hello, need a crash course

[brewster mike]

Hi everyone.

Name is Mike,

I'm a 29 year old BMW master technician, who builds Chevy v8 powered Nissan race cars and has a boxer named Charlie.

picked up a 30 sedan turned pick up this weekend. I want to get this thing running, but I'm not to familiar with the engine/ignition setup. I know I'm missing the fuel line and glass bowl, and I'm missing the plug wires from the ignition side. The coil and wiring is there.

Here is a pic, if you see anything else missing, pls let me know, and any tips and hints would be appreciated. It does spin freely by hand.

[Milton]

Welcome to the forum.
I don't see the following.

Throttle rod.
Choke spring, washer and sleeve.

Also, change the fluids, oil the dist and gen. and check the water pump packing and grease both ends of the pump.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Yo, Mike,
Hope I don't come across wrong, get a good manual and bone up on the basics. MODELABASICS.COM has a lot of info. Very first thing, install a standpipe filter in top of fuel valve before you proceed to clean out entire fuel system.
Just lookin'at pics, I think you probably have a week long project to get this dude smokin.'
Some think that a little gas, a little oil, and a few new parts thrown at it, and it will miraculously run like a top-------don't happen!! It took years to get this way, and it will take time, $$$$, and skills to "WAKE" it up. We're here to help. Bill W.

[Steve Plucker]

CHECK OUT THAT FAN...DID I MENTION TO CHECK OUT AND LOOK THAT RUSTY FAN OVER VERY WELL AND I MEAN VERY WELL...

If there is a slight crack, and most of the time you do not see the crack, within the fan blades themselves, one could come flying off and I hate to even think of the consequences that might and may happen as you or your friends are standing there admiring the "running" of the engine.

Without seeing it...even seeing it... scares me. Many on this board can attest to the problems with these original two blade fans. To many accidents with them especially if they have not been carefully looked over...and then there are cases where they have been looked over and WHAM...a blade comes flying off and let me tell you...those flying blades do not have eyes and do not give a darn as to the path they take when the do come flying off.

If you are a neophyte on this stuff...just get a second opinion.

Just be safe about it...we want you around awhile!...We don't want to see that type of "crash cource"!

Pluck

[ctlikon0712]

Here is what I would do.
Put about a cup of ATF in each cylinder with the plugs out and let it sit overnight. Open up the distributor and clean the 4 lobed cam on the shaft that the points ride on. Make it shiny. Don’t move the distributor or loosen the screw on top of the shaft, hopefully the timing is still correct. File and clean the points and the next day when you turn the engine over with the hand crank stop it at one point when the rubbing block is on the peak of one of the lobes and set the gap at 0.020” with a feeler gage. After turning the engine over a few times by hand, drain the engine oil. Inspect how it looks. If it’s black but flows out your golden, if it’s milky and has allot of that goo in it you may have to go further into her. If it comes out in clumps then you need to pull the distributer (Note the orientation of the pointers direction) and the oil fill cap and pour diesel fuel into the engine to flush the lifter gallery and oil pan out. Once that is good, be sure it all drains out and before putting the distributor back in pour a quart of oil in that hole also. Put 4 ½ quarts into the pan, clean the plugs, grease the water pump (2 fittings and they may be different than the ones your used to seeing) If so let us know and we’ll go from there, and lube the Generator(should have 2 flip top oil caps). That should get you ready to try and add a battery and fuel to her. It should need a 6V battery with the positive to the frame (grounded) and I would avoid that tank right now. Find a way to feed her fuel from a known clean source. Oh and I almost forgot. While she is sitting overnight take the carb off and soak it in the diesel also, then take it apart and clean it. Hopefully soaking it will enable you to save the gasket. When that is all done, I or someone will pipe in on how to properly set your controls for a first time start. This is all that I can think of. Hopefully if I’ve missed something the guys will fill in the blanks. Good luck and keep us informed.

[Mike V. Florida]

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Where are you located? Maybe there is someone here close to you that can help.

[Jack '29 Sport Coupe]

Mike, "We hardly know ye" so how about an undate on your profile and let us know
a bit about you and your car! An avatar picture would be nice, along with a location,
etc., etc. Mike V. is correct about the chance that there is someone close to you
that can help with your project. From what I see in the picture you need more info
than the folks can provide on this forum. You need to hook up with someone who
can "eyeball" your car up front and personal. Oh, and welcome to the forum!

Jack

[brewster mike]

Thanks for all the great info. I updated my profile and first posr with a little about myself.

Basically I'm not needing any info on how to make an engine run, just this particular engine. Im so overloaded with bmw knowledge, that something this "simple" is complicated to me. Haha, where are the computers?

It's amusing to me talking to some of the old timers around here, they hate/just don't understand all the modern electronics/fuel injection, and are amazed i work with it so well.

On the flip side, while i have a basic under standing, of carbs, points, etc, I have no practical experience with them. It's a shame, and id really like to learn it. They just don't teach it anymore, as its not something that helps you make them money in a modern shop.

Anyway, enough rambling from me, let's see if we can wake the old girl up.

Engine oil is straight 30? What do I use in the generator? I'll do some more reading as i find it.

[George Miller]

Good chance you are going to have some valves stuck with that engine.

[V4F]

basically , just do what you know . a good mechanic is a good mechanic ! check / replace fluids , lots of grease points . check the gas tank for rust , radiator also . battery is under the floor (drivers side) with access panel in floor . 6v pos ground . you would do well with a book . i use the red book from les andrews . same as any motor -- gas , spark , compression . the motor had 55# / cylinder when in good cond. if you get rust out of the gas tank , i would double in line filter it to start . lots of great info here on this site !!! oil is detergent 30 wt. , use the same on gen / dist . all you have to do is dumb down ! LOL i used marvel mystery oil in the gas tank to clean things up as in stuck valves , etc .

