Flathead 6 stalls after running for 5-10 minutes

[Frank Elder]

It's been a year since the OP posted this thread.........May 08, 2017 was the last time he visited the site...I wouldn't hold my breath Jon, waiting for him to answer.

[medium_jon]

@Frank Elder, yeah I saw that. Makes me wonder as I read through the old posts (I have read EVERYTHING updated through September 2016 and working on August) if some of the posts are from members no longer on this earth or no longer able to enjoy working on their cars. Makes me sad.

I'm 53 and only joined this hobby this February--before then I hadn't even bought a used car except my first car in 1984 (a 1977 Audi 5000). I had always paid others to change the oil and all other services - I've not been a car guy.

Who knows where I'll be in another 25 years. But I'm certainly enjoying the fellowship here while I'm able. 

[Frank Elder]

If you dig up these threads by answering them or asking new questions you might actually be helping someone else with their current problem......it's a good thing, as Martha would say.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Frank Elder

[Young Ed]

3 hours ago, medium_jon said:

@Frank Elder, yeah I saw that. Makes me wonder as I read through the old posts (I have read EVERYTHING updated through September 2016 and working on August) if some of the posts are from members no longer on this earth or no longer able to enjoy working on their cars. Makes me sad.

I'm 53 and only joined this hobby this February--before then I hadn't even bought a used car except my first car in 1984 (a 1977 Audi 5000). I had always paid others to change the oil and all other services - I've not been a car guy.

Who knows where I'll be in another 25 years. But I'm certainly enjoying the fellowship here while I'm able. 

Ya I just had to dig up a post by Norm looking for a part # for an oil gauge line. He was one of the good ones

[Frank Elder]

38 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

Ya I just had to dig up a post by Norm looking for a part # for an oil gauge line. He was one of the good ones

Since I have gone past my number of likes for today, what a retarded rule by the way......here's to you Ed.

LIKE!

[medium_jon]

1 hour ago, Young Ed said:

Ya I just had to dig up a post by Norm looking for a part # for an oil gauge line. He was one of the good ones

That was secretly part of my comment's background. We had a nice notice of Norm's passing. But how many others do we not know about?

 

[Young Ed]

12 minutes ago, medium_jon said:

That was secretly part of my comment's background. We had a nice notice of Norm's passing. But how many others do we not know about?

 

Few others I'm aware of too and at least one other that I suspect but haven't ever seen proof. Local guy for me I believe his screen name was bebop. He has a 51-52 baby blue Chrysler with a transmission upgrade.

[Don Coatney]

1 hour ago, Young Ed said:

Few others I'm aware of too and at least one other that I suspect but haven't ever seen proof. Local guy for me I believe his screen name was bebop. He has a 51-52 baby blue Chrysler with a transmission upgrade.

Recall him well. Sorry to hear of his passing.

[Young Ed]

56 minutes ago, Don Coatney said:

Recall him well. Sorry to hear of his passing.

That's just it. He's disappeared off the forum and I haven't seen him at any local shows in a couple years. Or his car. I used to at least run into his car even if he was out walking around. I don't know his actual name to seek out more info.  

EDit: just looked him up he hasn't been on the forum since Feb 2013. 

Edited August 1, 2017 by Young Ed

[Don Coatney]

5 hours ago, Young Ed said:

That's just it. He's disappeared off the forum and I haven't seen him at any local shows in a couple years. Or his car. I used to at least run into his car even if he was out walking around. I don't know his actual name to seek out more info.  

EDit: just looked him up he hasn't been on the forum since Feb 2013. 

I know his handle was bebop but with my dyslexic thinking I read his name as bopeep. He had a beautiful Chrysler with a checkerboard firewall. I found a photo of his car.

 

[medium_jon]

That is a great looking car. Rest in peace @BeBop138

[packratc]

Last week took my almost-finished P19 to the local cruise for the first time. Has less than 20 miles in it but the cruise is only 1/2 mile away. Running great on new engine rebuild, new carb & distributor rebuild. Had been started probably 30 or 40 times. Back to the garage and five days later it wouldn't make it a block before it had a terrible miss and kept dying. Limped back to the garage. Would barely idle. Reset the points. Reset float level. Replaced carburator. Reset float again. Unknown to us the muffler had filled with gasoline. Four of us jumped out of our skin when the muffler exploded as the seam split one end to the other. It didn't have a tail pipe so it looks like a banana exploded under there as it "peeled" in all directions. All this had started when the engine would start and run great until it warmed up. It progressively got worse as the missing and "carrying on" would commence earlier on in the running of the engine. Obviously it was heat related. Finally replaced the brand new condenser. Runs like a new engine. My thought process is now that I need to check if it should be a differrent consenser due to the 12 volt conversion. Most of you know much more than I. Is there a difference? My NAPA guy just sold me a condenser for a '50 Plymouth. Thanks! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Merle Coggins]

Do you have a ballast resistor wired inline between the ignition switch and the coil? If so that would drop your voltage to a safe level for your distributor. If not you will continue to have condenser and points failures due to the excessive voltage.  

