The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop engine will not start

Working on 1954 Chevy 3100. Drove it about thirty miles on Sunday. No problems. Parked in barn until Friday. Drove about one mile. Acted like it was out of fuel. Died and would not start.
pulled it home and started looking for an issue. Pulled fuel line off of carburetor. Cranked and got fuel. (did not have a pressure gauge). Put some gas in Carb, no start, no fire. Put small amount of starting fluid in Carb, no start. Have week spart going into coil, no spark coming out of Distributor. Gap at .015. Converted to 12 volts use 6 volt coil and external resistor. Was running great. Rebuilt engine with 400 miles.
Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Correction: Have weak spart coming out of coil>>

Spark not spart

Can't type

Clean or change the points. A resistor on a 6V coil with 12V applied is a recipe for disaster, unless you really enjoy changing points- - - -frequently. The proper relationship between battery voltage, coil primary winding, and resistor should give you the following voltage readings:

Ignition on, engine stopped, points closed- - - -there should be battery terminal voltage (12.5 volts or so) at the ignition switch side of the resistor, and 9.5-10 volts at the coil + terminal. Engine running, 13.5-14.5 volts upstream of the resistor and 10.5-11 volts at the coil + terminal. Any higher running voltage at the coil will burn points. Use a "12 volt- - -external resistor" coil to get these readings.
Jerry

Hotrod, Thanks for the information. Checked the voltages with the engine off, ignition on and points closed. They were right on your info. Points were not burnt, so i decided to change the condenser. engine started. Thanks for you information and help. I appreciate it.

As a side not i have been running a 12volt coil which stated on it that a resistor was not needed. After a drive of approximately 100 miles the left brake light and left rear turnsignal was not working. While trouble shooting i turned the ignition on and forgot to turn it off. after appoximately 30 minutes i had gone in the house and returned to smell smoke. I run the coil upside down to keep moisture out of it. The top had fallen off the coil and was laying on the engine smoldering. No other damage. When i checked the ignition was on and the points closed (two faults). I will no longer rung a coil with an internal resistor.

thanks again for your help

Frank

Good on ya for choosing to listen to suggestions and act on them. Troubleshooting via keyboard over long distances can be difficult for people on both ends of the connection. Glad to help- - - -after 65 years of making a living keeping these old junkheaps and others like them running, that's why I choose to be here. Also, I'm not nearly as abrasive in person as I appear to be behind the keyboard. I spent 30+ years riding herd on a bunch of ghetto gangbangers in a big city high school auto mechanics shop, so I tend to get right to the point at times. Those people who like to hear the Caspar Milquetoast approach, please note the sprig of mistletoe attached to my back belt loop!
Good luck!
Jerry

Jerry is a cream puff with a lifetime wealth of knowledge. It comes with an admission price. His crusty outer shell. His demeanor has never bothered me. I grew up around real men from back in the day. If those men didn't work on you, it was an indication that they did not care for you much, and didn't waste any time on you.