Technical 1949 Ford Custom cranks for only a second?!

6volt positive ground system

We have a new starter, plugs, wires, battery, coil, condensor, points, cables to battery, cable to starter. New 6v voltage regulator.

Fresh rebuilt motor.

When I crank it over. It cranks like a 1/4 rotation and stops each time I press the start ****on.

Ive tried to jump ot with a 12v battery (positive to positive - Negative starter.)

This does the same thing...

I'm at a complete loss. This is my first flathead, positive ground and 6volt experience and I have not had a win yet...

Whatever I can do to get this thing running. Let me know.

 

I'd first check all the ground connections, frame engine block, etc.
It's possible the start switch is bad, might look there.
A bad start solenoid is something to look into, also.

 

Take the plugs out and spin it over. Does it still do it?

 

Ditto for spinning it with the plugs out. Also, take a good look at your firing order. Has it ever made a pop?

 

I suspect something is going on with the starter Bendix.
Does is crank, click and hum?
Did you use the correct starter plate?
The rebuilt starter motor can be good but the Bendix might be bad or improperly ***embled.
Is the ring gear in good condition?

As said, check the grounds especially the primary ground on the head. Clean all paint from underneath the cable.
Make sure the connection at the starter is clean.

With the switch off or battery unhooked. Turn the engine over by hand (with a socket wrench) by the crank nut. This will give you an idea. It should not take that much effort to turn it. If it's a workout, that may be your problem.

 

The motor does exactly that. Crank, click, hum.

I used to old bendix from the old starter that I let the smoke out of.

I can spin the motor by hand with the plugs in its a bit or a ***** on the compression stroke.

I will check the primary head ground again and maybe replace it with some 1/0 copper.

 

I'm lazy. I much prefer to do simple checks and clean work first (get that out of the way) before I do the hard dirty stuff.
When things are complicated, make them simple. There could be hundreds of things causing this but step back and start with the simple-simple.

For what ever reason the starter gear is disengaging prematurely from the flywheel, thus not rolling the engine over long enough to start the engine.

This is your primary problem.

Why?...

Suspects....
1. faulty bendix/flywheel....something mechanical down there.
2. Faulty switch/solenoid/start ****on....something in the circuit....
3. Besides these two is there anything else that would cause the bendix/starter gear to disengage? Yes....
I'll admit the flathead Bendix is an odd critter. Since I don't have it hand I cant tell you exactly how it works...what I do know is once the engine "catches" cranks....the flywheel out runs the Bendix/starter gear, letting the gear release. If the engine is out of time it could surge/ throwing the gear off the flywheel.
So...#3 is engine timing.

Do these simple checks before you get dirty IE pull the starter. Flathead starters can be like a Jack in the Box. They want to come apart when you remove them and more unfortunately, when you install them. It's a good idea to tape it together with making tape...something like that....try to hold it together when you remove it or....Pop..Goes the Brushes.

Before you remove the starter....
Remove the coil lead wire off the distributor...Personally I would just pop the lead "Plug wire" off the coil and off the distributor. Crank the engine/press the starter ****on...If it rolls over and over cranks without throwing the Bendix...this points to #3...
If you are really lazy or smart Simply get into the car, and crank it over with the starter ****on. Make sure the ignition switch OFF. This should accomplish the same thing. The starter ****on should engage the starter whether not the switch is ON or Off....
If you have to turn the switch On for the starter ****on to work....Something is not wired right.

Check the starter ****on... You can do this by yourself, but two would be wonderful.
With a test light or maybe a meter of some sort...Remove the primary lead from the starter, with the meter or light connected to the starter lead/wire...ground through the light or meter to the frame/block/a good ground....When the starter ****on is mashed "depressed", the light should light, the meter should read. The light should be lit, the meter should read as long as the ****on is pressed. This tells you that the ****on is working.
If the light lights and then quickly goes out, This tells you the problem is upstream of the starter....a faulty connection at the ****on, bad ****on or the solenoid is tripping. This could also be a faulty connection at the the ****on, the solenoid or the primary ground....BTW this checks #2...

