50 deg hard starting

[Barabbas]

It's finally stopped raining here and I thought I'd take Doris out for a ride, well

she won't start. It's about 48 deg out and there was condensation all over the engine compartment. The #1 plug well was full of water--I cleaned out the water, I tired to start her and no luck.

I know she's getting gas and at the moment I can't check for spark (no one to turn the key). The plugs themselves have about 1000 miles on them and look dusty brown.

The old girl has been hard starting the past month as temps have been around 50 and lots of fog and drizzle.

I keep her under a cover but there is always a lot of condensation in the engine compartment. She's on a brick driveway.

Are these old distributors susceptible to condensation?

[suntennis]

Hard to think the water on any plug would come from condinsation. However, the source of the water on a plug could have got into the distributor. Remove the the cap and see. Since the car has not run for a few days, the first thing I would try would be a spray can of starter fluid. If after giving the carb a shot or two of this and there is no indication of life, then look elsewhere.

[desoto1939]

Do not go overboard onthe use of the starter fluid. The starter fluid has a tenency to strip the oil off the cylinder walls. So if you do not get the car to fire over and run then you have removed the oil and then you have metal to metal.

You need to get the car running as quick as possible to get the oil on the walls of the cylinders.

Could also be that your coil wire is damp. Clean out the dizy cap and dry it out get the water out the spark plgs holes. get the engine dry as possible.

Keep the battery charged. It will fire. Get the car to run at night time with no lights on in the ngine compartment. Look for any blue arcing onthe wires. If this is happening then the wires are going bad and leaking current and they need to be replaced. Do you also have 6v battery cables on the car or 12v battery cable and a good ground strap.

Rich Hartung

[Barabbas]

I'll try drying out the distributor.

I've tried starting fluid but only get one or two fires, can't sustain and run.

I have a 12 volt system with 01 cables, she turns over fast.

Thanks for the suggestions

[Don Coatney]

Spray some WD-40 inside and outside the distributor cap and on the points.

[Barabbas]

Thanks Don, I'll try that---May be couple days before I can report back---next rain front is passing thru

[49roadster]

How old are your plug wires?

[Barabbas]

Could be the plug wires---they came with the Car 3 years ago, so I have no idea how old they are--heck they could be original. I'll try the wire dry.

[JerseyHarold]

The water in the spark plug well could be coming in from the gap in the 2-piece hood. It's covered by the stainless trim strip running down the middle.

[Barabbas]

This starting problem has given a good reason (excuse) to buy some basic tools I don't have. I've ordered a compression tester, remote starter and line spark tester (I'm tired of gving myself shocks)

[JIPJOBXX]

Also the 6 inches of rain might have not helped with your car-Jon Down in Bremerton

[Barabbas]

John,

We didn't get as much as Bremerton--you guys really got hit, but we did get a few inches and some goodly winds so I expect that there is moisture in some unusual places. They don't forecast a dry day around here til Thursday--I'll see what I can do then.

Mike

[Frank Elder]

I'll try drying out the distributor.

I've tried starting fluid but only get one or two fires, can't sustain and run.

Are getting fuel?

[Barabbas]

Frankie,

Fuel seems fine--if I move the accelerator I get a good squirt. I'm running 2 single barrel Ball & Ball carbs on an Offie manifold.

Ever since Nov 1 she's been hard starting but once started she runs like a champ, no missing good accel. Also once started she'll start fine the rest of the day--but let her sit for a week and she gets stubborn. Today she just wouldn't go

Mike

[james49ply]

you are running 12 volts? do you have resister for coil? i run my coil at 5.5 volts, this keeps the coil temp down and reduces arcing on the points BUT for startup I run second coil wire from the 4 post solonoid to the coil, this gives it a hotter spark when cranking, starts right up rain and cold.

[Barabbas]

James,

Interesting solution, unfortunately I'm using a coil with an internal resistor.

What lead you to by-pass the resistor during starting, is low spark energy a typical starting issue?

Mike

[TodFitch]

James,

Interesting solution, unfortunately I'm using a coil with an internal resistor.

What lead you to by-pass the resistor during starting, is low spark energy a typical starting issue?

Mike

That was actually a pretty standard way for Mopars to be wired in the 1960s and perhaps other times too. It gives a hotter spark when the voltage is down because of the draw of the starter motor.

[suntennis]

The problem you have occured after the last time you used the car. If the car ran fine before, then it should fine fine now after you find out what could have happened while the car was parked. Example, your spark plugs and spark plug wires did not just fall apart with time, where as electrical connections could corrode with time and fuel in carbs could vaporize with time.

[Don Coatney]

I suspect the problem here could very well be fouled sparkplugs due to a flooded engine.

[james49ply]

internal resister coils cannot be bypassed as I suggested, sorry, my idea will not work for you. That is why when I did mine I used external resister coil setup, the lower coil voltage reduces heat in the coil and saves arcing on the points. I would look to a bare wire in the distributor, shorting rotor or cap, or moisture causing shorting in the wires. An old remidy for wires, we would spray hairspray on the wires. (old hairspray was nothing but clear lacquer)

Edited December 14, 2010 by james49ply

[greg g]

Electricity like water seeks the route of least resistance. So if the plug wires are leaky, the spark will go to whatever metal it incounters first and not to the plug. It may even jump to another wire, firing plugs at the wrong time. So a set of new wires, and assuring a clean and try distributor cap will go a long way to assure wet weather high humidity starting.

[Barabbas]

I suspect the problem here could very well be fouled sparkplugs due to a flooded engine.

The car has been hard starting for the past 6 weeks, but once started she runs fine. This is the first time I couldn't get her started.

I was suspicious of the fouled plugs since I've seen it mentioned on the Forum and since I am running Dual carbs with only 2" high intakes. So even before I tried to start this time, I took the plugs out and cleaned them with a wire brush.They actually didn't look too bad.

The discussion is making me consider my coil--one thing that sticks in my mind is that the few times I got the engine to fire it was right when I turned the key from the Start Position to the Run position. So for one or two revs of the engine, I would have had full voltage to the coil.

It will be a few days til the weather clears here but when it does I'll check for spark, dwell and compression. If that's all good then I might buy a coil and ballast resistor for a slant six , unless there is a better combo someone can recommend, and wire it up with the starting bypass.

I also did not mention that I have no choke connected, last year with different carbs and 6 volts that was no problem down into the low 40s-so I didn't think it was the issue.

[greg g]

also check your point gap, and their general condition.

[james49ply]

You stated that the engine will fire when you release the crank position, that tells me that you have a fauly ignition switch or wiring to the coil, run a jumper from battery to coil, crank it then and see. Common problem as I have repaired many with the same problem. You should also do something to richen up the fuel till the engine warms up.

Edited December 15, 2010 by james49ply

[Barabbas]

Thanks James, I'll give that a try. I'll also Jury-rig a manual choke. I'll run my jumper from the starter solenoid on the normally open side, that way I can drive the car temporarily w/o having to pull the jumper off.