Re: Starting a 1954 after 25 years...

Posted by HH56 On 2017/6/8 12:33:59

With all you changed I would reverify the spark first. On some distributors there is a flexible wire inside that connects the points to the outside terminal. The wire is covered with cloth insulation. On many occasions that cloth has rotted and as soon as the distributor and wire is disturbed to change the points and condenser a chunk of the cloth falls away. Most times a portion of the wire is hidden so if the cloth falls off unseen, possibly a short has developed and is preventing a spark.

Also verify the voltage supply at the coil while the engine is cranking. If the voltage falls below about 5v when the starter is running the spark will be very weak and may not be able to jump the gap under compression. That can happen if the starter motor is pulling excess current. It can also be caused by dirty connections, too small a capacity battery or, if the cables have been replaced, too small of battery cables. Typical battery cables sold today at parts stores are too small -- even those rated at 6v.

If the spark is still good then I would check the compression. With being stored in a damp environment one or more of the valve stems could have rusted causing the valves to stick in the guide. That has been a problem found by a few people when trying to start long sitting cars.

The black cover on the carb side and spring is for the choke so eventually that will have to be fixed but as long as the choke is closed when you are trying to start now it shouldn't cause an immediate issue. Once the engine starts you can manually open the choke. I would still verify the carb is not varnished up and fuel is able to pass thru the jets. If the compression and spark checks out then I would think about a carb rebuild sooner rather than later.