Starting Troubleshoot Question

[sam knopik]

I'm new on the forum and truck club (In December). I purchased a '49 B-1-D in the fall and have been tinkering on it since. This morning I attempted to tow start it and was successful as it idled fine when being pulled. However, the accelarator seemed to kill it. After having running on and off for about 10 minutes I thought we could try and cold start it again but it still would not start.

I've been told to put a 12 volt system on it but I don't want to unless I need to. I would like to at least get it up and running before I do that. I'm looking for any suggestions to get her to start without the pull.

Sam

[Don Coatney]

Pull the accelerator pump from your carburetor and soak it in motor oil overnight. Reinstall it and you should be good to go. No need to convert to 12 volts unless you want to use modern stuff.

[Merle Coggins]

When you say it wouldn't start without pulling it, will it not crank over, or just not fire? If your battery isn't up to snuff, or your battery cables are bad or too small, it may not be getting enough juice to the starter for proper cranking. And this may also be causing enough voltage drop so that you have weak spark while cranking.

If it'll start by pulling it, that tells me that your ignition system is working. So, double check your battery cables and connections. You should have at least 0 guage cables in good condition. If they have been replaced with modern off the shelf battery cables, they may be too small. 4 or 6 guage is fairly popular for those type of cables. I have 2/0 cable on my truck and it cranks great. Be sure your battery is fully charged, and try again.

It's also possible that your starter needs to be cleaned or rebuilt. But you should check these other things first.

Good luck,

Merle

[bach4660]

been running my B2d on 6 volts for two years and it is great, starts first time. There are other reasons for converting such as a radio ( which I don;t have) but you don;'t need 12 volts for everyday starting or running

[grey beard]

If you do decide to jump it with 12 volts, just pull the BAT wire loose from the voltage regulator on the fire wall. This will keep the higher voltage from damaging the six volt charging systemk, should you choose to keep six volts. If it cranks fine with 12 volts, your starter is likely okay. Just can't say often enough what Merle mentioned in this thread - six volt cables should be as thick as your index finger. These are not even carried by many auto parts stores, as so few vehicles are six volt today. You can find what you need at Tractor Supply or a truck parts store, or even a welding supply house. I bought 00 welding cable at Tractor Supply, and the solder-on ends from MAPA, and made my own. A good six volt system with proper connections and cables cranks nearly as dependably as 12 volt sysrtems.