Had the car running good, at least in the garage.  Timing was good, checked with a vacuum guage (17), changed the oil, and took it for a ride.  Got a mile down the road and  she gradually slowed down and lost all power.  Didn't cut off abruptly, justify slowed way down and chugged along slowly until she quietly shut off.  By this time, had already turned around toward the house.  Stranded a half mile from home and pushed her back.

Before I pushed her back, I opened the hood and she looked flooded.  I waited a few minutes and tried to start and she would not.

Since getting her back home, she still will not start.  In fact, she now pops through the carburetor when cranking, but she won't start.  I pulled the plugs and they look good, except for #3.  Carbon/dirty.  Cleaned all plugs and still won't start.

Trying to figure out what happened between running great in the garage and when she shut down a mile from the house.  Help!

Has anyone ever used Rislone in their Plymouth to substitute for a quart of oil when doing an oil change?  I did yesterday... I've used it in the past in an older Ford and had no issues.  Oil pressure was steady at 30lbs. warm and idling.

It's awfully quiet out there...hope everyone is ok and having fun with their rides!

Ted

As I've heard here from several of you and read online, the vacuum gauge seems to be an overlooked tool that should be used more often!

I was able to time the motor (so I believe) using the gauge to obtain the most vacuum (and backing down slightly approximately 1 Hg from that reading to be safe) and also used with the carb to get the "best" fuel/air mixture I could.  From there, I adjusted the idle speed by ear to a "good" rpm.  Even after replacing the small exhaust gasket that burned through, there is still a slight miss in the motor.  This may probably never go away...

I took the car out yesterday on a 15 mile test run and she ran great.  In fact, the acceleration (especially from a dead stop) seemed to be a lot smoother with no hesitation or the occasional stumble (I think my timing may have been too retarded before).  I'm attributing this better performance (knock on wood!) to the motor operating at the highest/optimum vacuum along with the adjusted carb setting. 

Now, on to some other things to play with on the car...thanks all for the help you've given me from previous threads!

Ted

All:

I have always had an electric fuel pump on my car (as well as my Dad when he had it for years) and I'm sure the Kingston tank would have to be rebuilt.  At this point, I just want it to look more correct than it is, with the option of rebuilding it later.  The only line hooked up to it is the vacuum line coming off of the oil pump; the other lines are incorrect and there is a small line that I just took off that seemed to go nowhere.  From looking at other posts, I think I know how everything hooks up.

Do you think there is a chance of a vacuum leak since the tank is not functioning and the line from the oil pump is still hooked up?  I really don't believe there is, but just asking anyway.

Also, if anyone has a top elbow piece that the fuel line would go into, please let me know.


Current set up look:





This is definitely wrong...the old, original fuel line coming from the gas tank (what's left of it) attached to the bottom of the tank:





Top of tank...small line that goes nowhere.  This has been like this for many years as tank has not been used:





Small line removed...this is not the wiper line, as that comes directly off the intake and is separate:

So with the car running again, I made an adapter and hooked in my old vacuum gauge into the port on the intake where the wiper line hooks into.  The reading was initially low (around 12-13 hg) and when I advanced the distributor the most I could, the guage was fluctuating between 17-19 hg, but I backed it down to 18hg.  I couldn't advance the distributor anymore due to its position.  The timing must have been really retarded.  Needless to say, I had to adjust the idle screw down on the carburetor because the engine was idling too fast.  I have not checked the vacuum readings yet while adjusting the fuel/air mixture screw on the carb.

The reason for the fluctuating needle on the guage was due to a leaking intake manifold gasket (the small one between the intake and exhaust manifold) that I ended up having to find material and fabricate new gaskets.  I had to make three.  I haven't started the car yet, so not sure if that's fixed, but it looks good!  I will try to post photos.

Not sure if my guage is accurate, but those were the numbers.  I'll try to post a video clip.

First, let me know if this link to my clip works or not.  Second, if it works, does the play in my distributor look "normal" to you?

Not sure if this is right or not...thanks!


http://s947.photobucket.com/user/racertb/media/29Distributor_zpsc3f9a44d.mp4.html

Well, she fired up today.  Went through everything again, changed plugs (reinstalled the Champions just for the hell of it, even though that probably didn't do anything), used the test light just to make sure I was still good with spark, etc. 

Still no start, so I pulled distributor and rotated 180 degrees degrees then cranked her up. I must have been trying to start her on the power stoke vs. the compression stroke (or vice versa).

She ran very slow and rough, but she ran.  I advanced the distributor until she smoothed out nicely.  Still a miss noticeable through the tail pipe but I took her out for a short 5 mile run. She ran great, but still need to fine tuned. She was popping a little through the carb right when I got home.

Needless to say I'm very happy.  I will try a to attach a video with sound later so you all can hear the miss I'm talking about.  I will try to fine tune next weekend, possibly using a vacuum gauge. 

I'm just curious/concerned about how this problem happened in the first place.  Thank you to all of you who have been trying to help me along the way.  I'm sure I'll have more questions when I get to the miss and fine tuning.

I thought I would continue the saga with the latest on this new thread.  So after much trial and error, I pulled off the valve cover so I could view the cam gear teeth through the rectangular window.  I had my son turn the crank slowly several times so I could get a good look through the angle I had.  From what I could see, there was no sign of teeth missing or even being chipped on the fibre gear...I really doesn't look and feel like fibre anyway.

