Technical Ford Flathead - Won't do much more than idle.

Looking for ideas/suggestions. Or if anyone in the Edmonton Alberta area wants to make a few bucks to lend some expertise...

New to the Flathead world.

Recently acquired a '37 Ford with a later Flathead in it, or so I suspect given the 59AB heads and crab style distributor.

Has two 94 carbs on it.

When cold the car starts fine and idles awesome, you could let it run for hours and rev it, etc without issue so long as you don't move it.

It will run through first and second fine, putz around at low speed/load but as soon as you either get on it or approach around 40 MPH it acts up, falls on its face, jerks, bucks, won't rev...and it will leave you stranded for 20-30 mins.

The only way the car will start/run at all during that time is with the choke pulled as tight as you can pull it.

There were issues with the cap and wires so for security sakes I've changed the battery, cap, rotor, wires, coil, and condensor. The problem has remained exactly the same other than the car idles a little nicer now.

The fuel bowl is clean and clear, no sediment or bubbles, the carbs appear ok...

What could be causing this running issue? I'm just not familiar enough with these motors.

The car ran fine before I took delivery, I know the person I bought it from and it would buck down the Hwy without any issue.

Pick for attention.

 

From your description, you didn't mess with the carbs except to troubleshoot them after the issues started. So my guess is something got fubared in or on the distributor. Go over everything you touched, advance, firing order, etc. It should be a process of elimination. Also, can you check the timing with a light and the dwell or point gap?

 

It could very well be a fuel problem. Those carbs have a power valve in them. Only takes one back fire to ruin them.
Another issue could be dirt in your tank clogging the accelerator pump or orifice in the carbs.
Agree as above.... be sure your Distributor advance is operating correctly along with the timing before tearing into your carbs.
If you do find a carb problem be sure to get good parts. alot of aftermarket power valves are junk.

 

Gas cap vented? Next time it stops. take the cap off and listen if it ****s air. Or leave the cap loose and try it.

 

****ty condenser, put an old school unit back in for giggles.

 

I was under the impression you can't time these engines with a light like a conventional distributor set-up...that the distributor could only be set on the bench with a distributor machine.

Can it be timed with a light?

Like I said flatheads are a new animal for me.

 

I'll add that to the list of things to try before tearing into carbs.

 

If I had another old school one I would, but the only one I have is likely bad also if that's the culprit.

Is it common for the new ones to be bad out of the box?

 

Yes it is fairly common.

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/setting-the-timing-on-flathead-crab.215882/

Or send it to GMCbubba here on the H.A.M.B.
http://www.bubbasignition.com/about-us.html

 

Thanks I'll have to read through that thread.

 

Seems to be the rule, not the exception.

 

Yea, me too. I can't be called a mechanic and flatheads are mythical beasts to me, too. When I post something please just eat any meat and throw away all the bones.

 

Try George Moir, they might have a dizzy machine,old george is into the early motors,he may not answer the phone but the 2 fellows that run it now should be able to help you out,they are out by spruce grove. Harvey

 

Was in there yesterday, they don't have a machine and the guy they have used for years was having trouble with his.

They were going to get me some contact info for other possibles.

 

Suspect something is blocking your fuel delivery volume at higher speeds. Fuel filter, debris in fuel tank, fuel pump

 

Do the easy things first: new fuel filter and all rubber lines; new air filter; clean and gap the plugs; fresh tank of gas. Find a friend with an old Ford and borrow a condensor. Maybe borrow his coil at the same time. You are running 12 volts, right?

 

Still a 6v car.

This car still has a metal line from tank to firewall that looks to be original, should a guy just replace all of it with rubber line or run a new copper line?

Closer inspection shows no fuel filters in the system other than the sediment bowl so I'll be adding an inline filter for sure...

 

Yep ,id say a block in your fuel system also ,and I would go steel line all the way with a good filter ,fuel inj hose on the ends.then clean the carbs real good .might be a u tube video for it if you look around.

 

I remember a few years ago my buddy had a similar issue. Turned out it was the air filter. It was new but was very restrictive. You might try running the engine without the air filters and see if that helps. I can't remember which filter he ended up using to cure the problem. There was a HAMB discussion about it at the time.

 

Copper lines don't belong on cars. Vibration will cause them to get brittle and crack. A new steel line would be good, and I would add a filter right at the rear after the tank. Rubber only from the tank to the filter, and up from the firewall to the pump, then to the carbs.

You've got to have somebody nearby with a 6V car to borrow the condensor and coil from.

 

Run hard line when possible for your fuel line. Not copper.
Yes run a fuel filter.
If thats an original line then id suggest pulling your tank and having it cleaned.
Pull your fuel line off your carb and hook a separate line from a portable fuel tank.
That will tell you volumes.

 

Whenever I suspect a fuel problem ( which I surely do for your problem ) the first thing I do is confirm fuel delivery volume and pressure to the carb while cranking. If the free flowing volume is good, and proper pressure is maintained, I don't worry about the fuel pump or filter. A pressure gage plumbed into the line at the carb, with the hose run outside the p***enger compartment, and the gage taped to the windshield while the car is driven so as to create the problem is a real nice trouble shooting test.

 

Has it ever run good? I had a similar sounding issue with a non-flathead, it was a 302 ford. I had the firing order wrong, AND the timing messed up. Started, idled awesome, revved, all was good, until I tried to move it out of the garage. No power, popping, almost didn't make it back up the driveway! I'm still amazed at how good it sounded idling with the firing order and timing wrong.

 

I thought copper was strange also but that seems to be what companies like Macs has for sale.

 

There is some new steel line with a copperish color called NiComp or something like that. Basically it's steel with an anti corrosion additive. Buy this type of stuff at your local parts store, not ordered through Mac's. Don't need to pay shipping on stuff you can buy downtown.

 

That's why I hold on to my old condensers.The new ones are ****!Bruce.

 

My 40' run like **** when i first got it. Turns out that the guy had got some "helmut" style air cleaners and they where so tight around the filter that the engine couldn't get enough air at anything higher than 2200 rpm or so.

 

Hmmm...that's interesting. These two carbs have that style air cleaner too.

Having said that the car ran fine up until a couple weeks ago.

 

Oh for sure I'll buy all that stuff local, just stublmed across it looking for some other items online.