compression ( 8.5-1). They are pop ups so I'll be running the Cragar head. I don't know which intake yet, they seem to be falling out of the sky around the shop these days!
I am keeping my eyes open for another B motor to bolt the Riley 2 port on.

 

Lazlo,

Did you have to align hone the mains in order to use the SBC bearings?
or have the block decked then align bore the mains?

It looks like a nice setup, tell us how it runs.

John

 

Does anyone know where I can get a new cap, rotor, tune up parts for a Mallory type 11a model YL distributor?

I'm thinking that will be my first upgrade.

 

I believe I have found the first of many problems....My points were closing, but it was not making contact, therefore never completing the circuit. I completely disassembled the dizzy, checked all connectors and isolators, and reassembled. It all worked right up until I checked the circuit across the points. Sanded the contacts, wiped them clean, and voila.....success. Well, at least I found THAT problem. Now I know I need points, because I would still occasionally lose continuity. I would have to play with them to make them work. Finally, I connected one multi-meter lead to the ground side of the coil, the other to engine ground, and cycled the points. I could watch the meter and tell when the points closed fully or not by whether the volts went to zero or not...open indicated 6V, closed indicated 0v.

Still not sure on the rotor and/or coil. I ran out of time to check the other coil. I do believe, though that I am getting discharge at the high tension coil wire. I heard it arc once....once! (in my Joe Piscapo, "Johnny Dangerously" voice!)

I'm one step closer, guys!!!

Thanks rwd_pete!

 

Caps are rare, check with Bubba's. Rotor might be available from Jeg's or summit. Sometimes pieces come up on ebay, I bought a new set of Mallory points for a cast iron single. I also bought a bag with a good rotor, condenser, and some good used dual points for like $30. There was a seller from Canada that sold a box (10 pieces) of condensers one by one. I bought the last two so he gave me the empty Mallory box!
http://www.lindertech.com/bhrs/index.html

 

Matt--

Nice job on the seal!

One suggestion. I don't know how much wear your Bridgeport has, but if it is the least bit tired you are better off working on the canter area of the table. If you trammed the head to the center of the table, then go off to the end and re-check you might find a surprising amount of error--especially with a heavy piece like the rotary table on the other end. Try it and see--a good way of determining amount of wear on table and saddle.

Herb

 

Something interesting on Australian Ebay today

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/VINTAGE-...=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35c4afaa68

Brendan

 

be interesting to know who made it and was it any good

 

It kinda looks like a crowsfoot type combustion chamber.

 

Neat looking pattern. Doesn't look like there is provisions for a water pump.

.

 

Isn't the part on the left the water passages? If it were the fins on top of the head, it would be a reverse, right?

Kinda tough to visually see the negative and imagine the positive....

 

Antique Nationals June 2 at Irwindale, 1/8 mile. Sounds like Fontana will be reopening. Or is open.

 

those patterns are no good without the core boxes to make water jackets. You are only half way there towards making heads

 

I think the one on the right is the corebox, the other one will be the pattern in two pieces.???

 

No the pattern is a positive...the same shape as the finished part. It goes into the casting sand which forms the "negative" and is then removed before the metal is poured.