As many posts as ive read on this topic, im still at a loss. 5 break downs after about 45 mins into a drive. So just got my car up and running after 2 years of work, and it drives awesome. Hands free straight as an arrow, smooth ride, bw overdrive is great. Rebuilt by Bubba's distributor and coil and condenser, electric fuel pump, holley regulator. Without fail, dead in 45 min. Cheched for wrong gas cap(vacuum in tank), all good. Filter replaced/ good. Moved pump, thought too close to exhaust, still died. When dead last timewas noticing fuel press guage zero, opened line, low flow. Installed new Carter pump, readjusted reg, dies in 45 mins. Every time, starts back up after 20 min and runs ****py. Had someone follow and they saw sparks out the exhaust as it backfired. After the next day, fires first time runs and pulls strong! My guess is i want to convert the old style coil to a modern can style, but hate to unless needed, or its at least a good guess When it was dead, had 3 volts at coil. Plugs look dry, but has deposits from oil burning my guess. Also have checked spark with an inline neon and it is lighting up, but cant tell if its week or not. Thanks for the help. I want to enjoy this flathead, alittle more that 45 mins at a time! Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Forgot to add, i also blocked the heat risers and added a phelonic spacer. Did not change a thing Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Rebuilt holley 94 is carb. Used a kit from van pelt. Power valve looked to be the same style i took out Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Ok, now should i just verify that its getting va***m, or should i set up some makeshift pointer and use my timing light? Never messed with advance on a flat motor yet. I hooked it up but never did more than that Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
According to my help.!? I just went out and checked the vacuum ti the distributor. Line is good, but i have a leak in the distributor. Can't even pump it down with a hand pump. Not familiar with that style of distributor, but cant get the cylinder at vacuum tap to move, because of the leak. Should it pull in with vacuum? That leak would explain why my idle screw is about all the way out. Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The vacuum brake cylinder is easy to remove and check. Loosen the big nut, not the small bolt. Then unscrew that big nut/cap, and you can pull the cylinder out. See if the leather is still good on the downward end. Clean and add a little oil to the outer wall before putting back in.
Do you think the helmet style is worth messing with, or should i move up to a crab style for future reliability? Who makes a decent tuneable unit? Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Very interested in this as mine is doing the same thing Sent from my E6810 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Pulled the vacuum break and it has a good groove in it now. Should there have been an o ring around the hex cap, where it meets the housing? Everything was greased nicely and moved freely, but w/o vacuum i guess the spring held the brake on? I can't seem to post pictures at this time Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Made some discoveries. My regulator will continue to build pressure regardless of what it is adjusted to. With the diaphragm removed, the check ball will continue to vibrate with the solenoid fuel pump, which in turn p***es fuel. Eventually it stops at 7 psi, pump pressure. I pulled the reg apart and stretched the spring and that helped, but didn't completely stop flow. Made gasket for adjuster nut on distributor, cured most of the vacuum leak, and the brake now moves with vacuum and a hand pump. So, I put it all back together, and get back out on the road. Runs like ****. I don't get 5 mins from the house and i turn around. Way down on power, wont hardly pull a small hill with it wide open in 3rd. Pull into driveway of the shop and its dead. I get the idea to shoot some ether down the carb, cause im now thinking bad coil, and it will not even fire. Also on the ride it was running hotter than normal, and it 77 here today. Coil is my next move, but honestly, I am feeling the desire to swap somthing else in the flatties spot. I gave it a try, but with the amount of blowby and low on power, it will barely pull in overdrive. I live where alot of highway driving is mandatory if you wanna do anything, so thats why i installed it, needed it. Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'll trade ya a used small block Chevy for it. Serious. I think if you had a 42 distributor with the modern type coil you would be way less frustrated in tuning it. Adapters are available to attach to your current three bolt front cover. Get a stock one rebuilt by Bubba's and you will be good to go.
