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I have 1952 Chevy truck with 235 12 volt system. truck has been running well for several years. I haven't started it for about 6 months as I have been changing it over to dual carbs and headers. I have completed the work and now I cant seem to get it to run.
the first time I tried to start it the button on the starter from the foot pedal stuck in the on position causing the starter to run until I pulled the battery cable off the ignition switch did not turn it off. I fixed the stuck starter button but have no spark. I suspected the ignition switch was damaged so I replaced it, still nothing.
I checked the points they don't seem to be burned but the coil wire to the distributer was corroded on one end so I replaced that too. I did notice that when the ignition switch is in the on position that the coil itself gets very hot after a couple of minutes is this normal.
with ignition switch on I have 12 volts to the positive side of the coil so power supply seems good.
all suggestions are welcome as to what I may be missing that I need to check.
Thanks
Paul

nice truck, I could not leave that baby six months with out driving... are you saying you are not getting any spark at all,
from the coil wire or thru the plug wires to the plugs?? and your ignition switch wired up same as when you removed it, all connections good and tight

All good and tight. No spark at all. I am thinking I burned something up. Going to replace points and capacitor tomorrow. Can you answer question about hot coil? How hot do they get.

pm Hotrod Lincoln, he will be all over it quick

It sounds like you have a short where the wire from the coil to the distributor goes through the distributor housing.

Try this- - - -remove the distributor cap and tap the starter until the points are open, or put a piece of a business card between the points. With the ignition switch in the "on" position, remove the wire at the coil (-) terminal, the one that goes to the distributor. If you get a spark when you touch the wire to the coil terminal, you've got a short at the distributor housing.

Another test: touch an ice pick style test light to the distributor side terminal with its test lead connected to ground. When the engine is cranked over with the ignition on and the points adjusted properly, the light should flash on and off.

Jerry

When you changed to twelve volt did you put on a twelve volt coil? Also make sure your coil is not bad, I had one leak all the oil and burn up.

Should I have 12 volts to the (-) side of the distributor when ignition is turned on?
Paul

No, if you have only one lead going into the coil - not unless you have a coil with an internal ballast resistor.

If you have two wires going into the coil, it might be OK to have 12v at the coil, when cranking/engaging the starter.

This is a 12 volt coil no external resistor required,been running this way for years.
With that said should I have 12 volts going from negative side of the coil to the distributor?

When the points are open you will have 12 volts on the neg coil terminal. ( 12 volts on the positive terminal too)
When the points are closed you will have near 0 volts on the negative terminal.

Above is with all wiring connected, as in ready to run.

I don't know why I bother!
Jerry

Update: coil replaced points replaced condenser replaced.
12 volts to coil
12 volts to points when open nothing when closed
12 volts to distributor cap to rotor
Cleaned all spark plugs gap is correct
Still no spark
Distributor is spinning
Replaced rotor button
What else causes the spark to engage
I have a car show tomorrow

might as well replace the dizzy cap and see what happens..you have replaced about everthing unless you got a bad part.
crazy, and all this because of stepping on a starter ?? and it was running good when you parked it..

maybe something simple..If Hotrod Lincoln can't start then you have a very strange problem my friend

at any rate let us know when you get it fired up and what was wrong...

How much does the starter button have to do with the ignition? That's what initially stuck I did not replace it I just unstuck the button.
Could I have cooked the distributor somehow?

Did you do HRL's tests?

I have no idea but you have replaced ever thing but it..
why not replacing the cap.. about all that is l eft and
they are cheap.. install the old condenser , you might have gotten a bad one

I'll tell you why. So that those of us who are paying attention will know what to do...

Open the distributor and see if the rotor is in there. Make SURE you timed it correctly. If it's not timed you may not see a good spark. What are you doing to test for spark exactly? Check that the plug wires are wired to the firing order!!! New parts can be installed wrong or miss-wired..... meaning you fixed it and screwed it up at the same time. Do you have a ballast resistor and a bypass foot start wire?
We're open 24/7/365.

