Help for the ignorant

[lupie989]

I am a new model A owner who did a stupid thing. I cleaned the battery and was unaware the A had a positive ground! Never heard of such a thing. I have checked the timing, points, wires, rebuilt the carb. The problem, It starts right up, idles for about 15 seconds and then just dies. I know it sounds like a float but the carb has been replaced. Any ideas out there? Since my last post I have, removed the gas cap, replaced the coil, removed the add-on fuel filter to no avail. The engine starts right up, runs strong for 15-20 seconds and then just shuts down. No sputter, just shuts down. Could it be the ignition switch? The condenser?

[Jon]

Starts and runs, so you have spark. I would look for something obstructing the gas flow. Disconnect the line to the carb. and see if you get a good strong flow that isn't interrupted. Has this car been running lately or have you acquired it and just started it after it has set for a long time? Rust in the gas tank can accumulate at the fuel line. Also try starting the car with the gas cap removed from the tank. Cap should be vented, if not it will stop the fuel flow. Are there any fuel line filters? Shouldn't be on an A, gravity feed will not have enough force to get through some of the modern filters. There you go, a few things to check.

[Gary WA]

The line to the carb may have gone in to far, restricting gas flow!

[Aerocraft]

Welcome to Fordbarn! Since you are new to the car, I can't help but ask if the on-off gas valve under the fuel tank has been turned on. The handle should point down. The late '31s had the valve in a different location. What year and body style do you have? Gar Williams

[Kurt in NJ]

Take the drain plug out of the bottom of the carb ---put a can under it, turn on the gas and see if the flow stops or slows down. ---if it slows down and stops unhook the fuel pipe at the carb and repeat the test---keep moving toward the tank till you get good flow---then you will know what part of the system the problem is in.

unhook the plug connector strips from the dist cap and position them 1/16 " away so you can see when they spark ---the engine should continue to turn some after it "stops running", but if there is still spark you should see spark continuing ---if the sparks stop and then the engine stops ---you have an ignition problem

to help with online diagnosis you should say if you have stock parts or are using "modern" or "improved" parts, many of the modern improvements cause their own problems that stock parts don't have.

[Patrick L.]

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Yep, like the fellas said..The car really doesn't care how the battery is hooked up,, it'll still run.. It probably won't charge correctly,, but,, it'll run.. Like said, try to determine if the problem is fuel or ignition.. Old cars will kinda require you to learn how to understand them and work on them.. Have you adjusted the carburetor ?? First set the GAV [ choke rod,, turn it in clockwise until it gently seats and turn it back out 1 turn].. Look at the carburetor near where it mounts to the manifold,, you'll see a screw with a spring on it.. Turn it in gently and back out 1 turn.. With these adjustments and making sure you have spark and good fuel flow into the carburetor,, it should stay running long enough to properly adjust everything..

[Fred K-OR]

Originally Posted by lupie989

I am a new model A owner who did a stupid thing. I cleaned the battery and was unaware the A had a positive ground! Never heard of such a thing. I have checked the timing, points, wires, rebuilt the carb. The problem, It starts right up, idles for about 15 seconds and then just dies. I know it sounds like a float but the carb has been replaced. Any ideas out there?

Can you choke it and get it to continue to run? If so, it may be just cold or like mentioned above, you may also have to adjust the gas (GAV) until it warms up.

[msmaron]

you say it starts and idles, so we have spark and we have gas, but if it stops after a while you are loosing the fuel to the engine. I would remove the carb and open it by unscrewing the large bolt in the bottom. CLEAN it out and CLEAN IT GOOD with an air hose in the jets. make sure you have flow in and out. Change the gaskets, assemble and put back on the car, Make sure the FUEL line is NOT obstructed, before you hook the line to the carb hold a can under the fuel line that comes from the firewall and turn on the fuel shut off valve, if you have flow then reconnect all and start the car again, make sure the GAV the choke rod is turned open a minimum of 1/2 to 3/4 OPEN, Turn to the left to close and to the right to open.. Then start the car and pull the choke at the same time with the spark rod on the left of the steering wheel all the way up and the throttle on the right about 3-5 click down,, Starter up!!! and see what happens. Then report back to us either way...
good luck

[1crosscut]

Originally Posted by Gary WA

The line to the carb may have gone in to far, restricting gas flow!

