Technical At my wits end with 8ba flathead

Hey guys, if you've seen my post history, you'll know that almost every time I post, there's something else wrong with this car. My mom's hounding me about it, which isn't helping.

I will try to be as thorough as possible.

Before I tell you the new issues, here are the old issues:
when I go to start the car, I have to use starting fluid. I can only get it running once, and if it stalls out, it'll never run for the rest of the day. It has super low power, the 3 times It's been driven (owned for 3 years) it hasn't been able to go over 30 miles an hour. No clue what the compression is, but after it warms up it usually idles *fairly* smooth. When you first start it up it misses a lot. Plugs are always foul (carb is tuned perfectly though, I checked it 3 times). Recently, I fixed the vacuum leak in the carb, so that's no longer an issue. Made almost no difference. When I bought the car 3 years ago it started up instantly, and it idled and drove well. The second I got it home (2 days later) it hasn't worked well since. If I ever see the guy that sold it to me again I'll punch him in the mouth. When you first start it up it burns lots of oil, but it mellows down after it runs for a while (but that's just a flathead thing). Petal to the floor and it sounds strained but has almost no power, even when standing still. I've set the points properly, gapped the plugs a million times, replaced the condenser, etc. Misses often. I'm sure there's a couple things I'm forgetting but those are the major ones. I've read the shop manual, and this flathead repair book that one of you was nice enough to mail me (I'm very appreciative). All those books tell me it needs "a full tune up" but fails to specify what that entails. I've had it running about every weekend since I've owned it.

New issues:
When it's running at low rpms it pops like crazy, each pop shoots a puff of blue oil smoke out the back. The car also all of a sudden has almost no oil pressure. It never even reaches 30 even at high rpms. Idling is almost no oil pressure. I've hooked it up to one of those vacuum gauges (through the wiper tube), and the needle jumps wildly back and forth, but rarely in the zone it should be.

I've had this for 3 years and I've never personally driven it. I need it to be ready by July 13th. I've done everything in my power to get this car to even function properly, and it refuses.

Sorry for the length, but any ideas?

 

If it was me l would start with a compression test
Will give you an idea to the basic condition of the engine, burnt out valves etc
Low oil pressure is a concern, have you changed oil?

 

No use stuffing around with ignition/ fuel issues if you have compression issues

 

Check the comp

and every flathead oil pan I’ve pulled was full of sludge.

 

Changing the oil this weekend. I had to save up to buy that Valvoline specialty stuff. I don't have a compression tester so I'll have to go get one

Edit: also, the gauge might be an issue.

 

What's the history of this engine?

 

You need some help from someone local to you.
A mobile mechanic.
The young guy at a local shop.
Somebody driving an old Ford.
Somebody.

You mentioned Mom. You're a young guy? You'd be surprised how willing the older more experienced guys are to help a young guy get started and learn a few things. Don't be shy. But be humble and respectful. And grateful. But definitely find a way to connect and "network" as they say with other people in your area who like to mess with old cars.

I wish I had done this when I was younger. I didn't realize how much I was in need of guidance.

Good luck!

 

Just understand that not all car guys want to be helpful. If you're met with apathy or resistance, just move on. Once you meet a handful of good people, you'll likely meet more.

 

As much as I like flathead V8s,think they are cool,the real world fact is,they are much harder to keep running right now days,age and high cost do add up. For what it cost in both $ n time,you can save time n $ by having a OHV V8 n tranny added in. Not as cool,but way more fun with out being pissed off all the time= My 2 cents after reading your tail n trying times. Have fun,,it is the best part of hotrodding.

 

points gap , may have closed , cap and rotor condition ?
fabricator john
miss you dad

 

Pop the dist. cap and check for any side to side movement in the shaft. If lots of slop, it won't run well, due to the points gap fluctuating wildly.
Make sure the spark plug wires are connected in the correct order

 

Just a thought: is the fuel pump working properly? Why would I say this? I once rebuilt on on my own thinking I would preemptively replace the one that had been on the engine a long time. It turned out that it put out too much pressure and caused the engine to run very poorly.
Other than this, you will be well served with the advice of those above re finding someone local to help you.

 

Do you still have the tiny chrome air filter on it?

Did you ever check if the distributor shaft was loose in its bushings as suggested in one of your other threads?

I also highly suggest borrowing a compression gauge to see if they are consistent.

 

17 years old - (deduced from his other posts)………

 

No offense, but as alluded here earlier it's clear that you don't have the experience ( and that's what it takes) to diagnose what may be several simultaneous problems. Nothing to be embarrassed about, but you need to enlist an old professional who has experience with pre computer cars and for better or worse this will all get sorted out pretty quickly. Beating your head against the wall will cause you to lose interest in the hobby and no one here wants wants to see that.

