hi guys, workin on a 47 ford, drivin down the road yesterday it just stopped...like you turned the key off. checked out and have no spark. not sure about points and stuff.....never worked on one of these flatties.the points are opening and closing best I can see, I have power at the coil, the wire from the coil to the dist is also ok.....help thanks don
Pull off your coil lead and check the ends for corrosion and check the resistance of the coil lead. Flatman
update, doing some further testing and checking condenser using a fluke meter.....condenser acting strange..doesn't count up and down.....just a bad condenser????
issue resolved, the condenser is bad. going to run to st paul and try and get one at the back to the 50's show....local parts store doesn't stock the right one. thanks everyone. Don
WOW My 46 left by the road saturday nite. Went back with truck and trailer sunday morning and it started right up. Just started driving it the last few weeks. It doesn't want to start after it is warmed up. I think I am gonna change it over to 12V with an altenator soon. It has an eletric fuel pump on it already. We will see...
'46 with no start warm ius cl***ic symptom of dying coil or possibly condenser...test spark at coil, typically you'll get a fat blue spark cold, thin pathetic yellow spark when failed. Do NOT buy any ignition parts from places like Macs---third world junk. Points, consenser, modern coil from NAPA or something else made by a real company...
On SE University Ave in Minneapolis is a little store called Little Dearborn Parts where you will find anything you need for your 47 Ford. Say Hi to Rodger for me!
Thanks for the info. I was looking at an old Macs catalog yesterday and thought I would try some of the local parts store first.
NAPA has points, rotor, condenser, as do several other companies. Some of the import points have disastrously soft rubbing blocks and mis-drilled pivots that make setting points properly impossible... buy from a source that mostly sells to actual mechanigs.
Don if your working on a customers car,or your own, you might want to tell him about pertronix ign. he would never have that problem again. call Henry at the pit stop in gary texas, he puts together a dist. for 6 volt or 12 volt pos. or neg. ground for flatheads its electronic no more points or condenser. the pit stop hwy 999 s. 1 mi. gary, tx. 75643 903 685 2531 i've used them on several flatheads and it's great, they will start before you can get your finger off the ****on.
Been having problems finding parts. Napa can get some of it. No luck on coils. Anyone have an idea? If I go 12 volt, what should I ask for in a coil. Most of the people I talked (at the parts store) have no idea what a flathead is. How about Dennis Carpenter parts? Good or bad? Thanks
Coils--most practical route is ordinary modern cylindrical coil. Originals can be rebuilt ($$), bad repros are available (expect to walk home...), and I've heard good repros have come out recently--don't know. At NAPA, there is a pictorial catalog of ignition bits with a coil section. Pick a 6-volt one--some require resistors, some don't. In either case, byp*** original resistor and use any resistor rquired for new coil. Get two generic brackets, affix to 21A bracket on motor. Coil terminal to distrib matches battery ground--pos ground car gets pos lead to distrib. Carpenter I think has the new repro ones...or try Spadaro on the HAMB, he know his stuff and can tell you what's available in repro coils.
Here's a NAPA parts list courtesy of several folks over on the Fordbarn: http://www.fordbarn.com/earlyv8/forum03/membersarticles/NAPApartlist.htm
Well I got the 46 starting better thanks to a new coil. I got the parts from Napa. Thanks to everyone that had helped out. Really appreciate it. I think the car stalling is due to a fuel problem. I got an electric fuel pump and adjustable regulator. It was set at 2. The car seems to be dying when it goes up hills after it has been running a while. After I got over the hill it ran good and idle good too. I drove it around town and no problems either. Anyone got any ideas what the heck is going on. I wanted to take it to the yearly cruise in Freeport Il tomorrow nite. The 46 is pretty much the stock flathead on 6 volts yet. Thanks
I will have to check it. Thanks I drove it about 8 miles before it started running like ****. Went up down a few hills before it did it on the last one. This problem started over a month ago on its first long drive. It went well the first 30 or 40 miles to the show, but about half way home it started acting up and died. Just seems weird. We will see how it works on the 8 mile trip back tonight. If it dies again my 11 year old daughter will probably never ride in it again. Maybe I better take the 33 back just incase.
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