Alright I give up -flathead won't crank.

This has been the week for me to be on here asking stuff- I think my brain is fried from job hunting for 2 years...

Anyway, my '36 flathead (in my '34) won't start. It had been running fine until the other day and the drvs side upper radiator hose came off and dumped coolant all over the motor.

Dried everything out - won't start.... pulled a plug and watched it not fire when I cranked on it.
Checked voltage all the way to the dist (which is a mallory dual point (with a NAPA condensor), cleaned it all out, blew it out and finally got some spark. but VERY intermittent... so today I pulled the dist, filed the pioints, reset them and now I get good spark from a plug laying on the head.

STILL won't hit a lick when cranking tho... I dumped some gas in the carbs...still nothing...makes no sense to me...

I'm still using the 6v starter so it turns over like crazy, but won't hit to save it's life...

WHAT am I missing?

 

Coolant has a way of soaking thru the tightest places, though they appear sealed.
Pull every plug wire from the cap, blow out all the towers, also (especially) the coil tower and cap.
Examine the wires, if they are not fresh they will get soaked thru as the rubber coating will be heat-cracked, and electricity will leak thru and go to ground.
Turn off the garage lights, and watch the wires as you crank it in the dark. If you see "Christmas", you have secondary leakage.

 

First I thought the electrics might have gotten wet and fried the mallory. But your getting spark so I would "guess" it's alright.

Sounds like your getting close. Keep going you'll get it!

 

hydro lock. hose came off and water blew out because you blew a head gasket

 

I had a problem cranking my flathead a few years ago,,I drove it home stopped to eat lunch went back out to leave and nothing,,,also have a dual point distrubitor and screwed with the engine for a solid week,,,

one set of points were closed,,,just a suggestion,,check your points. HRP

 

I don't think so... the hose clamp was not tightened enough (I have to use Coolflex hoses because I've got a Walker radiator in it- so there are 8 clamps to tighten...).. I was lucky it stayed on as long as it did... but the motor turns over just fine...so much so that I have drained the battery trying to get it cranked...

EDIT to add: But I WILL do a compression check to make sure all is well. Looking into the plug holes, all is clean and dry.

 

Thought of that..that's why I pulled the dist out and bench-adjusted the points.

thanks tho...

 

I'm with A****er Mike in thinking that you still have residual moisture causing the voltage to go to ground instead of going to the plugs. I'd clean and dry all of the plug wires on both ends and spray a bit of WD40 in to flush out any moisture that might be there. Electricity is a bit lazy in that it will always take the easiest route to ground.

 

You may have wet fouled the plugs, ya ever rode a M/C years ago ya know what I mean. Try a fresh set of pulgs now that you have spark.

 

It's possible you washed down the cylinders when you were trying to crank it with no spark. You might pull the plugs, spin the engine over, put a squirt of oil in each cylinder, turn the engine over again with the plugs out and then put in a fresh set of plugs.
I've had to do this more than once to get an engine to fire after problems.
The above WD 40 idea won't hurt anything either.
Larry T

 

For those who are watching this one...
A****er Mike and Mr48chev were right on target.

Pulled each wire off the cap (one at a time) - sprayed brake parts cleaner in and blew them out with air - then hit 'em with WD40.
Dropped some new pulgs in and she lights off in about 1/2 a second.

Whew, I feel better now...

Thanks gents.

PS- did the compression check and 6 of the 8 were at 100. 1 was 97, and 1 was 105.
So, I do not have a blown head gasket... 'nuther "WHEW"...