 

So far as the "no power" complaint goes, the distributor is all vacuum advance, with no centrifugal weights like most distributors have, and if the vacuum pod fails, it will definitely have little to no power when you step on it.

 

If money is a issue, most national retail parts chains offer a loaner tool program. Rent a compression tester, use it and return it get your money back. AutoZone is usually the most recognized, #57138 is there loaner tool number for the tester.

 

You have a mighty big learning curve before you will ever be happy and getting this running correctly.
I too suggest you find a mentor.
Take some good pictures of your car interior and engine. Get ready to share these pictures…..
Start perusing cruise in and car shows.
Hit up the guys with flathead engines and ask questions and explain your problems.
keep trying until you find someone who’s willing to teach you and get you pointed in the right direction. Above all……..Be Patient.
This is not something thats going to fix itself in one week, month or even year.
If your not up to this task I’d suggest selling it and buy a good running Hotrod. None of us here want you to give up!

 

Sounds like maybe a couple of stuck valves. Compression check should tell you which cylinders have problems.

 

Op try no to get scourge or give up , the right car person could diagnose the problem within a hour and maybe have you going if no parts needed .
F-Hs are fairly simple like other pre 1974 engines , just parts are not on shelf in stock any more , A NAPA would be a better place to pick up parts Local, Point cap rotor then Avance, AutoZone, etc (big box stores)
Oil presume, rule of thumb, 10 pounds for ever 1,000 rpms

 

Sounds like you have a few issues to deal with. Low oil pressure, possible compression issues, and power loss. Don't give up on that flathead though. They are no more difficult to work with than any other engine. In fact they have fewer moving parts than the overheads which means they are simpler in design. They do have a few peculiarities though such as the distributor advance system so you could really benefit from having someone by your side who knows these things. Be patient and stay with it. ( also let us know how you make out...we like a success story)

 

Take about a half hour and disconnect the exhaust system at the manifolds if your muffler has collapsed and blocked exhaust flow, you will relieve a multitude of problems. Just a thought.

 

Post some video of your problems

 

Just calm down on the seller. If it drove home fine, something began occurring on the way home or after it was home. I can’t think of how an engine could be doctored up to run well until the next startup.
By your age (from an earlier post above) you purchased the car at 14. I assume you had a licensed driver/parent go with you to get it. Did whoever drive it home notice a difference in power on the way home?
If not, how long was it until the next time you went to start it and noticed the issue?
Just trying to get a time line on events.

I don’t have a vacuum fluctuation chart saved on my phone, but would be an easy Google to find one. Most shop manuals have them included.

 

Reminds me of a story my grandfather used to tell. He owned a Douglas Dragonfly (British) motorcycle that he raced on the wet sand at the shoreline in Brisbane, Australia. When he bought it during the depression, he and his brother walked quite a few miles to where it was to be picked up. They were in their teens at the time. They started it up and it ran well. Paid for it and set off towards home............... didn't make it. The bike started to run like shit, and then not at all. They pushed it home and pulled the engine down. They found a rosewood piston that had the top completely burned off. Parts were hard to come by at the time, so the guy that unloaded it onto them had turned up the wooden piston and it had done a good enough job to run long enough for the money to change hands and for them to get halfway home!!! They did get it repaired properly, and it apparently made many flat out passes up the beach over many years. Saddest part of the story is that it didn't stay in the family. I would have loved to own it.

 

Now that guy selling the bike had some imagination!

 

I see now you have been fighting this engine for quite a while.
You really do need a mentor.
I sure am glad to see you haven’t given up yet. You’ll get there. Your persistence is admirable.
Guys, here is the other post.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/high-compression-heads-worth-it.1273049/

My son just bought his first flathead.
He too got very frustrated getting it to run smoothly and dependably.
He was lucky to bounce his problems off me to get it running well.
You just need some direction.

 

@Rex Jolles I was once where you are when I was fifteen. I was given an old truck that was worn out and didn't run. I barely knew what was inside an engine, let alone fix one. I stuck with it, went to the library and researched. The more I learned the more intrigued I got, that with tools, I should be able to figure it out and possibly fix it. I was fairly sure it was a valve problem, but the other problem was I didn't have the tools and little money to buy much ($2 an hour job).
About that time my uncle Bud came up from Cali for some special repair job on an aircraft. He was a traveling mechanic and carried his tools. I mentioned the truck and he said lets have a look. Long story short, together we fixed my truck, and I got a lesson from him that has helped me to this day. I still have the tools he gave me after the fix...fifty one years later. I really hope you can have this experience. Hang in there and you'll be better for it.

 

I know this isn’t your whole problem but it may have something to do with the hard start. You don’t put premium in it do you? Premium is tough to light cold with low compression in a Flathead.