I'm a fumbling idiot and my flathead doesn't run...

Also, ground issues are very much worth examining on a fresh car--all that paint blocks ground at every step. Internally, plate must seat well, externally a jumper from condenser mount screw out to solid ground would not hurt a thing...

 

Once you get it running you can drive it by if you want and I can help you figure out why it's running so good....

Good luck with it!

 

Thats a great attitude Ryan. Just a warning... there will be more ignition troubles. It's old and for some reason, they pop back up like gremlins. But I have to say that constantly wrenching on the old stuff has taught me so much and makes me thankful for all that new technology, but for some sick reason, I still get a smile when that old fort flat motor starts sputtering and it's time to pull over. What's it going to be this time that I get to figure out like a puzzle and then get back on the road again? Even my girlfriend is used to it and usually beats me to opening up the hood!

 

Are both points losing gsp simultaneously?? Is there any roughness detectable on the cam by checking with fingernail for any catchyness?? Is there any side play in shaft?
Cam finish should be very slick--looking at the crab in my office, I can actually see the point rubbing blocks mirrored in the faces of the cam.
Breaker oivots have a brass washer, then a little cotter, and have essentially no play up-down or rotationally on the pivots. Points held down by two screws with lock washers, adjusted by eccentric screw...all hardware look happy??

 

Sounds like its time to tear it out and drop in a SBC.

 

Fuckin' Flatheads.....

 

Thats It
Fresh Painted .( Epoxy ) Engine
The Scews That Ground Out Need Raw Metal At Thr Dist Mount And Thr Other Attaching Points Of The Engine...
By Golly I Think We Have Solved This Guys Trouble
Oh Ya He Has To Go Home To Find Out If We Are Right.
Hurry Go Home
We Have Nothing Betterto Do ....
Immmmm Waiting..
Paperdog

 

RYAN QUOTE
I got new points from NAPA like Bruce & Keith instructed as well as a new condensor. I plan on filling the rotor just a bit tonight and then giving it a shot. If it works, it confirms by initial stupidity. If it doesn't, then I am going back to the drawing board and pulling you all in to hell with me!!!

WELCOME WE HAVE BEEN WONDERING WHEN YOU WERE GONNA STAY...BOOOOAUUUHAHAAAHHAHAAAAAHHH

OH BY THE WAY ITS WARM HERE BRING ICE AND SUNGLASSES

 

Question: Are there parts available to rebuild one of these distributors and if so where? ie. bushings, breaker plates, point cam.

 

Check out Joblot, C&G, Macs...between them, you can find almost everything.
I'll be doing a complete tech on these soon.

It's easy to find low-mile rebuilds for sale, though, and I look for good tight ones that just need cleaning and points. Ford and other exchange programs mean that there are many that actually have low miles since last factory rebuild.

 

I did the same thing on the Rocky33. It didn't take much for the rotor to break. I didn't file mine (didn't even think of it at the time)but finally got lucky on rotor #4 and it fit w/o hitting.

 

Check out Joblot, C&G, Macs...between them, you can find almost everything.
I'll be doing a complete tech on these soon.

It's easy to find low-mile rebuilds for sale, though, and I look for good tight ones that just need cleaning and points. Ford and other exchange programs mean that there are many that actually have low miles since last factory rebuild.

NAPA:
ECH CS47 Contact Set (Points)
$17.49 $17.49 Remove

ECH FA65 Distributor Cap
$21.99 $21.99 Remove

ECH FA64 Distributor Rotor
$9.49 $9.49 Remove

ECH ICR40 Ignition Coil Resistor
$4.49 $4.49 Remove

FA54 condenser

 

Went though a similar deal with my flathead powered 29 roadster, points, rotor, condenser, plugs wires, carb kit, flushed out gas tank, Damn it runs good! I love it...............

 

Also, there is special grease made to be used very lightly on breaker cams; it is a bit stiffer and waxier than most regular grease. Still made, you will have to find a parts man old enough to understand the request...

 

Dielectric grease works well.

 

Before the drags this year, I replaced my cap and rotor with NAPA parts. Car was missing bad under a load all weekend. When I got home found that the rotor had worn the contacts on the cap almost down to the plastic. Distributor shaft was tight, so I replaced cap and rotor again, and noticed replacement rotor was again hitting contact points on cap very hard. I broke out one of the wife's nail files, and filed down the rotor contact a small amount. Has ran fine ever since.

 

Before the drags this year, I replaced my cap and rotor with NAPA parts. Car was missing bad under a load all weekend. When I got home found that the rotor had worn the contacts on the cap almost down to the plastic. Distributor shaft was tight, so I replaced cap and rotor again, and noticed replacement rotor was again hitting contact points on cap very hard. I broke out one of the wife's nail files, and filed down the rotor contact a small amount. Has ran fine ever since.

 

why are you still at work???

that shit'll be there manyanna... go on home a gitchur car runnin. the suspense is KILLIN me holmes!

FWIW i seen the tape "feeler gauge" trick in use about 4 months ago back home down at the neighborhood body shop (yea, i grew up three doors down from a body shop) . the guy who ran it was sittin outside "freshnin up the 'lectrics" on his flatty and was havin the same issues you are now Ryan. he taped, spun and filed till everything "looks about how henry wanted it to" and zero troubles.

T

 

Well
You Have A Hada Memorable Day And The Car Runs Now Right?

 

In these parts when a flatmotor doesn't run rright we declare a flathead emergency, everything stops till the problem is fixed.

 

Ryan,

Hope you're not having problems with the points I sent you. Borg Warner and Echlin (NAPA) are owned by Standard Motor Products. So the points I sent you should be the exact same as Echlin (NAPA) points. The cam lube that Bruce is referring to is Standard part number SL-2 and should be availabe at any CarQuest auto parts store. It is heavier than dielectric silicone and lasts longer on the rubbing block of the points to help maintain point gap longer.

Dan Marvin, Owner
Exeter Auto Supply

 

Your not running one of those new Mexican cardboard rotors are you? They've been having clearence problems with those.

 

good i can go pee now

 

Ryan, glad you got it going again...

sometimes the simple is the most overlooked... i messed with the 455 in the willys for two hours before i remembered to check an see if the points were actually GAPPED right .

 

Man, I know this is a little late, but if your point gap keeps changing after only a short peroid of time, I'd want to look at the threads in the breaker plate and the threads on the hold down screws that hold the points tight. As time rolls on these tend to get sloppy and may be letting the gap close up because the threads are on the verge of being stripped. Way back in the 70s this was one of the things my old boss insisted we check on every tune up that involved points.
Gene