My '40 Ford runs the 221 motor with the helmet style distributor and it works well. There is nothing wrong with this distributor when it is set up properly. If I understand you correctly, the motor starts right up and runs ok for a while and then it quits after having ran ok for a while. First thing that comes to mind for me is the condenser. I would change that first. Cheap. Then if it quits again, look down the carb and see if it is flooded. These carbs have problems with needle valves and with power valves. Often the power valve doesn't fit right and it leaks because they don't make the replacements like the originals. If it backfires, that could blow the diaphragm in the power valve as well resulting in a flooding situation. 7 psi of fuel pressure is often too much for the inlet valve which will flood it as well. If it isn't flooding, I would then check the dwell to see if that is ok and then pull a plug and see if it fires with a good spark. Don't be in a rush to dump the distributor. Hope that helps
As i was trying to get to sleep, i remembered that while i was adjusting my fuel regulator, i had the ignition circuit energized also. Now I'm wandering if that time with the coil hot is what made my last drive so short and made it so it would not even fire on ether. When it did die last time, it definitely was not flooded. I was thinking fuel again, but didn't even smell g***y. The whole distributor and coil and condenser are rebuilt units from a reputable place, and i realize stuff happens, so ill start looking into that. It will be a couple day for i can get back to it, i have to teach night school at work and kids sports, so lots of time to dwell on it Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hyvolt I think in one the first posts you said it was a Bubbas rebuilt dist before you throw anymore money at it give him a call and see what he thinks Tom
I have an email in to him now. His phone system won't let me leave a message. Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If the problem seems to be temperature related, especially with sparks thru the exhaust, I wonder if you might have the valve lash set a bit too tight. If you can, the next time it quits running on you, try running a compressio0n test while the engine is still hot. Compare the readings to a cold engine compression test.
1. Look at spark...when car drops dead, hold a plug wire tip close (A little less that 1/4") to a head nut and crank away. Loud snap and plump yellow spark good, thin thready blue spark sends you back to ignition ****ysis. 2. Vac brake...grease the sides, turn the plunger 90 degrees. 3. '41 11A distributor has same points, advance, etc. as Crab. Crab is easier to work on (and test)
I did the pull the wire and hold it away from the plug tip, and that did get it started once, but as far as i know, that could have been 20 mins into the break down and it could have cooled off. I did rotate the break in the distributor when i put it back, and made a gasket for the nut and red greased it again. It will not hold a vacuum, but my guess is that is normal the way its designed. Bubba's has returned my email with a call and i am going to chech the condenser tonight, said sould be around .36 mfd. If not buy a napa rr175. Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I stopped by to see a shop owner last week. He was working on a 53 F100 with something that sounded like same issue. It had him stumped. He finally had it figured out that the two generator wires were mixed up and on the wrong terminals. Maybe that's your issue? It's easy to check.
Looks like the condenser is good, reads .479 mfd. Label shows .360, but that should be ok. Going to get the coil off and send to Skip this week. Running out of options! Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Is your coil power run through the ballast resister under the dash?. I had the same problem on a 1940 pickup I had. I subs***uted a known good coil and when I got back from a test drive the wax was melting out of the coil. I started looking at the circuit and found the ballast resister byp***ed. The Ford Barn recommended Skip Haney (www.fordcollector.com) to rebuild the the Coil. If Bubba rebuilds the coils I'm sure that is a good route to go as well.
I have rewired the whole car, and am using a ballast resistor i sized for the coil, based on putting 3 volts to the coil. I have the coil off and will have it sent down to Skip tomorrow, so that will be checked of the list. Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Fuel pressure should be down to 1.5-2psi. not 7psi. I learned the hard way. Sent from my E6810 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Talked to Skip Friday, and found out the reman coils for a 41 are not so good. Apparently, they are Chinese, and not rebuildable. Glad i did not go that route Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have my coil back and mounted. Car immediately sounded better as soon as it fired up. Went for a short trip and feels alot better. I have not made a long run yet, but i have high hopes. Should get a good run in this weekend if the weather holds. Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Coil is in, and i think i have it fixed. Made a 50 mile round trip, and no problems. I had my car out on interstate 70 through missouri for the first time and it ran great. Made the trip at 65 to 70 mph and the flathead held its own in traffic. Felt real nice after 2 years of work. Sent from my LG-LS993 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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