1940 Plymouth finally working right

[Rodney Bullock]

Hello Everyone, My old computer went south and I got to busy to get another. I finally broke down and bought a new one so I am back on the air. My Plymouth was giving me trouble most of the summer starting in July. I drove it on the highway and it started to run real rough then quit. The wife brought me a coil and it started and I drove it home. I worked on it a while then drove it back to the garage where it would not start again.

I got it started in the garage in August. Then in September it would not start after a heavy rain. Things looked very blick. I almost sold it. Then one day I started looking at the Distributor. First I say the condenser wire was very fraied and barly attached. I changed that, the start and ran for a while then died. This voice in my head kept telling me to pull the Dist. so I did, then turned it upside down and shook it:confused: two washers fell out of it.How they got there I don't know. I set the points and put the condenser back in and it ran like the old Plymouth right after the resto. I know you guy's already know this but if you check for spark and the points spak at the base of the points something is grounding the points out. when you check for fire at the points the spark should be at the contacts. I have learned a lesson that I won't soon forget. Anyway I am back at enjoying my car again. I am readin all the posts so I should be caught up soon

[Niel Hoback]

Its good to hear from you, Rodney. It scares me to hear that you would even think of selling your Plymouth. On The Job Training = lessons you'll never forget.

[P-12 Tommy]

Glad you figured it out. Now go do some cruisin'.

Tom

[1940plymouth]

Rodney,

Glad your back on line and all systems are go with the '40.

I have just over 1700 miles on my so far this year, they take a licken, but keep on ticken:D

Bob

[Don Coatney]

Glad you found the problem but the big unanswered question is where did the washers come from? They did not grow in there. What size were they and where did they come from?

[Rodney Bullock]

Thanks all for the comments. Don, your guess is as good as mine. I don't know where they came from.they are very small washers. I think maybe someone was working on the car and dropped them in. They could have been lodged in there for years and just broke free. It would explain some things. I can remember years ago the car would not start and we pushed it to start it. It jolted around and finally started I guess when the washers where not touching the dist tray it would start. Life's a crap shoot.

[55 Fargo]

Rodney, thumbs up for you and the plym, glad you discovered this problem, funny how things can somehow just appear, and make it crystal clear what needs to be done......Fred

[Rodney Bullock]

Fred your right, it is funny. This voice kept telling me to pull the Dist. out. I fought that impluse. I think sometimes you have to listen to that little voice. My question is did the condenser ever have a washer on the bracket? These washers look like they could fit on that screw.

[Don Coatney]

Rodney;

Is this the first time you have removed the distributor from your engine? I thought you did so several years ago when you were having distributor problems.

[carls 49]

thats great rodney.

[Rodney Bullock]

I had someone do it. This is the first time I did it. Not hard at all. When I think of all the times have installed points and condenser in the dist. removal of the dist to install the tune parts is a breeze. those little screws are murder:eek: You can get a real good gap on the points as well. The lobe is right there for you.

Hey Carls how,s it going in VA. I hope your project is going well.