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39 Plymouth Sedan Won't Start


likaleica

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After a long delay because of work commitments I tried most of the advice and still the Plymouth would not start.  Then I had a conversation with an old time mechanic who told me to remove the air cleaner,  fill an aerosol can lid 1/3 full of neat gasoline, pour it down the carb barrel, replace the air cleaner and operate the starter.  If it fires but won't run,  repeat the process.

I was a little skeptical having tried just about everything else with no success.  But on the first attempt the engine fired! It ran only 2 seconds so I repeated the process and she ran slightly longer.  On the third try the engine revved properly and kept running! What a relief!

I immediately took the car out on the road for a 15 minute drive and once warmed up got her to 50 mph.  It was a great joy to be behind the wheel of the big Plymouth againwith that fantastic view of her long black hood through the split windscreen....

The moral of the story is don't leave a car laid up over winter without running the engine every so often - especially in damp cold England!

Thanks again for all your kind help and advice guys - all the checks were well worthwhile as I now know the ignition system is performing as it should.

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Just a thought....

Pouring some fuel directly into the carb for startups after long lay ups is highly suggested.

In my car it takes a long time for fuel to pump from the tank to the motor.

Maybe the diaphragm in the fuel pump is weak or the fuel lines are full of air BUT cranking the motor over and over,

is tough on the battery & starter.

A little fuel in the carb helps to alleviate that problem.

I had a 1941 Plymouth with a backup electric fuel pump for that exact reason.

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be very careful when using starter fluid down the carb. You need to make sure that the car starts Whne the starter fluid is sucked into the cylinders and it has no fired up the starter fluid ask as a solvent to wash dowen the oil on the cylinder walls.

 

So if you did not get the car started and then left it for a few days then you have bare rings against the cylinder wall on the next try.  So try it again until you get the engine eto fire over.

 

rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

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