First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Hello All, first time poster here. Earlier this summer my wife inherited he dads 1932 Model 18. This car had been sitting in a garage for more than 20 years. I have been trying to get it running, but it just doesn't have enough compression to run. A couple of cylinders are between 70 to 80 pounds, but the rest are below 60. It tries to run, but its just doesn't have enough strong cylinders to do so. I don't believe it has the original engine in it, but what I do know is that it is a 21 stud, 3 bolt timing cover, and it had a Stromberg 97 on it. I have replaced the carb with one from Speedway, rebuilt the fuel pump, and replaced the fuel pump push rod. All these fixes work well, so compression is the hold up here. So after typing all of this, We are looking for somebody to do some mechanical/electrical work. We are located in central Illinois, roughly 3 hours from both St Louis and Chicago. But the more local the better. If anyone knows of someone who might be of some help, that would be greatly appreciated. This car is quite special to my wife, but also its a pretty rare example of a Model 18. I will include some pics of it.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Beautiful car with a nice story. It deserves to be driven.



The engine will start and run with cylinders between 50 and 80 psi. And after running a while, the compression may improve, as the valves and rings reseat.



Have you confirmed that you have a good spark at every cylinder when cranking. Remove each spark plug wire and hold it near the block while cranking. It should jump half an inch with a white or blue spark. If weak and yellow, the ignition system will need some work. If you have a weak spark, try cranking it with a little starting fluid (ether) shot directly into the carb.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

I have the same car but it is a 4 cylinder. You can tell if your engine is original by looking at the drain plugs on the side of the block near the front, they should point straight down for a 1932 engine. I think it would start even with that low compression. Have you checked for a spark by holding the wire next to a plug? You might want to check out the Early Ford V8 Club in your area, https://www.earlyfordv8.org/Regional_Club_Directory.cfm. By all means buy a copy of the restoration guidelines from the club, https://shop.efv8.org/collections/fo...tbound-all-new

Charlie Stephens

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Thanks for the reply. I have confirmed that there is spark on the font 2 cylinders, and the spark is strong there. I haven't done each cylinder separately though. Will have to try that. I have tried starting fluid, and brake clean, but it wouldn't event try on that. I have had the best luck using 2 stroke gas mix, but mostly all it will do is start, stumble a bit then die. After that, all It will do is hit on what I believe is the strongest of the cylinders. I will take a look to make sure all the plugs are getting spark, and if not, dig into the distributor.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Fabulous car! Owners of a car like that would be very welcome to join a Regional Group of the Eraly ford V8 Club of America. From your general location, likely the closest Regional Group would be Pekin Illinois, RG# 51. Contact: [email protected] 309-645-6031 Help is closeby!

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

I just went out to look, and yes the drain plugs on both sides,(in the block just behind where the lower radiator hose goes into the block) do point straight down. also, it does have the 18 x 1.5mm threaded spark plugs in as well. I will look into the possible spark issue some time tis week. Also thanks for the links, I have no experience in dealing with these old cars, and all the people around me that did, have now passed on, so any guidance is a big help.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

When we lived in Champaign County years ago the Early V8 folks in Pekin were a very active bunch. Worth checking into.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

[QUOTE=ford38v8;2334904]Fabulous car! Owners of a car like that would be very welcome to join a Regional Group of the Eraly ford V8 Club of America. From your general location, likely the closest Regional Group would be Pekin Ill.

Thank you. We are roughly 60mi from Pekin. I have showed the links that you sent to my wife, and we will be looking into them.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Welcome on board! You have a real cool 32 - glad that you're working to get it on the road!

Given the other work you've done, sure seems like an electrical issue to me. Put a timing light on each of the spark leads and see if they're firing.

Also, you may want to have the distributor gone through (highly recommended) - talk to Mike at ThirdGen automotive. Also, it isn't a bad idea to upgrade the advance mechanism while he is at it (he knows exactly what this means).

Best of luck!

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Welcome! What a beauty! You're at the right place for the best guidance. I had no prior experience working with cars and got mine running. If you have the desire to learn and try it, you'll get it running. Don't get discouraged if your first steps take longer to yield results. Old cars have usually a hidden history of repairs and workarounds. Be methodical in your approach and start with the basics. To get the car running you need spark, fuel, and air. So go with each component and seek to understand when things don't go as planned. This group will hold you hand. Remember, we like pictures!

