Re: 1948 Standard Eight will not start

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2010/8/8 16:04:08

Let's figure this out. First, are you getting gas and spark?

To see if it is getting gas look down the carb and pump the throttle. If you see a squirt of gas, you are getting gas. Check the gas gauge first, duh.

To see if it is getting spark disconnect one spark plug and hold the wire about 1/4" away from the engine. Have someone turn the key and see if you get sparks when the engine turns over. A white or blue spark is ideal but a yellow one is almost as good. Be careful you don't get a lifter but if you do it proves the spark is good.

If you have a spare spark plug you can plug it in and lay it on the engine then observe if it sparks when you turn the engine over. This is a safer way to do it.

From the symptoms you describe I would guess it is out of gas.