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04-19-2016, 08:25 AM | #1 |
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An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
I had my 1929 Roadster parked at a restaurant Saturday morning. This older man comes over and starts talking about "the old days," cars and stuff.
He asks me if I think the motor is any good and is it tuned properly? I said I thought so. He asks if he can check. I start the car, let it warm up and he removes a plastic comb from his pocket. He then individually removes one spark plug wire at a time. As he does this the car keeps running, obviously a little slower with each one removed until it is running on one cylinder. With that he congratulates me. He declares the engine good and properly tuned. He says that's the way they did it "back then". What do you think? |
04-19-2016, 08:46 AM | #2 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
That's how Tex does it also. Must be some thing in the corn whiskey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qudp...&nohtml5=False |
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04-19-2016, 08:54 AM | #3 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
You shouldn't leave the spark with no path to ground. It will try to jump inside the coil, along the coil tower, through the rotor to the shaft, or crossfire inside the distributor body.
You are much better off to ground out each plug, even if this involves having someone holding their fingers on the plugs. |
04-19-2016, 08:55 AM | #4 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
A real man would have removed the wires with his bare hands.
That would not be me! |
04-19-2016, 09:27 AM | #5 | |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
Quote:
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04-19-2016, 09:42 AM | #6 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
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Hmmm .......... Wonder how he checks his wife to see if she is still still good and tuned properly ????? |
04-19-2016, 09:47 AM | #7 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
FWIW, I knew an old fellow, back in the '50's, who would stall a Model A by putting his thumbs on the cylinder head and his fingers on the spark plug wires. I'm too chicken to try it.
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04-19-2016, 11:00 AM | #8 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
ah, the old comb trick...............
did he use brill cream before the start? |
04-19-2016, 11:07 AM | #9 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
What's a comb???
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04-19-2016, 11:29 AM | #10 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
Ask Cookie!!! He might have one to lend you!!!
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04-19-2016, 11:35 AM | #11 | |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
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It was fun to watch the expression on the faces of the customers. |
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04-19-2016, 12:16 PM | #12 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
Chief could KILL a 4 cyl engine by shorting the plugs out, with his fingers!! BUT, he couldn't do it on an electronic ignition system---ZAAAAP!
Bill W.
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04-19-2016, 12:18 PM | #13 | |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
Quote:
What was the pattern? Front to back or back to front?
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04-19-2016, 01:21 PM | #14 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
Great, now your Model A has that Old Codgers "Cooties"!!!
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04-19-2016, 03:08 PM | #15 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
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04-21-2016, 10:14 AM | #16 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
Forerunner of the modern day pacemaker.
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04-21-2016, 10:35 AM | #17 |
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04-21-2016, 08:12 PM | #18 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
A grounded test light works pretty good, on cars with insulated plug wires you can slip the point between the wire and boot to contact the top of the plug. No shock, no harm to the ignition system.
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04-22-2016, 11:04 AM | #19 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
I don't follow what you're saying. Are you saying to use a 6 or 12 volt test light to check for spark at the plug. How does that work?
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04-22-2016, 05:53 PM | #20 |
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Re: An Old Guy, A Comb, and "A" Comment
You can use either. The test light will not light up, it will provide a safe path to ground for the spark. It is not for checking for spark, it is for seeing if that cylinder is contributing. There should be a noticeable drop in RPM when "shorting" a wire while running.
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