Trying to start my 29 truck. Has not run in a few years. Has modern points.

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

My 29 truck has not run in a few years.
Per suggestions, I drained the old gasoline and added fresh Southern California gasoline.
It turns over strong, but it will not start.
It has modern points, which I am not familiar with.
The point gap is .022.

One side of the points is larger than the other.
The small side has a flat solid surface.
The larger side has a hole in the middle.
Is this normal.
I checked and the points snaps and sparks, when they open.

I guess i will check the timing, but i'd appreciate any advice
Thanks, Neil

[zzlegend]

Neil, my opinion is if it ran good before it was parked, then I doubt timing would be an issue. But I see you said the points sparked, but I have found when sitting a long while, they will build a white scale in between them and they will appear to occasionally spark, but will not make a good contact when opened and closed. I would try to clean them a little with some fine sand paper or? Just my 2 cents. Good luck with it, Mark.

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

Mark,
I appreciate the suggestion.
I forgot to mention that I did use an ignition file on the points.
The reason why I might check the timinng is that the previous owner had his gardener trying to get the car started. I want to be sure that he didn't goof anything up.

[zzlegend]

Oh ok Neil. Did not know about the gardener. Hope he did not use his pruning shears near that distributor. In that case I would double check it also. By the way, I must have missed you at the Boys Town swap meet in Chatsworth. Keep us in formed what you find with your 29.

[zzlegend]

And just to add, is it getting fuel?

[Patrick L.]

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There should be 6v at the open point arm, zero volts when closed.

Place the coil secondary lead 1/2" from a good ground, key on, crank the engine over and look for a good spark to ground. If the points are set at .020" [ .022" is fine] and the timing is set correctly then the ignition system is fine. Always set points before the timing.

[Keith True]

Sometimes by snapping the points with a screwdriver they will pass juice.Try turning the engine over until the points are closed,then touch them with a test light.There should be no juice when closed.If there is then the points are just not working as they should.If they are the original Nu-rex points they did have a bunch of junk ones a few years ago.Just buy some for a Ford V-8,57-72.Are you running a lower plate and wire,or the wireless setup? In your picture it looks like the brass contact for the point feed of the wireless,but it could just be a flag terminal.Those setups can be made to work well,but have to be set up properly to start with.

[Crankster]

Point gap looks pretty wide in the pic considering it's not on a lobe. Hard to tell from a pic from a smartphone.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Neil Mylar LakewoodCA

My 29 truck has not run in a few years.
Per suggestions, I drained the old gasoline and added fresh Southern California gasoline.
It turns over strong, but it will not start.
It has modern points, which I am not familiar with.
The point gap is .022. That is a little wide

One side of the points is larger than the other. That's ok
The small side has a flat solid surface. That's ok
The larger side has a hole in the middle. That's ok usually the center on one side pits and the other side builds up. the "hole" prevents that
Is this normal.
I checked and the points snaps and sparks, when they open. But do you get a spark on the wire from the coil when you do that?

I guess i will check the timing, but i'd appreciate any advice
Thanks, Neil

Are you sure you are getting gas through the carb?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Crankster

Point gap looks pretty wide in the pic considering it's not on a lobe. Hard to tell from a pic from a smartphone.

I agree. Also, if you have that good for nothing brass rubbing contact plate (wireless) I'd get rid of it. I had a customer wanting me to install one, and it shorted right away, so I had to use my Dremel to grind away part of the plate that was rubbing the brass strap. When the timing pin drops into the cam dimple, your rotor tip should look exactly like my picture.

[katy]

Originally Posted by Crankster

Point gap looks pretty wide in the pic considering it's not on a lobe. Hard to tell from a pic from a smartphone.

Look close, there's a screwdriver holding the points open.

[Crankster]

Originally Posted by katy

Look close, there's a screwdriver holding the points open.

Look closer, not in the second picture?

Notice the rubbing block in the pic is on the point cam flat. The gap, to my calibrated eyeball, looks to exceed .020" though as I mention it's hard to tell from here, but the gap would only widen further at the top of the lobe opening.

[katy]

Yer right, I was looking at the first picture, pls excuse my clumsiness.

[Keith True]

I think the camera angle is throwing the view off.There is a lobe under the rotor tang,right where it is supposed to be.The next one has to be 90 degrees,or 1/4 turn away from that one.That is where the rubbing block is.It took me a minute to realize it too.

[barnstuf]

In post #3 Neil says used a file on the points. An old timer taught me years ago to clean the points after using a file on them. The old timers used a paper matchbook cover but a paper substitute will do just fine.

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

Here are 2 more pictures.
The point gap is definitely .022.
I checked the timing and it is pretty darn close.
See the second picture.
Also the carb is getting gas.

[eagle]

You haven't said. Do you have spark at the coil when turning the car over? If so, then how about at the spark plugs? One of the first things to check when it won't start. Turn ignition key on, stand on passenger side of vehicle, reach across and press the starter rod down into the switch. Careful you don't get a jolt from the spark plug in your armpit! At least if you do you know you have spark. Standing on the passenger side gives you access to the carb as well.

[Neil Mylar LakewoodCA]

Ok, I turned the key on and opened the points and have a spark.
I then removed the coil wire from the distributor top and touched it to a head bolt and got no spark.
What does that tell me?

[Bankston92]

I am trying to get my 29 truck started as well and I have the same plates in the distributor and it sounds like I'm having the same issue as you. I haven't disconnected the coil wire yet but I am getting spark at the spark plugs. It just seems to turn over very slow and sluggishly. Can't seem to get it running. I wish I could tell you how to fix it lol. I'm gonna be watching this thread to see if you come across anything good. Good luck!

[Jacksonlll]

A different coil wire is easy to check. Just remember. A model A wants to start. Good luck.