1926 Refusing to Start

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: 1926 Refusing to Start
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Justin Zahner on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 09:42 am:

I stopped at the gas station on my way to my first ever extended trip out of my neighborhood. Turned my 26 t off and put some gas in it. It would not start after I got the gas. Tried everything. Even ran the battery down trying to crank it.

Now the thing about my T is that it has trouble starting when cold. I usually have to crank the back passenger tire off the ground a little to get the engine to fire up.

That was a year ago. I now want to crank it up and get it on the road again. I have drained the old gas and put some new gas in its place, but the car still just turns over without firing.

I do not know much about cars, so this is going to be a learning experience.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By G.R.Cheshire on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 09:50 am:

check your switch and the contacts in the coil box are the coils Buzzing? Check the wires from the battery to the coil box make sure you are getting power


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By G.R.Cheshire on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 09:52 am:

Forgot you may also need to clean the timer and check the contacts there


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 09:52 am:

Did you shut the fuel off when you went to refuel? I've done that, then sat there cranking thinking "What's this things problem!?" Lol


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Wells on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 10:30 am:

Did the engine cool down a bit. Could be you have to enrichen the mixture an eighth of a turn.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 10:56 am:

Some T's will start right up after being off about 5 minutes. Others will need the choke. It depends a lot on how far it was driven and on what circumstances before you stopped for gas. An example, I live about 2 miles from the gas station and it is almost all downhill from my house to that station. So when I arrive there and get gas, sometimes I will need to choke to start it. At other times after having been driven until fully warmed up, I stop for gas, just a tap on the starter and it will run, even sometimes get a free start.

You need to get used to your car. It is very hard to start a car after it is flooded, so I would suggest you first try without choking it, and if it doesn't start, do a quick pull on the choke while the engine is spinning. If that doesn't do the trick, you might be flooded. To clear out a flooded engine let it set about 10 minutes or if you don't have that much time, fully open the throttle with the key off and crank it by hand a few quick revolutions. Then turn the key on with spark retarded, one quick pull upward will usually start it. Problem with running the battery dead with the starter is that it could be too dead to give spark to the coils. If it won't start quickly with the starter it is better to try the hand crank.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Thode Chehalis Washington on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 11:09 am:

Just a WAG but since the car drove into the gas station I would say that the air fuel mixture is too rich (flooded) or too lean. If it is flooded you can clear it fast by gently closing the air/fuel mixture completely and cranking to see if it fires. If it fires, reset the mixture a little leaner then it was and start the engine.

In the end if you have air and fuel at about the correct mixture, spark a the correct time and compression, the engine WILL run. Leave any one of the four things out and it will NOT run.

Good Luck,
Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 11:15 am:

A good starting point is to open the drain valve in bottom of carb, to see fuel run out. Then screw the needle(mixture valve on dash) all the way in till it bottoms out. Do not force it or you will ruin the needle. Just tighten till closed. Then back it out one full turn. (If it is very cool maybe 1-1/2 turns) That is a good place to start as far as the carb is concerned. Then check spark. I would at least clean the timer out. Then pull all plugs, with them hooked up and laying on the head. Turn the key to battery. Use the hand crank and turn over the engine. Watch for spark at each plug. You should have a nice blue spark. If you have a good spark check the timing. A simple way is to have the spark control rod/handle all the way up. Turn the engine over slowly till the #1 plug just starts to spark. Turn off the key. Now look at your pin for the fan belt pulley on the crank. It should be close to a horizontal or vertical position. It is useally horizontal but some later cranks it is vertical. Now look closely at the pin. It is supposed to be low on the right side if horizontal or past 12 o clock if vertical. The ideal point is about 17 1/2 degrees. Or if you think of it as a clock, the right side of the pin should be aprox. 1 o clock for vertical or 4 oclock for horizontal. Remember that all these setting and checking is done with the timer rod all the way up. If it is not set as described above, remove the timer pull rod from the timer. Then with the crank pin set at 17 1/2 degrees, turn the timer by hand (with key on) till it just starts to buzz the #1 coil. Remember to keep hands clear because it may try to free start as you turn the timer. Not likely but just pay attention. After setting the timer to buzz, bend the rod to fit in timer rod hole. Be carefull not to move the timer. Now you should be in time, with a rough set carb and know you have gas. With the key off, pull up on the crank three times while choking the carb. Then set the throttle rod and timer rod about 1 inch down. Turn the key on and try to hand crank the car. I never use the starter when trying to start a problem engine. Be aware that when trying to learn the "new" starting procedure and find the sweet spot, that kickback is possible. Use a good hand cranking procedure and keep you thumb and fingers on the same side of the handle. With any luck it should fire or start using the above procedure, but you may have to fine tune the settings a little. If you have everything right a T will start from the crank on battery with no more than very slowly pulling the crank past compression. Do not fall into the trap of depending on a starter, a T that starts well with a hand crank is a Joy ..... My T will start on mag with one pull of the crank using one finger to pull with. It will start on battery by pulling it up to compression very very very slowly, and as soon as it goes past TDC it fires. If it does not start that way I want to figure out why. They do not need to be a new engine either, just good to fair compression will work. Good luck and keep us posted.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 11:21 am:

