Dash Ground?
 

I took the dash out of my '38 Standard, painted it and put it back in. Now the flathead won't start. Could I have messed up the ground by painting the dash front, back and all over with several coats? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Thanks,
Max

Re: Dash Ground?
 

Not too sure about this, but is there only one wire that goes to the starter button? Does that wire come from the solenoid? If so, the button probably works by grounding one side of the solenoid coil. Then, if the starter button is insulated from the ground by your newly painted dash, seems logical that that would be your problem.

Try jumping a ground wire to the terminal on the solenoid that goes to the button. If the engine cranks then, the painted dash appears to be the problem even more.

Re: Dash Ground?
 

I have got in the habit of soldering a small wire on to the starter button (dash switch) and attaching it to a nearby bolt. It is amazing the difference this little "trick" makes.
Done neatly, the wire can be hidden very well.
That switch must have a great ground.

Re: Dash Ground?
 

The switch works, the motor turns over every time I push the start button but it just cranks and cranks. Will grounding the start button help this situation?
Thanks for your input.
Max

Re: Dash Ground?
 

Are you getting current to the coil when you flip the column drop switch to on?

Re: Dash Ground?
 

Safest way to check that is how rxactly?

Re: Dash Ground?
 

You could simply hook up a test light to ground and to the terminal where small wire connrcts to coil...it should be a bit dim because of resistor but should light when switch is on.
Without even testing first, though, I would examine the wires at the back of ignition switch (lives right around behind where the key goes into lock on a '38 if I remember correctly) because that area is very close to dash and you might have done something to a wire during the dash work.

Re: Dash Ground?
 

If the engine turns over but won't start you are not getting spark or fuel. Check both. To check for spark short one of the spark plug wires at the plug and see if you get spark there. If not, work your way back until you find it. Take a volt meter and check for voltage on both sides of the ignition switch. Checking for fuel is easy, have someone turn the engine over and spray some starting fluid in the carb, if it fires then you have a fuel problem.

Re: Dash Ground?
 

Painting the dash could only have affected the ability to crank. That would be because the starter button is no longer grounded.

As your car cranks fine, but does not start, the painting of the dash is not the issue. You are now in the realms of normal troubleshooting. You need to follow live feeds from battery to solenoid to switch to coil, to distributor etc.

Mart.

Re: Dash Ground?
 

Thanks guys, appreciate the advice. Will get test light and start tracing it forward and back as it ran fine before r&r on dash.
Max

Re: Dash Ground?
 

Many times I've been mislead because something fails to work after something's been done to it. It often turns out to be something totally unrelated to what I thought was the obvious problem.

Re: Dash Ground?
 

Thanks again for your help. I am rewiring the dash like I should have done when I had it out in the first place.

Max