I also had a chance to see the valves operating, but I want to go back and make sure that the valves for each cylinder are in the "proper" position.  I am attaching a few photos for reference.

These two are just shots of my view of the cam gear teeth looking through the "window":






This shot of the valves with number 1 piston (on right) aligned to TDC:




This shot is of number piston #3 and 4 valves (#4 on left):






I know this probably doesn't help to solve the issue, but again, I want to make sure the valves are operating the way they are supposed to.  Is there anything else I should be looking for at this point?  I don't want to have to get into to engine/timing cover if I don't have to...

Thanks for your help...

Ted

Good morning:

Can anyone tell me what size the distributor insulating strip should be?  I'm talking about the piece that separates the points from the inside distributor wall housing.  Also, what kind of material is it made of?

The only piece I have in my distributor is square shaped and is only at the area where the side coil terminal wire is.  I am thinking there should be a longer piece that goes between the points curved arm and casing.  I thought I recently saw in this forum a top view of a distributor with a longer piece.  Maybe it was the post from Steve and a wiring question.

Regardless, can anyone answer my questions?  Thanks...

Here are latest observations and symptoms:

Car turns over, distributor turns, etc.  Tried two sets of points and condensers.

First set, car turns over, but sounds like starter getting hung up every few revolutions.  Take off distributor cap, car turns over and no weird starter hang up issue.  Intermittent spark of coil wire jumping to head bolt when checking for spark.

Second set of points/condenser, no starter hang up sound every few revs, engine turns over fine, but no spark from coil wire.

I've tried setting both point sets at both .18 and .20 and it doesn't seem to matter.  At this point, not concerned about timing until I get consistent spark. 

Running out of ideas, but I'm thinking its got to be electrical and a hopefully simple fix.

Thoughts??  Going crazy here. 

I was heading home from a show this afternoon and she quit on me...felt a slight loss of power then some misfiring and then a few loud bangs/backfire, but not from all from the exhaust...seemed like up front (downtube?)  Pulled over, nothing visibly wrong under the hood, no leaks on the ground.  Pulled off the distributor cap, checked the points, etc.  Tried to restart several times, finally started and ran for a few seconds the shut off again.  Some more backfire.

My thought is the timing, but not sure at this point...not sure how that would just "go out" like that.  May be the carb, but don't know.  Got home late via flatbed and to tired to figure it out today.  I've got the battery charging since I drained it trying to start the car too many times.

Just one of those frustrating sitiuations.  Car has new plugs, points, condenser, cap. rotor, wires, etc. 

Do any of you use a piston travel gauge, or anything else, to get the correct TDC of the #4 cylinder when adjusting the timing as indicated in the Plymouth Instruction Book?

I recently put on new wires, changed the spark plugs (back to Champion D16), installed new points, cap, rotor and condenser on the car.  After gapping the plugs correctly (.27) and setting the points (.20), the timing seemed way off, as the motor was idling slow and barely running. It had been running rougher lately anyway.

As it was running, I loosened the distributor and turned it counterclockwise a little bit to advance the timing.  The motor slowly smoothed out and sounded much better.  I took the car for a ride and it drove well.

I will probably do a little more "fine tuning", but do any of you time/tune the car by "ear" as I did or what is your method?

Thanks...

Can anyone tell me if our cars came equipped with a glass sediment bowl attached to (or put in line with before the carb) the vacuum tank?

The few photos I've seen shows some with and some without (mine is without since I'm using a fuel pump instead of the tank) so I'm not 100% sure.  And if the sediment bowl should be there, where/how is it located in line?  In some photos with the bowl, it's hard to tell.

Does anyone have a correct diagram or way that the fuel lines going into and out from the vacuum tank are to be?  And, where the sediment bowl is supposed to be?

I doubt I will ditch the fuel pump, but I'd like to have this information for future reference.

Thanks for your help...

Ted

Here's my freshly painted (on the motor) Silver Dome head and new plug wires, cap and rotor.  I still have a little more detailing to do.

All:

Looking to repaint/spray the 'ol Silver Dome head.  Any paticular silver or argent paint that works well and is the correct or close shade?  Let me know what you've used and what works.  I will be doing this while installed on the motor, with a few things removed and a lot of heavy masking everywhere else.

Thanks,

Ted

All:

Any recommendations on replacement spark plug wires for our cars, whether a set from a supplier/vendor, or a "kit" to make my own?  I haven't looked around too much lately and just want to know what you've used in the past or recently.  I'd like to find authentic or close to authentic as possible.

Thanks!

About to renew my Hagerty policy I've had for many years with no issues.  Just out of curiosity, I looked into a policy with Grundy and found out I could get more coverage, better towing benefits, etc. all for $100 less annually. 

Any if you have Grundy or someone else I should consider?  I renew at the end of the month.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Greetings:

Just an informal poll of what spark plugs you are using in your Plymouth's...feel free to state why you like what you're using over another brand/type you may have tried.

I'm currently running AC Delco C87's, but have long used Champion D16's.  Not sure if there is really any difference at all.

Ted

Greetings:

Interesting read...everything you wanted to know (or not) about oil:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/

Before I read this, I was thinking of trying out Rotella 15w40 in the '29.  I still may, but I will most likely stick with the QS 10w30 my Dad (and now I) have used in the car for many, many years.

Enjoy!

Ted