Bingster

I think if I park the car in a barn for another ten years, take it out and try to start it, I'll have solved my problem.

My ignition switch is not operational. Keith, I did just watch your video on the electrical system with the coil and distributor set-up. I'd seen it before but every time I see something I catch something new in it. I think the first thing I'll do is get a new coil. That's the cheapest thing to eliminate first. If it gets hot too I've got something else going on. The carb one way or the other needs rebuilding. I've seen people who do that, like the re-sleeving of brake cylinders, White Post is one. I can't recall if they do carbs. How long can you start a car on 12 volts? Does arcing the starter terminals do any damage to the starter? I just had it repaired. Works good.

We did have a pretty good spark from what I could tell. The air cleaner has been off the car for years. My friend "manning" the carb probably didn't do that. He fooled with the choke and accelerator but didn't do anything specifically. I did see a fuel leak under the carb fuel pump line fitting. Not from the fitting but coming somewhere from off the carb. It wouldn't surprise me if I need a rebuilt carb. Too many tiny parts for me to try that. I've been looking on YouTube and hot coils seem to be a thing. They blow up sometimes. I bought mine at Rock Auto three or four years ago and installed it but never used it until lately. After what I've read I'm kinda hesitant. I don't want to do a Jay Leno. A low battery didn't help much. Maybe it started when we had a fresh burst of power. Where's a good source for rebuilt carbs? I'm gonna have to get one anyway.

Well, the '47 fired up . . . for about five seconds. That's all we could get. We experimented with a new plug arrangement based on the rotor being more about two o'clock than five. Actually, it was about 180 degrees off from 7 o'clock as some of you guessed. That didn't work out too well. Then I tried to get TDC again. Then I decided that the plug arrangement was wrong, and I redid that. I hit the starter and the engine fired and ran for about five seconds. That's all we got. One thing that seemed very wrong is that the coil is getting very hot at the top half of the housing. This isn't right, obviously. Either I have it wired wrong or the constant starting did it, or it's a bad coil. But somebody said coils never go bad. The battery was getting low and maybe that's why we couldn't start it again, even though we put a six volt charger boost on the battery. So I'm sure there are a list of things that we can eliminate seeing how the engine did actually fire and run. Maybe the carb? The fuel pump seemed to be working but I doubt the carb was getting any. The main thing now for me to solve is the hot coil. Somebody knows why that is.

Thinking more on this, I think it could be a real cottage industry type of thing. As you say, who offers this? Get some wheel rims for sizes as patterns and advertise in the usual classic car magazines. I'm sure you'll have orders.

Rich, I think you should go for it. If it's just a question of your doing whatever orders come in, then you'll have some extra funny money. I guess maybe you're thinking about multiple set-ups.

Okay. So leave the rotor at five o'clock and put #6 spark plug wire there, then follow the plug wire sequence around the cap clockwise?

I wouldn't mind doing it just to have it done. I already have the shoes. Depends on price but be fair to yourself.

A question: When you say "you can raise the distributor before installing plug wires and rotate it" do you mean the metal housing underneath cap? Cause mine is like welded on there. I believe that #6 cylinder is at compression TDC. I say believe because I'd like to believe it. But my rotor is at 5:00 o'clock. The pointer on the crankshaft pulley seems to be at TDC if the raised line on the pulley indicates TDC. So am I supposed to shoot for #1 spark plug wire being at 7:00 o'clock or 2:00? Also, there is a tiny hole at the top of the distributor cap which I think indicates is supposed to line up with one of the snap levers to secure the cap.

That looks a lot like a DeSoto S-11.

I'll give it another go at my next opportunity. Thanks.

Thanks. That seems a bit more doable so I'll try that first. I'm gonna stick my neck out a bit here but the compression stroke is when #1 cylinder is up?

The top of the coil got hot when we tried to start it before

Thanks so much Keith for taking the time to lay that all out. I thought I had it nailed last year with all the advice I got about the distributor and the TDC. I'll try and get things straightened out. At least the starter and the fuel pump I rebuilt worked.

Thanks!

Well, a friend and I tried to start my '47 DeSoto and all we got were smoky pops from the carb and even one flame. We reasoned it was the timing so we rechecked all of the plug wires and still loud bangs. The coil is new. Points and rotor new. Rebuilt starter works. I think I got it TDC. I'm sure you guys (and gal) will know instantly what could be the cause. I'll have to go over the posts last year about distributor plug wires and rotor direction. In all of the "will it run?" videos that I've seen I never saw a carb do that. What say you?

I still think that it's really immoral of those who ripped off his design without giving him any re numeration or royalties from it.

I guess better him than you!

I was wondering if a newly rebuilt fuel pump should be connected to the carb and a gas can before starting, or block off ports or ??

Well, that answered my question. I raised the rear end and put jacks under the axle. I got the tires just enough off the ground to see them spin when we start the car. I guess really I don't need air in them. They are shot. I'm taking them off and repainting the rims before I get a cheap pair.

If you try to fill tires that have been flat for a few years, will they/can they blow up? I've heard of it harming a person but it might have been a tractor tire.

The tires are flat. We could try to rock it back and forth but it'd be easier to just slide it.

Thanks for all the info. My main intention is to raise up the rear wheels before I start the car for the first time. I don't know if and what gear it may be in. I'd hate to have it rolling across the yard.

Can you use a floor jack under the differential housing to temporarily put axle stands under the car?

Box trailer?