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Discussion Topic:
1937 vapor lock
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40 Coupe |
07-12-2020 @ 4:37 AM
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Senior
Posts: 1632
Joined: Oct 2009
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What carburetor do you have? The original is a Stromberg 97 The 94 style is 39-48. a photo would be good. If you remove the carburetor does the intake manifold have a hole to the exhaust passage? If so only the Stromberg can be used unless you block the hole.
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39 Ken |
07-12-2020 @ 7:13 AM
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Member
Posts: 380
Joined: Oct 2009
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If Skip Haney re-built your coil, you can bet it's not the coil giving you problems. One undeniable truth of the day is that the condensers made today are of questionable quality. The most consistently good ones I have found are from NAPA, made by Echlin. The IH-200 is what I'm using and they seem to be the most consistent in quality. Tubman over on the Ford Barn is making a "Big Brass" condenser with the correct resistance that will fit your '37 but it is a little pricey. However, pricey is good if you want quality and longevity. Ken
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JayChicago |
07-12-2020 @ 9:18 AM
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Member
Posts: 468
Joined: Jan 2016
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To those of you who posted suggestions regarding the fuel pump or carburetor: this is clearly a spark problem, not a fuel problem. Original post said " I can squirt gas or starting fluid in the carb and it will not start. " Later he said "the spark will not jump 1/2", barely 1/8". We all want to help. But I see too many reply postings that have not been thought thru. That doesn't help, may just confuse a person who is already scratching his head. May I suggest that before we jump on the keyboard, we all should take the time to re-read thru the thread a second time, giving us time to think about the problem a second time.
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mzahorik |
07-12-2020 @ 11:02 AM
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Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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Well..... I had a little time this morning to do a little snooping. I checked the wiring, it was replaced about a year ago, and it is tight, complete and correct. The ballast resistor is good. My battery voltage is also good 6.3 volts. So I started with what I thought was easy. I removed the condenser and tested it. Turns out it is a little leaky and low on capacitance. I believe the correct capacitance is around 0.25 uF. I was measuring less than 0.15 uF. But, I think being leaky is the real problem. I also have a Model T which I have rebuilt the coils. One thing about these coils is the poor capacitors they had, but the new ones are great. So I removed the cap from the V8 and installed a Model T capacitor. The T cap has a little more capacitance, but it seems to work fine. With the motor cold, the engine started on the first crank, just as before. I ran the engine until warm, turned it off and waited 10 minutes. The engine temp went up 30 degrees, at least according to the dash gauge. This is where I have trouble. Normally the engine will not start until it cools, this time it started right up. So I re did the test and the engine started again when hot. Now I do not want to celebrate yet. Later when the shade comes around and is over the car, I want to try looking at the spark again. The capacitor was new last year. I bought it from Mac's. Thanks for the help Mike
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mzahorik |
07-12-2020 @ 11:21 AM
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Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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And by the way, my car has a 97 carb that was rebuilt about 2 years ago. When the car is running I have no trouble with performance on the road. Also, my Model T capacitor measures about 0.45 uF and does not register at all on leakage. I had to try the car on the road. I taped up the temp capacitor so it would not get into trouble and drove around awhile. The engine did get a little warmer. With the engine off and after waiting 15 minutes, the dash temp gauge reading 180+, the engine started up. Maybe this is it. Still will try the spark test later tonight when it is not so bright out. Time will tell, thanks for the help. Mike
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mzahorik |
07-12-2020 @ 12:59 PM
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Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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While I'm waiting for darkness to come, to do the spark test, I made the capacitor connection a little more semi-permenent. And here is a picture of my little treasure. Thanks for the help. Mike
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mzahorik |
07-12-2020 @ 4:03 PM
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Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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It was dark enough to do the test and see a spark with my old eyes. The spark is definitely not 1/2", but it more than 1/4" and maybe 3/8". So it is definitely better. Did Ford have a ballast resistor bypass during starting? That might help a little more. Thanks again, Mike
This message was edited by mzahorik on 7-12-20 @ 4:09 PM
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TomO |
07-13-2020 @ 8:18 AM
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Senior
Posts: 7238
Joined: Oct 2009
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Nice looking survivor, Mike. I would get a new condenser from NAPA and install it. You may not get the results that I specified with your set up. A 1/4" spark may be acceptable with a test plug. The different capacitance will also make a difference in spark intensity. You can use one of the plastic fuse holders to hold the wire or stick a small wooden dowel inside the plug connector to assist in holding the wire close to a head nut. You can buy a coil adapter for test purposes that will allow you to use a round coil, but their reliability is questionable of the long term. I made my own from a bad coil base back in the 1970's and still use it for test purposes. The problem is that the round coils have severe quality issues. I do carry a spare Skip rebuilt coil for emergencies.
Tom
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mzahorik |
07-13-2020 @ 12:37 PM
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Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Nov 2009
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The external capacitor is just temporary. I wanted to see if it helped, although I may leave it on for a while, just to see if it really makes a difference over time. Are you recommending the Echlin IH-200? I may try it, just for an experiment. Not sure why the Model T capacitor is so much larger than the V8 cap. Maybe I should get a spare coil and have Skip work on it. Thanks for the help. The car is fun to drive again. Mike
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TomO |
07-14-2020 @ 6:40 AM
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Senior
Posts: 7238
Joined: Oct 2009
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Mike, I cannot recommend any electrical parts these days. The quality of all of them is questionable. I have used the condensers from NAPA in the past with no problems. I cannot say that about the ones provided by the vendors that supply the hobby. Driving the car with a condenser of the wrong value can cause the points to pit and then you will have to replace them. This could lead to more problems as the quality of replacement point is not as good as the ones that we used to get 30 years ago.
Tom
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