Update: replaced cap still no spark changed coil again now I have spark. I got #1 cylinder TDC one made sure all plug wires in correct order. Now I hate getting back fire through carbs

well at least you got spark, strange that you would get a bad coil but.....let us know when that baby is purring like a kitten

doesn't a back fire usually indicate an electrical/igniton.. is your rotor pointing toward no 1

dont hate getting back.. some how you and we will get that sucker running right..

Backfiring through carbs? 180 degrees out. Pull #1 plug. Put your finger over the hole. Have someone bump the starter until the compression pushes your finger away. Using the fan belt or a pry bar, fine tune til the bb is in the window. Look to see where the rotor is pointing. If it's not pointing a #1 on the cap pull the dist up and turn it so the rotor points at #1. Button everything back up and it should start. Happy motoring.

I have not timed one of these 235 with the bb and fly wheel and all that


you need to know the firing order and all this stuff about the ball/bb.. and even if you have a manual
you might get confused, I know I would... folks are still trying to help so dont give up

how about telling us how you went about trying to time your truck,
step by step...........then folks can zoom in and see if you are correct or may have left something out..

starting with timing order......etc

ARE YOU BACKFIRING AND IT STARTS OR NO START? As Martin and Joker are advising, backfire is usually timing. Could be 180 deg out of phase. The ball will come to window at two Top Dead Centers. One compression, one Exhaust. You want the compression TDC to then wire plugs. Find it many ways, look at valves, thumb on hole or putting Kleenex in hole just snug. It will shoot out hard at compression stroke. NOT down in hole, just blocking hole. It's better to do this finding compression TDC with all plugs out and center dizzy wire off.

You can also just move plug wires 180 deg on dizzy clockwise (CW). Don't move dizzy, just the wires. Move no. 1 wire on dizzy cap three holes CW, then wire the rest to 1 5 3 6 2 4 CW. And see if it starts. You will, of course, have to use whatever wires reach the plugs with the new orientation.

I did move the wires 180 I also get backfire. But no start. I can't see the mark on flywheel someone painted it at some point.but when I take out all plugs and rotate engine by hand and put thumb over #1 cylinder and run to top points are open and rotor button points to # 1.
Does the point setting of .016 sound correct for gap, seems very close to me.

.016 is correct. You can try .018 IF you are sure you have the points rub block on top of cam lobe!!!! .001 or .002 on points should not cause backfire.

NOTICE: Sometimes when you find TDC and look at rotor, things have mover too far past the REAL no. 1 and it fools you. MOVE all wires back Counter Clockwise one hole.

Turning slow by hand and putting thumb in hole is not a real good way unless you have done it 50 times before on other motors. Do the Kleenex with dizzy wire off and push on the starter button with a stick. All plugs out. Dizzy cap off. Watch rotor to see it approaching a position as Kleenex shoots. place cap on to confirm. Rotor may be past the no. 1 by the time you stop cranking.

Not seeing the ball could be a problem. We will see after this last test. Don't understand exactly why you can't see. That ball was the dumbest idea ever.

Ok I will try going back one hole.seems logical. If that doesn't work there is always BEER. I am in too deep to give up. It just sucks knowing it has to be something simple. These engines don't require rocket science. Probably over thinking it.
I do appreciate all the help from everyone.
Good luck is car show got rained out so I am not missing it.
Paul

Your timing is off. Gotta get it right. Get everything ready and set up like below. It's the "one man, no helper" way to do it. The plug hole, the dizzy and the starter button are all right there together on the same side.
MAKE SURE IT"S IN NEUTRAL, NO BEERS YET.

You still did not explain why you can't see ball. Be specific. Previous owner paint does not tell me. Pretend I'm not there.

Too late for beers I already started. It's my anniversary and I gotta take out the wife also brother in laws b day. So truck can wait until tomorrow as we are going out to celebrate just a little.

Have fun, good luck.

Like I said before, I've had a bad coil.

I count three (3) new coils so far.