[Frank Miller]

If it turns you can spin it and do a compression test or turn it by hand and do a leak down test. They still teach that stuff, right? Also if you do not have a 6 volt battery you can get it running with 12 volts. Remember these are positive ground.

[Roadster62]

Welcome to the forum, you'll need some parts, the nearest vendor is Tam's http://www.modelaparts.com/default.aspx I'm not connected with them, just a happy customer. Most parts arrive the next day. Bob

[jeremy.klinger]

Is there a coil on the firewall? I don't see the ignition cable going into the distributer, spark advance rod from the left lever by the steering wheel to distributer. Good project with original parts for sure!

[brewster mike]

Originally Posted by Frank Miller

If it turns you can spin it and do a compression test or turn it by hand and do a leak down test. They still teach that stuff, right? Also if you do not have a 6 volt battery you can get it running with 12 volts. Remember these are positive ground.

Thank you for making the first wise ass comment. Now I know this is a real forum.


Thanks for the links to parts and reading material, that's what I'm looking for. The coil is there, but the wiring is terrible so I'm redoing that. There is no floor, and no battery. I think i got a battery tray in the box of parts it came with.

Thanks for the compression info, I gave to track down an appropriate adapter for my gauge.

The rad hoses are cut, I'm gonna run some water through and see what comes out.

[Frank Miller]

Originally Posted by brewster mike

Thank you for making the first wise ass comment. Now I know this is a real forum.


Thanks for the links to parts and reading material, that's what I'm looking for. The coil is there, but the wiring is terrible so I'm redoing that. There is no floor, and no battery. I think i got a battery tray in the box of parts it came with.

Thanks for the compression info, I gave to track down an appropriate adapter for my gauge.

The rad hoses are cut, I'm gonna run some water through and see what comes out.

I was half joking. You just do not see burned valves and worn rings like you did in the old days. It is nothing for today's motors to be mechanically sound for over 300,000 miles. It is mind boggling for me though when I consider that someone in the repair business with 30 years experience may have never adjusted a set of points. I will readily admit that without the delete and backspace key I would not be able to type.

[Kurt in NJ]

Drop the pan before you even try to start it, most likely there is 2" of sludge that settled out of the oil ---especially if the dipstick looks to have "clean" oil ---the most likely non detergent oil lets all the "dirt" fall out of suspension when sitting

I just went through this with a 57 BMW Isetta, "why do you want to take the pan off before you start it??" --"the oil is clean" ---then I took off the pan, the sludge covered the screen, was 2" deep ----then the response was---WOW, if it had been run it would have ruined the engine.

Between the owners man, and a Brattons catalogue(nice exploded views of assemblys), and the service bulletins (fords version of a shop man) ---after reading these you should be able to program the ignition and fuel mixture computer.

There is a spring on the bottom of the oil pump, it holds it in place, on most old engines that I have taken apart it is broken or compromised by corrosion

[Rusty Homestead Fl]

Here's a very good tutorial by Tom Endy on rebuilding the Zenith carb that you have on your A. It helped me out greatly. It takes my computor a little while to down load but thats just my computor. Best of luck !http://modelabasics.com/Carb/ZenithC...l2011-2007.pdf

[brewster mike]

Originally Posted by Frank Miller

If it turns you can spin it and do a compression test or turn it by hand and do a leak down test. They still teach that stuff, right? Also if you do not have a 6 volt battery you can get it running with 12 volts. Remember these are positive ground.

Originally Posted by Frank Miller

I was half joking. You just do not see burned valves and worn rings like you did in the old days. It is nothing for today's motors to be mechanically sound for over 300,000 miles. It is mind boggling for me though when I consider that someone in the repair business with 30 years experience may have never adjusted a set of points. I will readily admit that without the delete and backspace key I would not be able to type.

My last name is miller. Relation or not, I understsnd your humor. Also, I'm 30 years old, not 30 years experienced.

I'm gonna order some ignition parts that are missing, when they show up ill put it on tge lift and get started.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Frank Miller

If it turns you can spin it and do a compression test or turn it by hand and do a leak down test. They still teach that stuff, right? Also if you do not have a 6 volt battery you can get it running with 12 volts. Remember these are positive ground.

[QUOTE=brewster mike;436543]Thank you for making the first wise ass comment. Now I know this is a real forum.


Thanks for the links to parts and reading material, that's what I'm looking for. The coil is there, but the wiring is terrible so I'm redoing that. There is no floor, and no battery. I think i got a battery tray in the box of parts it came with.

Thanks
for the compression info, I gave to track down an appropriate adapter for my gauge.

Hi mike,
Go the route your taking points,oil, run an alt fuel source to carb, is a good point brought up And see what you got. Listen to all the suggestions and you'll figure it out.. You might find you will need to clean out the carb and needle and seat or float valve in model A terms. If you find the need call me at my shop 215-624-8000 Or pm me andill walk you through some of the stuff. Don't worry about the wise asses some guys have there pants and suspenders pulled to tight

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Mike,
I gotta'learn to read, as I didn't notice that you were a BMW Master Tech before I started to blab on post #3, sorry. Gregg, my son, and I are ASE master techs and it took me an hour to get him straight on doing the dist & setting the timing 'cause it's all bass-ackwards from his old muscle car drag racer. He couldn't understand WHY the switch cuts the power between the coil & the dist??? Told him, "I don't know, I didn't design the damn thing!"
Smarts ass remarks are part of this blog, GREAT fun, and we all learn a lot!
Bill W. (And The Ghost, & Buster The Vicious Rat Terrier, & Gregg)