[Don Coatney]

25 minutes ago, Merle Coggins said:

Do you have a ballast resistor wired inline between the ignition switch and the coil? If so that would drop your voltage to a safe level for your distributor. If not you will continue to have condenser and points failures due to the excessive voltage.  

Merle, I think you posted this in the wrong thread.

[Merle Coggins]

8 hours ago, packratc said:

Last week took my almost-finished P19 to the local cruise for the first time. Has less than 20 miles in it but the cruise is only 1/2 mile away. Running great on new engine rebuild, new carb & distributor rebuild. Had been started probably 30 or 40 times. Back to the garage and five days later it wouldn't make it a block before it had a terrible miss and kept dying. Limped back to the garage. Would barely idle. Reset the points. Reset float level. Replaced carburator. Reset float again. Unknown to us the muffler had filled with gasoline. Four of us jumped out of our skin when the muffler exploded as the seam split one end to the other. It didn't have a tail pipe so it looks like a banana exploded under there as it "peeled" in all directions. All this had started when the engine would start and run great until it warmed up. It progressively got worse as the missing and "carrying on" would commence earlier on in the running of the engine. Obviously it was heat related. Finally replaced the brand new condenser. Runs like a new engine. My thought process is now that I need to check if it should be a differrent consenser due to the 12 volt conversion. Most of you know much more than I. Is there a difference? My NAPA guy just sold me a condenser for a '50 Plymouth. Thanks! 

Don, my post was in response to packratc's post (post 37 of this thread) Why do you believe it is posted incorrectly?

[Los_Control]

28 minutes ago, Merle Coggins said:

Finally replaced the brand new condenser. Runs like a new engine.

I would say this is fairly common with the quality of Chinese junk we are sold.Over on another forum I had a post about a old international truck, Had 2000 miles on complete rebuild.New points cap condenser rotor at that time.

First time I looked at the truck for my uncle, it would not start. Had a weird spark at the points. They were pitted and the arm was worn off from the lobe on the dizzy.

I tuned it up with new cap rotor points condenser. It started right up and ran fine ... one time, could not get it to start again.

Everybody over at the other forum, told me to check the new condenser. I went out to the shed and grabbed a condenser off a engine that has been sitting for 20+ years, it ran fine. General consensus is the modern quality today is junk, not enough business for these old parts for anyone to bother to improve the quality.

Just never leave home without a spare in the glove box.

And is also a good time to consider switching to electronic ignition, not because we cant keep these old points system running, because we cant get quality parts that last.

[Plymouthy Adams]

22 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

I would say this is fairly common with the quality of Chinese junk we are sold.Over on another forum I had a post about a old international truck, Had 2000 miles on complete rebuild.New points cap condenser rotor at that time.

First time I looked at the truck for my uncle, it would not start. Had a weird spark at the points. They were pitted and the arm was worn off from the lobe on the dizzy.

I tuned it up with new cap rotor points condenser. It started right up and ran fine ... one time, could not get it to start again.

Everybody over at the other forum, told me to check the new condenser. I went out to the shed and grabbed a condenser off a engine that has been sitting for 20+ years, it ran fine. General consensus is the modern quality today is junk, not enough business for these old parts for anyone to bother to improve the quality.

Just never leave home without a spare in the glove box.

And is also a good time to consider switching to electronic ignition, not because we cant keep these old points system running, because we cant get quality parts that last.

before you make that jump..consider sourcing the supply of parts for these upgrades...you may want to reconsider even this choice....

[packratc]

Thank you for the obvious quesion about my having a ballast resistor protecting my points and condenser. I do not. I am using a coil that does not require one. I think the parts guy refered to it as a "ford-type" coil. Friend Jessie Harvey has been running them in his '36's for a long time. The coil has the words printed on the outside that say something like "External resistor not required." It too came from the local NAPA store. My electronic ignition should be here by Wednesday. Thank you, packratc  

[medium_jon]

@packratc, what electronic ignition system did you choose?

[Don Coatney]

The engine in Jesse Harveys 36 Plymouth showing the coil.

[keithb7]

I read these discussions about breakerless ignition upgades with intetest. My '53 is still original. It runs very well. I'm not sure I need solid state ignition but I do ponder the idea of it. 

Wondering when it best offers advantages? Maybe it's good for folks who aren't comfortable setting and maintaining points? If I were preparing my car for a long epic adventure? Like a tour clear across Canada. Would solid state offer better reliability for such a trip? Do folks generally just keep spare points and condensor, feeler gauge and small file in the trunk? 

 

[packratc]

Medium_Jon, I ordered a petronix off of ebay just because there seems to be a lot of refrence to them on this site.

packratc

[medium_jon]

@packratc  thanks