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Thanks. I'm trying to figure this car out as I go along, but it has had a lot of years of others monkeying with it. It looks Like I should be looking into the spark next. I am toying with maybe putting a E-Fire on it for spark. But with all the suggestions I have gotten in the short time I have been on this site, I am sure I will get it running soon. And since you like pictures here are a few more of the car.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Thanks. The Barn likes pictures. The car is right-hand drive. Was it imported from a Commonwealth country or from South America. Ford opened in 1916 its second factory in Argentina and all cars came out left-hand.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

If you’re looking for some assistance, you might want to contact Larry Shepard in St. Louis. He does lots of old Ford repair work and is very familiar with all manner of flathead challenges. He’s on Fordbarn as Larrys40.

Good luck with your ‘32. I’m partial to them, as I have a ‘32 Victoria

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

A start and a stumble is great progress! Do check that all cylinders are getting a spark, but also suspect that the reason it does not keep running is that the carburetor needs service. After cranking a bit, peek down into the throat of the carburetor; have someone pump the throttle to the floor a few times. Each time you should see the accelerator pump squirt a nice little stream of gas in to each barrel of the carb. If no, we will advise on how to work backwards from there to find out why the carb is not getting fuel. If yes, the situation is more complicated. Could still be ignition; could be carb main jet path gummed up.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Best guess is that it's from Argentina or Uruguay (or Paraguay) and therefore basically of U.S. manufacture. The cylinder heads look like locally made (Industria Argentina) replacements. The original '32 heads had the larger 7/8" openings for the spark plugs.

Judging from the dome lamp location, it was originally a deluxe Fordor and not a standard Fordor with cowl lamps (standard equipment on all '32s originally sold in Argentina).

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

I couldn't read the heads marking. Most likely assembled in Argentina. It was the hub back then for Latin America. You might be able to find the first owner if you contact the Argentine Ford V8 club.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Yes this car was built in Argentina. Says "Indrustria Argentina" on several places on the car. The heads are the easiest to spot, but the key, air cleaner, and gas cap all say the same. My Father in law bought it at a car auction in Rochelle Ill in 1985, but he never did find out when, or how it found its way to the states. Mother in law said before she passed that they were lead to believe that this was the only one like it here in the states. Don't know if that is true or not, but I know that I have never seen a right hand drive one before this one.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

[QUOTE=drolston;2334952]A start and a stumble is great progress! Do check that all cylinders are getting a spark, but also suspect that the reason it does not keep running is that the carburetor needs service. After cranking a bit, peek down into the throat of the carburetor; have someone pump the throttle to the floor a few times. Each time you should see the accelerator pump squirt a nice little stream of gas in to each barrel of the carb. If no, we will advise on how to work backwards from there to find out why the carb is not getting fuel. If yes, the situation is more complicated. Could still be ignition; could be carb main jet path gummed up.[/QUOT

I was blaming the carb at first, so that's why I replaced it with the Stromberg knockoff from Speedway. I also rebuilt the fuel pump with a NapCo kit from 3rd Gen. The gas tank is, in my opinion, beyond repair, so I have been running a hose from the pump to a gas can. It pumps good and the squirters in the carb are working. I have also tried to bottle feed it, also with no luck. It seems to light off quickly but then stumble and Die. The ignition switch was bad when I first tried to start it, so it is wired through a toggle switch, and has a new ballast resistor as well. With a 6 volt battery I have seen a consistent 6.3v at the coil every time I have checked it.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

Thanks for the contact onfo. If this was a small block Chevy, I would already be burning rubber. I can hold my own with the 60's to more modern stuff, but I am pretty green with the older stuff, especially the early fords.

Re: First time poster... with a couple of questions.
 

I second the recommendation to send the distributor off to have Micheal at Third Gen ford parts to rebuild it. Also have Skip Haney rebuild your coil. I would not change over to the efire system. I did both of these on my 37 21 stud engine that had a couple of lower compression cylinders like yours and with these two items addressed, it runs surprisingly well. I also replaced the spark plugs and spark plug wires as well as distributor caps

https://thirdgenauto.com/?gclid=CjwK...xoCNikQAvD_BwE

https://skipscoilsandpumps.com/contact-us