Gary might just have it. Since you replaced the carb did you replace the line leading into the carb too? If the line extends too far into the carb body it will restrict the ability of the fuel to flow into the carb fast enought to stay running. Does it re-start right away or do you have to wait a bit?

[tbirdtbird]

For the record pos. ground was very common in that era. There was no standardization of pos or neg ground and 6 or 12 volts until 1956, when everyone went to 12 V neg ground. Although I had worked on a few '57 trucks that were still + ground so I guess the trucks took a little longer.

The car will run either way, but won't charge either way. If you had it temp. hooked up neg ground, you will need to re-polarize the generator to get it to charge. With the engine off, and key on or off, (doesn't matter), use a jumper wire and momentarily touch it to the 2 terminals on the cutout on the top of the gen, for about a sec, to get a good spark. You cannot harm anything doing this.

[1931 flamingo]

msmaron: I thought open was to the LEFT and close to the right??
Paul

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by lupie989

I am a new model A owner who did a stupid thing.

Not stupid at all. Stupid is when you should have know better. How would you have known if all the cars you ever had had a battery that was hooked up the same way?

[awander]

Originally Posted by tbirdtbird

For the record pos. ground was very common in that era. There was no standardization of pos or neg ground and 6 or 12 volts until 1956, when everyone went to 12 V neg ground. Although I had worked on a few '57 trucks that were still + ground so I guess the trucks took a little longer.

Harley Big Twins used 6V Negative Ground until 1965.

[1928Pickuppain]

make sure u have gass flow coming out the drain plug in the bottom of the carb honestly most caberator probles are realy ignition problems in desgise id replace the condenser for the hell of it i had the same problem one could start for 15 20 seconds and die turns out my condenser was bad oh and make sure theres no water in your gas dose the same thing i have had more water problems lately even straigh from the pump i want to start a patition to bring back the visible pumps :P

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by lupie989

I am a new model A owner who did a stupid thing. I cleaned the battery and was unaware the A had a positive ground! Never heard of such a thing. I have checked the timing, points, wires, rebuilt the carb. The problem, It starts right up, idles for about 15 seconds and then just dies. I know it sounds like a float but the carb has been replaced. Any ideas out there?

Lupe,
Welcome to the FordBarn! Don't believe everything they tell you about me!
First & VERY important, you can buy a little stainles standpipe filter that goes in the top of your gas valve and sticks up inside the tank. All the Model A parts places have them. Install that FIRST and you'll NEVER get gas tank crud going down the lines & pluggin' up everything. Bill W, The Ghost, & The Dog.

[pooch]

Hook up a timing light.

Watch it.

If engine dies with it still flashing you can ignore spark and move onto fuel.

[lupie989]

Ignorant here again. I replaced the coil, removed the add-on fuel filter, replaced the carb, removed the gas cap, Could it be the ignition switch? The condenser?

[J Franklin]

Have you done the tests already listed? if so what have you found for each one?

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by lupie989

Ignorant here again. I replaced the coil, removed the add-on fuel filter, replaced the carb, removed the gas cap, Could it be the ignition switch? The condenser?

What did you find that made you replace the coil?
What did you find that made you replace the filter?
What was wrong with the carb?

What J Franklin said! You have you checked things one by one! If you change too many things at once you could be putting in bad parts!

If you just want to change things you could just change out the whole car. What we are trying to do is give you a path to follow and a way to learn. Have you checked the MARC and MAFCA site for a club near you?

AND STOP USING THE WORD IGNORANT!!! You picked a Model A didn't you? How much help would have received if you had gotten a Magtag Auto?