I am no mechanic but if the truck was running good
six months ago and had not been restarted why
would it need to be re-timed because
of the electrical situation.. looks like it
would have taken removing or messing with the dizzy?

I am really curious to hear what the problem is

I am just a back yard mechanic and please excuse the obvious questions that a more experienced person would know. I was thinking this morning after reading Kokers last post why does an engine that was running well need to be retired, answer it shouldn't. I have not moved the distributor at all but have removed the plug wires and cap several times so now I. Need to get the order correct. I am going to try Bartomos's way to find TDC.
One other question since I have gone to a two carb set up could the vacuum advance from diet to carb be affecting this process
Paul

When someone replaces every component, says it's all new and hooked up correctly. Then says it still backfires. No spark, then does have spark. Has power to coil....and they are not experienced and it has not run for months, everyone is trying to help with tests and suggestions. At some point we have to ignore all that and start from scratch to catch the problem. Then the poster will catch it or find out the timing gears are bad or something deep inside, valves busted, whatever.....
This poster had done the new parts method, checked wiring, timed it at least twice, yet no start, no fire?, no spark? not sure now? It seems like a timing problem now with new parts SO...timing is done FROM SCRATCH. Once he has spark at the right time and backfire stops we can move on to gas and compression. If after starting from scratch and no result, Then the timing gear to valve system may be a target or even the distributor gearing. (Don't want to go there, just mentioning.) There are several unanswered questions that have been asked. So the poster is not reading the posts. The misspelling above has me a bit confused.

I have read each one several times what info has not been provided

If you think you have answered them, answer again.

1."What are you doing to test for spark exactly?"

2. "Did you do HRL's tests"

3. "Do you have (a ballast resistor=answered no) and a bypass foot start wire?" not answered but probably not. A ballast resistor is advised in the tip section for 12V conversion

4. "IF you are sure you have the points rub block on top of cam lobe!!!!"

5. "Not seeing the ball could be a problem. We will see after this last test. Don't understand exactly why you can't see."

6. "You still did not explain why you can't see ball. Be specific. Previous owner paint does not tell me. Pretend I'm not there."

7. New question: For two days you said won't start, no spark. Then after two days and messing with parts, timing and plug wires you said backfire. Is this true? no backfire first few days? Never fired, just cranked over? Fired means any trying to start noise, other than backfire. Cylinders start "firing"

Further, Ran good when parked is not a factor to consider. Starting from scratch regarding timing has a good goal. That is to eliminate a broken fiber gear or worse. If that is the case, you are in deep do-do. If you want spark, these suggestions, tests and procedures have to be done correctly and are important, as are the answers to questions. All we have from our house is your answers and observations and test results. It ain't easy from here.
The standard procedure is Spark, Gas, Compression. Those are the three things a motor needs to run. From under my tree to under yours.
Don't work on it with a hangover.
Be advised that backfiring when trying to start has a different set of causes than backfire while running/driving/decelerating/under load. All this crap I'm posting is to enable you to think it thru. Not trying give a know-it-all lesson. Questions will lead you to an "Oh shucks moment".
You had a question about the "starter button". The floor foot start button only makes the starter turn until you release your foot when you hear fire. The ignition switch turns on the power to coil/dizzy/points/plugs. Also coils do get hottish with power on, points closed or all your trying to start testing.

I would sort of respectful disagree Bart with'' ran good when
parked is not a factor to consider'',..I would want to know what
he did to the truck since... like maybe installing a dual carb set up and then in moving plug wires or coil wires around he crossed
wire, etc....then I would get it started and then timed..

I was so novice that anytime I removed any plug wires I would do them one at time and install a plug one at a time, I would also
mark coil wires from the dist.. most would just remove all at once and depend on their memory or they for sure knew the firing order... I know, I sometime think back wards, lol

thanks for your help in this situation, maybe Paul will get his truck running..you for sure know more about this then I do.. I was just trying to find out what he did prior..

Understood. Just my idea of what to do. Not gospel.

I gave up. Truck has gone to the shop I will update with his findings once up and running. Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.
Paul