Technical At my wits end with 8ba flathead

Post #42 and #47 talk about the coil.

 

This time around you can go to O'Reilly's or Autozone and use their loaner tool program. Meaning that you go in and tell them that you need to use a compression gauge on their loaner program, They dig their loaner compression gauge out of the back (make sure it has the correct size adapter for the plug hole) and you pay for it and go home and use it and when you are done you return it and get your "deposit" back. Saves paying a bunch of money for a tool you don't use maybe once a year or even less.

Compression test instructions:
Remove all 8 plugs
Best idea to disconnect the hot wire to the coil .
Prop the choke and throttle blades wide open so they stay wide open.
With a fully charged battery check each cylinder by cranking the engine over until you hear the comprssion hit the gauge 5 times. Read the gauge, write the number down next to the cylinder number on your paper and do the next the same way. That is how I was taught 60 years ago and how I taught all of my auto shop students when I was teaching.

 

with my luck it probably has cream of wheat in the diff and sawdust in the gearbox. that's what my grandpa used to do when he finally got rid of his cars. beat the crap out of every car he ever had

 

thank you that's very helpful. I was actually just about to go do that.

 

the gauge comes with a chart on how to read it, and the face has a diagram also

 

Alright well I tested every cylinder, they all read 20 inches hg, looked it up and that's roughly 9 psi so obviously I didn't do it right, but at least they're all uniform. I'll try it again later

 

But it also broke the gauge, it doesn't go back to 0 anymore it just stays at what it was last at

 

Also, the starter drives me nuts. It always retracts too early, it thinks the motor caught on but it didn't, it's annoying as hell

 

Sounds like you got a vacuum gauge not a compression gauge

 

Explain what you did and post a pic of your gauge.

 

This is from September, but it's the most recent video I have of it with the vaccum gauge connected. I should also mention is shakes very violently at low rpms. What I mean is, at idle it shakes like it's off center or something. Foot close to the floor it will smooth right out, but if you start to let your foot off, eventually it will start shaking back and forth like a paint can mixer.




Edit: also, It says "late ignition timing" but it read that after I corrected the timing also

 

It says it does both, it screws into the spark plug hole. https://www.harborfreight.com/fuel-pump-and-vacuum-tester-62637.html

I guess I need the real McCoy gauge that's just for compression then? I can go get one from the auto parts store tomorrow

 

That’s not a wild swing for a rough running engine. But, you said “you checked each cylinder and had 20in/hg which is 9 psi”. Did you try to use a vacuum gauge for a compression test? Also, 6/7 months ago test isn’t really relevant to today. Many are just trying to help you out and have you understand some things that many years of working on engines have “learnt” folks

 

A fuel pump/vacuum gauge is not the proper tool for a compression test. You need to get a different gauge. On a FH you should see maybe 110-120 PSI.

 

Gotcha thanks

 

I did, which the Manual for the gauge said was ok to do but it definitely isn't. I'll have to go get one from AutoZone tomorrow, they're closed now.

It was also running unusually well there. Sometimes you'll be able to get it to run real smooth by very slowly releasing the throttle from high rpms, and then it will run incredibly smooth, but the second you even put a single toe on the pedal it'll immediately stall.

 

Not seriously they don't They mention it in passing when discussing a 12 volt conversion. I still say the last easy thing to do would be to replace the coil with a known, good, compatible coil.

From watching the video and listening, I would re-check the plug wiring. I had a situation once where a guy with a rough running flatheand thought the cylinders were numbered like a SBC. Surprisingly, the engine ran that way. Unlike some others, I don't believe the engine is completely worn out. It's go to be something simple.

There must be someone in the Philadelphia area that can help this kid out.

 

the wires are all correct, I just checked. plus, the wires are made in a such a way that they only reach the plugs they're supposed to. There is only one shop, it's near my house but a friend of the family knows them, and they told me they're a bunch of shysters

 

Is the oil too full on the stick, and smell like gasoline ? Could be fuel pump diaphragm leaking

 

65k is pretty much end of life for those flatheads unless it was looked after extremely meticulously. You might be able to get it to run well enough to putt around as long as it has some compression, assuming the cam isn't flat and all the valves are still valve-shaped, but don't expect to be hot rodding it until it sees a machine shop.

 

it reads just at the "full" line, but after it's been running it's a bit too high. no gas smell though

 

It’s making its own oil!!!

 

or its got such an insane amount of blowby its aerating the oil... maybe

 

Try running it without it.

 

Makes no difference

 

8BA's didtributors have a very bad diaphram controlled advance and retard system that sticks and or doesn't work at all. Get a modified Chevy "Window in the cap" distributor and it will likely fix your problem.

 

Another vote for the converted Chevy distributor. I've ran several and both Bubba's and Charlie's are the best.

 

I know everyone here is trying to help, but remember... this is a 17 year old kid, probably with short finances to match his short mechanical knowledge (no offense to the OP). What he really needs is a local HAMBer to take him under his or her wing and help him get this sorted out. Anyone out there that can lend a hand? Beuhler? Beuhler? Beuhler?

 

That's what I was thinking. If I was closer I'd head over....

 

It's really hard to relate. When I was 17 I had already owned a couple of cars and rebuilt an engine and had my Dad and 3 older brothers to lean on.
Takes guts to tackle this deal, I salute you for your fortitude.
My Dad was like you - grew up without a Dad to lean on for this kind of stuff. But he hung with the right hooligans, leaned on the tuff guys across the street and became a jack of all trades, a Harley rider in the '40s, a truck driver and a dyed in the wool lifelong gearhead.


My kid grew up in the e age driving e heavy cars. That kid (with my supervision and prodding) has changed a bunch of stuff out on his 215,000 mile 32v DOHC V8 OT sedan. Up to and including 32 teeny tiny little valve stem seals. Much of the step by step coming from YT vidyas. When he bought himself an old school Bronco, I never even thought to ask him, are you checking the oil weekly? Are you checking the coolant regularly? Are you checking the tranny fluid? Are you checking your tire pressures, are you buckling your seatbelt? All that crap was on the dash in the cars I let him drive. Then he started daily driving the Bronco. Guess how that worked out.

That said, get a proper to do list (all ya gotta do is transcribe what the guys here have told you) and get to it in order of importance. Patiently and methodically. Time to switch into organized analysis mode.
Do a solid compression test with a bona fide compression tester. Report the results here.
After it runs, wait a minute or two to check the oil level. If you are checking it while running it will have splashed allover the dipstick and read high. If you don't wait long enough, the oil is still in upper parts of the engine and hasn't returned to the pan yet. ATF is checked while running, motor oil is checked after the motor has sat a couple minutes.
Get a basic timing light and Google how to use it. Google how to find TDC on cylinder #1 and mark the crank pulley/dampener. Then you can figure out where the timing is set. Better yet, YouTube a bunch of tutorials. Learn how to check the ignition for spark (it's just grounding a removed spark plug on the engine and having someone crank the engine over. If you don't know it has decent compression and where the ignition is firing, you don't have much to start on.
As the others have said, you really do need a local Yoda to lean on.
Good luck, stay with it.