The "right side" I described when talking about timing, is looking at the car from the front. The "right side" I am describing is the driver side. Do not want you to get confused....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Gumbinger, Kenosha, WI on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 11:23 am:

Justin - You mentioned that your car "has trouble starting when cold". It shouldn't be that hard to start when cold, which means there are other issues that should be addressed. Are your coils in really good shape? If not, they may need rebuilding....you would be amazed the difference hot coils will make. Of course, there are many other things to consider also, like the timer (clean?), spark plugs, wiring and coil box contacts, condition of the valves, compression, etc.

A problem I once had in my '27 T was that the switch contacts were dirty and not making contact, hence no firing. Did your coils buzz when it wouldn't start?

These are just a few things for you to check. You might have a more experienced Model T'er come and help you. This brings up the question, do you have a Model T club in your area and are you a member of it? I strongly recommend belonging to a Model T Club.

Hope this helps.....

Keith


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 01:00 pm:

"I do not know much about cars..." Those words prompt me to offer a few words of encouragement. I came up in the same boat. My dad was raised by his grandma in the horse & buggy era, and had no experience with modern technology like automobiles. Even just driving a car, he seemed to have the mechanical touch of death. So I acquired no mechanical experience at home. I got some in the army, and learned little bits and pieces on my own over the years. It was only after buying a TT project about six years ago that I really started to learn the ins and outs of Model T work. I have a lonnnggg way to go before I become the kind of expert some of the guys on this forum are, but I know a lot more about fixing a T and keeping it running than I used to.

So hang in there. Buy the references if you don't already have them. http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG80.html Study the books and study the forum and you'll learn. As the old saying goes, it ain't brain surgery (or architecture).


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Justin Zahner on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 09:48 pm:

Well I am going to check it out Saturday. Thanks for all the advice from everyone.

My voyage into the model t world is a sad one. My dad bought the car 29 years ago from my great uuncle. My parents split 5 years later. Unfortunately he never even taught me how to drive the car, but after he passed away two years ago, I knew it was up to me to keep this tradition alive.

Just driving the car makes it feel like he is with me. So I am about to get into the T world in a big way.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Friday, May 23, 2014 - 01:34 am:

^ I love stories like this........ :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave DeYoung ......... Stoughton, WI on Friday, May 23, 2014 - 08:29 am:

Justin, you need a mentor. Get yourself connected with a local chapter in your area and find someone that will help and share their knowledge with you. This is a great forum, but nothing beats having a knowledgeable T'er standing next to you showing the way.

As for the non start. I would have the coils checked and them go with a new set of plugs. There are some brands of plugs that will fail as a group and I have no idea why. Been there, done that.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson, Berthoud, Co. on Friday, May 23, 2014 - 09:27 am:

Justin:

Dave Deyoung gave you the BEST ADVICE. Try and find a local T Club. If there is a local club, someone in that club will be an expert, Not the guy who has done only one T and suddenly becomes an expert. Most knowledgeable T mechanics don't mind you stopping by their shop and will be glad to help you out. One suggestion might be John Tannehill, Sumrall MS 601-983-9429.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Justin Zahner on Friday, May 23, 2014 - 12:36 pm:

Yeah the comment about the coils seems key. I remember the first time I started it the coils were buzzing, but the are not now.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Deckman, Ogden Utah on Friday, May 23, 2014 - 12:50 pm:

check bat and wiring to coil box


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