1931 Ford Tudor quit running suddenly-no juice

[Rob Rose]

I just had the oil changed and oil pan gasket and timing gear replaced on my 31 Tudor. The battery went dead while there at shop so I charged it to 100% and went for a drive. After 15 minutes suddenly the car stopped running, no lights, no horn. I rolled to a parking space and walked home. Does anyone have any idea what it could be? prior to this I drove it hundreds of miles no issue. I'd like to trouble shoot it myself in the morning before I have it towed home. I don't think the work that was done has any bearing on the problem, perhaps something loose from the work?

Thanks

[Marshall V. Daut]

If the battery had been disconnected while the car was being worked on, the mechanic may have only put the disconnected cable back on the battery post to start the car. Once it started, maybe he forgot to tighten the nut to secure the cable. After a few bumps in the road on the way home, the cable may have become disconnected. Such a dramatic electrical failure as you experienced without smoke or burned up wires usually has to do with a battery problem or connections. A battery dying/draining while driving will exhibit bucking characteristics and then it will eventually die, killing the engine. Check that the cable ends are still on their respective battery posts and tight. Make sure the ground strap is still bolted to the center crossmember or hasn't broken in two, as some ground straps will do if corroded badly across their woven fibers. That's the first step.
Marshall

[Brentwood Bob]

Take a battery post cleaner with you.
Second place l would
Look is auxilary fuse at starter if car is so equipt.

[Marshall V. Daut]

"Look is auxilary fuse at starter if car is so equipt."

Yup. Bob is right. Fuses blow for any number of reasons. I usually don't think in terms of a fuse as a possible show stopper because I have removed more of those %$^*# junky starter switch-mounted fuse blocks than I have installed. Most are poorly soldered and will fail or give symptoms of being about to fail by making the engine misfire. If you have one of these starter switch fuse blocks, change it for a twist-together in-line fuse between the starter and the terminal box. All auto parts stores will have such an item in the correct wire gauge needed. I don't recall which gauge that is, but that wire from the starter switch is substantial.
Marshall

[SteveB31]

Take a test light or volt meter, and test the wires starting at the battery, to the starter, to the junction box, to the ammeter, to the junction box, to the coil, to the key switch, to the distributor. With the key on you should have power at all those places.

[Jacksonlll]

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Keep in mind that the gen was removed to do the timing gear. May be something there.

[Bill G]

15 minutes is not much time for a battery to last after a full charge, so either the battery is shot or something else is amiss. For instance, check to make sure the shop didn't reconnect the battery with negative to ground!

[Dick Steinkamp]

Does the starter still operate? If so, the problem is downstream from the big connection to the starter (fuse, etc.)

Does the starter not operate? If that's the case the problem is with the battery or the battery connections.