Has Anyone had problems with ignition systems on merc flatheads? I put in new dist with electronic ign but still have same problem. If it don't start with the frirst three or four rotations of the engine, forget it. After that the dist dosen't seem to have enough voltage. The battery is in the trunk, could the cable be too small? Could it be a bad key switch? Someone please help!!!
Flathead electronic ignition is out of my realm, sorry. Now if you were running points I may be able to help.
Is it 6 or 12 volt? I used to have a hard start problem with my 6 volt system because I used a 12 volt battery cable by mistake. Got a thicker 6 volt one and it solved the problem.
[ QUOTE ] Has Anyone had problems with ignition systems on merc flatheads? I put in new dist with electronic ign but still have same problem. If it don't start with the frirst three or four rotations of the engine, forget it. After that the dist dosen't seem to have enough voltage. The battery is in the trunk, could the cable be too small? Could it be a bad key switch? Someone please help!!! [/ QUOTE ] I'd say you need to explain your problem in more detail. What sounds are you hearing?
If it spins slower each rev then I would suspect a cable/ground issue or the starter itself. If you are running 12V on the 6V starter that thing should spin real fast. A flatty doesnt require more than a sniff of spark to fire if the compression hasnt been raised significantly. Give us some more details.
I started my flatty this weekend after sitting for the winter started right up. Being one of the nicer days weve had so far, it felt good getting the FNAbone out. If youre running a Mallory, check the shaft. A friend had one that was busted and had to return it. I use the original dist. modified to 12 volt electric by Mickey Redmund never had a problem.
It will start and run fine but you have to bump the starter to fire it off. The starter is 12 Volt, the cable is 12 volt, hell i just drove it two months ago with this same problem. when i hold down the starter button it will spin all day without cranking. but just bump the starter and it will fire up. Could it be timing maybe?
The car will start and run, I'm the only one who knows the "trick". But if i don't make it start the correct way, I'm afraid some time at the gas station or something i won't be able to start it.
[ QUOTE ] It will start and run fine but you have to bump the starter to fire it off. The starter is 12 Volt, the cable is 12 volt, hell i just drove it two months ago with this same problem. when i hold down the starter button it will spin all day without cranking. but just bump the starter and it will fire up. Could it be timing maybe? [/ QUOTE ] When you say "cable is 12 volt"; WHAT GUAGE WIRE?? Also you should consider a ground cable that runs from the battery to the engine. BOTH should be at least #2 guage.
Cables are #2 gauge. ground is attached at rear and 2nd ground is attached from engine to frame. i've ground down and welded a stud to frame in rear to attach ground with no change to problem. i'm not sure if body is grounded to frame . could that be a problem?
Could it be a wiring problem? It sounds like you are missing voltage to the coil when the starter is running? Try connect a wire directly to the coil/distrubutor, and then crank the engine, if it starts then you have a wiring problem, otherwise i would go the check groundstrap, and all connections route. Some igintion contacts will shut of the power to auxillary units when the starter is engaged, ant the power to the coil will come from a connection on the starter, this connection is not aviable on the flathead. Just some thougts.............
On my flathead (EAB), the starter bolts to a flywheel cover/ starter mounting plate. The stater bolts run through the starter and bolt to this plate. I was having a similar problem and when I pulled this plate, I saw that the captive nuts had broken the factory spot welds. This allowed the starter to sag so that it wasn't engaging the flywheel when I cranked it over. I welded those captive nuts back on and I haven't had that problem since. You may want to check it out. Umm... your, uh CAPTIVE NUTS. -r
[ QUOTE ] when i hold down the starter button it will spin all day without cranking [/ QUOTE ] Do you mean the starter will spin, but it won't turn the engine over, or the starter spins the motor but it won't fire up? If it is the latter then you might have a problem with that bypass device that sends current direct to the coil without going thru the ballast resistor when you engage the starter, if you have that stuff fitted. Do you have fat sparks when it is turning over endlessly? USA and GB. Two great nations divided by a common language
sounds like the wires from the relay[starter solenoid] are wrong.....it should not cut the fire to coil but souns like thta is what is happening...also replace the ceramic in line resistor if you are running that....it should not be in place on your electronic conversion-JUST WHEN YA HAVE POINTS.
Two things--either as several have pointed out your wiring is wrong and there is NO juice to ignition, or there is too much voltage drop during cranking and ignition isn't getting enough juice. Look at a volt meter hooked to coil terminal during these events or just hook up a test bulb from coilt to switch terminal and see if it goes out or dims greatly during cranking.
I think Mr42 might be on to something. Same thing happened on MarkX's car. We cranked and cranked and it wouldn't start. What was happening is that the coil was not getting juice when the starter was engaged, but when the key was just on, but not turning the starter, the coil was getting juice. There is where the frustration was. We would crank and it wouldn't start, so, then we would stop cranking it and test to see if it was getting power to the coil with just the ignition on. When the starter was not cranking, we saw that power was there. We never checked to see if the power was there when actually cranking. Try hooking a wire directly from your battery to the "in" side of your coil. "out" side would go to the distributor. Then try starting it. When you say you are "bumping" the starter, I bet you are kicking over the motor just enough to give it some inertia, but then disengaging the starter, allowing the distributor coil to come back on and fire. Did that make any sense?
Elrod i think i see what your saying. the voltage to the coil is not there when the starter is engaged. but when i let off the button it comes on and fires up. SHAZAMMM! i'll try the jumper wire tommorrow and see if it starts THANX!!!!
Lowmaster, if all else fails; use ANOTHER battery to power the coil. Sounds like you have the ground to the starter OK. But make sure the ground to the body is good as well. Without knowing how your starter relay is mounted, (e.g. - on the body) you might have a wiring problem. Question: Are you using a 12 volt starter relay? How many terminals are on it? If it has the two BIG posts (battery in and battery out) AND TWO small terminals; one of the small terminals will have an "S" and the other an "I"; the "S" is hooked to the STARTER switch and the "I" should be hooked to the "+" side of the coil. This allows for current to flow to the coil when the starter is engaged. Last question; does the battery have enough "poop" (is it fully charged) to power BOTH the starter AND the coil??? I'm shooting BLIND here, just trying to help.
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