Engine not starting

[ridinhi]

Been lurking awhile, didnt think id ever be starting another one of these threads tho. She's 1952 with 12 volt conversion. Hasnt run for couple years. Ive got bright blue spark at all plugs, cleaned, gapped. Plugs also have gas on them. Carb blown out and carb does the usual dribble after cranking. Fresh gas. Valves not stuck, all jumping up and like they're having a party. While cranking, she coughs, sputters, smokes, even gets a few bumps together. Kinda makes me feel young again. Is she flooding?
Side note; wondering if it also might timing. So, when everyone talks about their #1 being top right of the distributer looking towards the front, mines bottom left. Last year did a valve job as per cub manual. Tdc on #1, pointer on marker. Is my distributor "upside down" with the bottom left #1, and i screwed up the timing doing it by the manual and #1 should be upper right of the distributer. Thinking about it makes my head hurt

[Eugene]

Ignition timing.

But first PRIME THE OIL PUMP.

Edit: The #1 and 3 #4 cylinder are on the same stroke of the crankshaft. Both cylinder timing marks (same place) and the pointer line up with either cylinder.

Finger in #1 cylinder plug hole, closest to radiator. Crank engine by hand until compression felt. Slight adjustment to set #1 cylinder TDC. Then either adjust the distributor or plug wires. -- Depends on what you find when you remove the distributor cap.

Edit: Correction. Cylinders #1 and #4 are on the same crankshaft stroke.

[Glen]

Hi,
It sounds like someone may have put the distributor in the base turned to the wrong position.

The small post on the side the Battery Ignition unit, for the wire going to the coil, originally faces to the right, then the number 1 spark plug wire is at the upper right connection on the cap.

The distributor cap fits one way on the Battery Ignition unit.

To change the distributor's position, take the distributor cap off, take the distributor out of the base, turn the distributor the right direction, and the rotor so it is pointing to the upper right, then put the distributor in again.
Then run the engine, and time it using a timing light.
The distributor can be put in the base in many positions, there are gears in the unit.

You have to take the distributor out of the base where the round part of it is, held in with the 2 clamps, that have bolts with 1/2" heads. One bolt is on the engine side of the unit.
I use a 1/2" open end, or box end wrench going in from the top. You can only turn the bolt a small part of a turn at a time. If the bolt turns easily when the clamp is loose, you may be able to turn it with your fingers. If you don't like working in small spaces, you may not like getting to the bolt.

Be sure the engine is turned to number 1 cylinder TDC before changing the gear teeth position.

Below are pages from the 1955 Cub operator's manual showing the battery Ignition unit.

http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.clea ... e%2041.jpg

http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.clea ... e%2042.jpg

Below is a post I made about priming the oil pump. The post is part way down the page.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=91765&start=60

[Eugene]

when everyone talks about their #1 being top right of the distributer looking towards the front, mines bottom left. Last year did a valve job as per cub manual. Tdc on #1, pointer on marker. Is my distributor "upside down" with the bottom left #1, and i screwed up the timing doing it by the manual and #1 should be upper right of the distributer.

My thought/reading is that the engine was on/timed with the #4 cylinder on the TDC mark. The solution is to rotate all of the spark plug wires 180 degrees in the distributer cap.

Use engine compression to determine the compression stroke of the #1 cylinder. Then determine the problem. Don't remove the distributor until you have determined the problem.

[ridinhi]

Good replys, kinda what i was wondering. Wont have any quick updates, being a truck driver with little time. But am taking notes

[ridinhi]

The post on the dist. to the coil is on the right. The rotor points bottom left with #1 cyl. tdc.
So eugene, you're saying just straight up switch the plug wires on the dist. to the opposite post on the dist.? #1 tdc of course.

[Gary Dotson]

What Eugene is saying is that someone, at sometime, timed the distributor 180 deg. off, swapping the plug wires 180 deg. is a coal shedders solution to correct the timing. It works but it's not the right way to do it. It causes confusion (for you) down the road. You should roll your crankshaft around to top dead center on the cylinder #1 compression stroke, slip the distributor out and time it according to the book.

[ridinhi]

Copy. Had a feeling it'd be the timing

[Eugene]

Try my suggestion on relocating the spark plug wires in the distributor cap. Take about 2 minutes. If that solves the problem then go ahead and retime the distributor to the engine.

Gary: What is a coal shedder? Never heard the term.

[Gary Dotson]

A coal shedder or coal shed mechanic is along the line of a shade tree mechanic. I like the ring of it better!

[Eugene]

The post on the dist. to the coil is on the right. The rotor points bottom left with #1 cyl. tdc.
So eugene, you're saying just straight up switch the plug wires on the dist. to the opposite post on the dist.? #1 tdc of course.

I had been thinking that the plug wires were incorrectly installed in the distributor cap until ridinhi said that the rotor was pointing to the lower left.

A coal shedder or coal shed mechanic is along the line of a shade tree mechanic. I like the ring of it better!

Neat. I probably won't use the term. Think it would start a fight if called someone a coal shedder.

[Glen]

Hi,
You could do what Eugene said first, before changing the timing, or removing the distributor to change the gear position.

[ridinhi]

Flip flopping the wires on the distributer gave me nothing but the sound of the starter. Think ill pull and reset the dist. and go from there.

[Gary Dotson]

Good, that's the right approach.

[Eugene]

Yup. Gonna have to start over.

Think I would do a compression check first. Yes, original poster said valves are moving up and down.

Before pulling the distributor double check the rotor location with the #1 cylinder on TDC, compression stroke. - - - Find out how far out of time the ignition is. Timing wasn't set 180 degrees out or in time.