Patience pays off

[Spadinator]

Sounds like either the timing or the plug wires are not in the correct order. (personal experience on the plug wires) Does it have the in line 6 with the water proof wires?

[Lazybones]

Yes; It is an inline six. The fireing order is the standard 1-5-3-6-2-4.
I have checked and rechecked the wires and have them in the right order. This is why it's so confusing. I can't help but wonder about the advance mechanism. Being that it has no vacume advance.
Maybe the distributor is a couple of teeth off? This seems far fetched though as the motor seems untouched.

[Spadinator]

If I remember right, those have a centrifugal advance. That may be stuck. Also the timing may have been off when the truck was parked?

[Mike Ahern]

If you have compression coming back through the carb it can be a blown head gasket but you say you changed it so the next thing might be a warped head. If you can't keep it running good enough to run a vacuum test you can take a old spark plug, brake out the porceiln and weld a air fitting to it. Then you can put shop air in each cylinder one at a time with the cylinder at top center, this may push the piston down and if it does lower the air pressure. By doing this you can tell which valve is leaking, if it's a intake you'll hear it at the carb and if it's a exhaust valve you'll hear it at the tail pipe. Sometimes you can have a broken valve spring and when you crank the engine over the valve will fall down as you crank over on a flathead and you'll think you have good compression but when it starts the valve can't close fast enough and if it's a intake it will pop through the carb. Good luck

[Kevin A]

I agree with Mike's suggestions, another possibility is one or more stuck valves. Considering the length of time it's been since it has run, this may be something to check. When you had the head off did you roll the engine over to see if any of the valves weren't closing? Might be worth pulling the head off again to check the valves as well as putting a straight edge on the head to check it for warpage. Anything over .003 to .004" I'd be looking to have the head surfaced.

[doug hodder]

Hey Lee!!! Want a Rambler 196 cu. in. engine? I'll do a V6!!! doug

[bledsoe3]

Hey Lee!!! Want a Rambler 196 cu. in. engine? I'll do a V6!!! doug

V6? Heck you can get a snowblower with more horsepower than that.

[doug hodder]

yeah....but I do need to stop it at some time....454 might be a challenge without going through the entire drive train...not to mention the brakes...as I don't have them on the tear....and the Rambler isn't noted for being a performance king at stopping....I'm thinking that I can always attach an anchor from the boat and throw it out for an emergency stop....Doug

[Lazybones]

Doug, That motor is probably too big for this thing. This little flat head is really short. I'm not sure how much work I want to put into this thing. I have too many projects already. I was hoping for a quick fix. YEAH RIGHT

I think I will try Mikes idea and check each cylinder with air pressure.

[vairman]

I know that you probabley checked this but it could be 180deg. out of time... inline 6's will run 180deg. out IE Plug 1 starting on 6, a friend of mine drove there chevy 6 for years with it 180deg. out of time at idle it would run smooth for about 5 sec. then it would stumble then run smooth again... Weird Huh?

Just a thought Greg

[Lazybones]

Last night after the disapointment of the head gasket not working and running the battery dead; I posted my frustrations here. I went down and bought a new battery charger and hooked up the battery to charge over night. ( do to the problem mentioned earlier in this thread)

In the meantime got some great advise from you on the board.

This morning I went out unhooked the charger and decided to try it one more time. The motor started right up, but there was still pressure coming back out of the carb. I was in the front seat very disapointed and a bit pissed off. I started to mash on and off the gas pedal; nothing was happening. Then all of a sudden there was a big BOOM and and the engine started responding to the pedal vrooom vrooom vrooom! I couldn't believe it. I let off the gas and she just sat there and idled beautifully.

So now I jumped out of the truck and started jumping around doing a victory dance Jumping and hollering. I'm sure my neighbors wondered what the heck was going on.

I walked around to the passenger side saw a big black soot spot on my nice white house; and on the ground was a pile of acorns, oak leaves and seat padding. The exhust had been plugged the whole time.



It isn't licenced, registerd, insured,or have brakes. So what could I do? Well hop in and go for a drive of course! I went over to a friends. When they saw me drive up they told there 3 1/2 son Nick that the ugliest car in the world just pulled up. Not having seen me or the truck Nick immediately said " Uncle Lee's here!" He thought it was old,dirty,smelly,and COOL!

I then drove down to my friend Daves parts house to show him. While at the parts house I'm told about an other car that I have been hearing about. For about a year now, I've been trying to find the location of a woodie wagon that was reported to be sitting in a barn here locally. Well today I found out just where it is. I will let you all know how ths new story unfolds.

[Spadinator]

CONGRATS!!!!!

[Guest]

Lee,
Sounds like you just enforced an eviction notice on a varmit or two and shot 'em outta their habbitrail.
Congrats on getting that baby runnin!

[Mike Ahern]

Very good so the last thing I told you worked (Good Luck). It sounds like the last part of a four cycle engine was missing. Now you have exhaust. The squirrels will just have to find a new home.

[Rob]

Lee--


I've heard of acorns in the air filter, but never up the exhaust. It's amazing what you can accomplish with a little frustration.

Rob