After you have confirmed that the starter ****on/starter circuit works properly and that it supplies current to the starter as long as the ****on is mashed it's time to examine that Bendix.
Also...after you have confirmed that engine is in time and not outrunning the Bendix....Another simple check is to make sure plug wire order is correct...
After those checks, now it's time to get dirty and examine the Bendix, Starter bolts... (is the starter bolted up properly?)Starter Plate and Flywheel....

P.S.....I know the following may sound unintelligent....Sometimes stuff is not working, You remove it...it looks good so you put it back together and it works perfectly.
Why? Who knows.
Main thing...keep at it be patient...be a problem solver.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Du3E9PJQ5dkn9FHG5SsuK0BAIH5MiAKO/view?usp=drivesdk

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Du3E9PJQ5dkn9FHG5SsuK0BAIH5MiAKO/view?usp=drivesdk

 

Teeth on ring gear ...

 

Can you elaborate? Ring gear looked alright when ***embling it.

 

Going strictly by your description of the problem.

 

Have you pulled the plugs and spun the engine with the starter?

 

There's a chance you have mismatched parts at the bell housing starter plate area. Check this thread from The Barn and look at the reply # 16 for part identifying. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296405&highlight=starter+plate

 

Going by what I hear from the video....

1.Weak Battery...too small primary leads....dirty connections
2. Bad starter. These starters can be serviced
3. Engine too tight.

It sounds like the Bendix/flywheel is fine ....just going by the video. It stays engaged but the strter has a hard time turning the engine.
weak battery
cables too light
connections dirty/painted
starter needs service
engine too tight

As mentioned...try it without the sparkplugs in.

 

Troubleshoot....from the manual
Engine cranks slowly
1Improper viscosity oil
2 Battery Low in charge
3 Battery worn out (bad battery)
4 Excessive circuit resistance (dirty/bad cables/grounds)
5 High resistance in relay circuit (solenoid)
6 Worn starter brushes (Just because the starter was "rebuilt" it still could be bad especially if it was half ***ed )
7 Dirty starter communtator
8 Open or short circuit in starter windings
9 Excessive engine friction

 

With information provided it sounds like you may have the wrong starter plate.
There are two different plates. One has the starter mount surface parallel to the plate surface, the other has an angle to the surface. If you have a manual ****** it should use the flat one. Did it start okay before you changed the starter? The wrong plate will make the starter bind. Did you change anything else? Does your car use a starter ****on on the dash? Those starter ****ons can cause exactly what you describe if not fully grounded in the dash. Bad starter solenoid can cause that problem. Connect the battery terminal on the solenoid directly to the starter cable. Does it turn over? If so, it's the solenoid. Was the old starter working okay before it smoked? A bit more detail as to everything you did in changing the starter would be helpful.

 

Going to hit all of the above this morning.
Engine too tight, can you give me some suggestions on simple ideas if this becomes the main factor?

 

Go through this list!!!
Especially 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

A too tight engine? That means dis***embly and inspection of to find out why it's so tight. I don't believe that's your problem though. Go through 2-8....If you have done it before ...do it again.

 

1. Threw the battery on the charger.
2. Changed to 40w oil. JIC.
3. New battery charged on item #1
4. Replaced all cables from battery to solenoid and block.
4b. Replaced stater to solenoid cable.
4c. Added (2) new copper 8awg copper grounds
4d. Replaced braided AL stock ground with bare copper 6awg .

..... In the process of turning it over with out plugs using starter and charged 3mo old battery.

 

Before:

https://youtube.com/shorts/HlGg_sZK0G8?feature=share

No Plug:

 

Distributor check..

No spark as of now....

I little love and the we will see if this ***** will fire.

 

Now you did it.....you cussed it out. It will never run now!

 

That eliminated a few likely problems. Should fire up now.

 

Have a weak spark? New condensor, points, cap, rotor, wires, plugs and coil.
Any ideas what would cause that?

 

Check voltage on the primary side of the coil. This is the wire coming from the ignition switch to the coil.

 

So she runs now. Timing and got to figure out how to get this ***** to keep her doors closed..
Another issue if you all have a real solution besides bearclaws...

 

Good job!