Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | |
8 members (Hotrod Lincoln, tclederman, 2-Ton, ChevyBlue, moparguy, mk72, farmallb, Opelika Tom),
167
guests, and
0
robots. | | Key: Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod | | | Forums66 Topics128,089 Posts1,055,988 Members48,430 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
| | THANKS!
For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | 
#36576 06/03/2004 8:33 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 3 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 3 | Hello everyone,
Well you got a newbie here and I am hoping you can help me out. I have a 1955 chevy second series truck, 235 all original. I have been having some problems lately with my engine. I just cannot get it to idle correctly. The other day my mother drove my truck and quite frankly she doesn't really know how the darn thing works. She leaves the choke out to far and fouls the plugs and leaves the ignition key turned to on ect. :rolleyes: However she needed to drive it becasue it was an emergency. Anyways the truck broke down on her, so I looked at the plugs completly fouled, caked in black. I changed them and still no avail the truck will not idle. So I thought it was the carb but I just had that rebuilt about a year ago.The carb is adjusted fine with the idle screw, but it still will not run. The thing is I can get it running yesterday with the pedal all to the ground and somewhat responsive but when I let off the gas it just dies. Whats the prob? :confused: Could it be that the points are fried too? If anyone has any idea please let me know! Also if you could give me some tips on how to tune up my baby it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone
Sincerley,
I miss my baby. | | |
#36577 06/03/2004 9:01 PM | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,784 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,784 | It sounds like you've got a stuck float in the carburetor, resulting in a severe flooding condition. Does it have an inline fuel filter between the fuel pump and the carburetor? If not, install one. Sometimes a dirt-jammed float valve can be remedied by (GENTLY) tapping the carburetor housing near the fuel line inlet with a small hammer or a wrench, etc., to dislodge the dirt that's jamming the needle valve. If not, pull the top off the carb and carefully flush the needle valve area with carb cleaner. a good inline filter will trap the dirt before it reaches the needle valve, in most cases.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | |
#36578 06/03/2004 9:20 PM | Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,897 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,897 | Welcome to the Stovebolt  If your mom left the key on, I bet you have fried points. Pop the distributor cap and take a look. Do you have a dwell meter?
There is enough good in the worst of us and enough bad in the best of us that it does not behoove any of us to criticize the rest of us.
-
-
Be yourself. If you are ever lost, It will be much easier to find yourself if you know who you are!
| | |
#36579 06/03/2004 9:22 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 3 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 3 | Thanks for the reply
I already have a fule filter installed so I do not think that the carb is clogged. Also I have two carbs and I installed the older one yesterday still no difference. Is it the points then? I just do not know? | | |
#36580 06/03/2004 9:25 PM | Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,897 Member | | Member Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,897 | Do you know how to check them?
There is enough good in the worst of us and enough bad in the best of us that it does not behoove any of us to criticize the rest of us.
-
-
Be yourself. If you are ever lost, It will be much easier to find yourself if you know who you are!
| | |
#36581 06/03/2004 9:25 PM | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 3 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 3 | What are symptoms of fried points? No unfortunetly I do not have a dwel meter maybe I wil try changing the points thanks for the replys! | | |
#36582 06/04/2004 1:42 AM | Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 210 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 210 | My 52 wouldn't idle and it coughed when you hit the gas. If you change the points and condenser, change the cap and rotor. If it still doesn't run, advance the timimg. If that helps, time it for real with all the right tools and such. That was my problem and now I have a smooth runner.
Hope that helps
Jim | | |
#36583 06/04/2004 1:44 AM | Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 210 Member | | Member Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 210 | also you COULD have to carbs with bad floats. It's pretty common
Jim | | |
#36584 06/04/2004 3:24 AM | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 14 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 14 | Make sure you have a good spark at one of your plug wires. If it isn't a good blue spark, examine the points carefully. If they are burned they usually have a raised point and a matching pit burned into the faces. If you file the raised point down (carefully) you should be able to reset gap and make it run. If you are going to drive an old vehicle you need a dwell-tach. You should check the dwell regularly because it will change as the points wear. You can keep it running great by setting the dwell... gapping used points is not very reliable.
'52 Chevy 5-window 1/2 ton PU
'52 Chevy short school bus
| | |
#36585 06/04/2004 3:26 PM | Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 962 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 962 | If you haven't already, change the plugs. When plugs get extremely fouled, its hard to clean them well, and the spark jumps the carbon instead of the electrode. Try that before the points. And make sure you've got a ballast resistor or an internal resistor coil.
chip
Preaching the Hot Rod Gospel according to the 4-stroke apostles:
Suck, Squish, Fire and Fumes
| | |
#36586 06/04/2004 3:30 PM | Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 117 Member | | Member Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 117 | So, you need either a ballast resistor or an internal resistor coil, not both?
Winona
1949 3100 5 Window Deluxe Cab
| | |
#36587 06/04/2004 4:26 PM | Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 962 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 962 | Right. When using a 12v points ignition, the idea is to limit the amount of current flowing thru the points. This keeps them from arcing and burning, and helps the coil run cooler.
Several methods have been used by car mfgs over the years. The first was to use a coil and an external resistor. The others were to build the resistor into the coil, or to use resistance wire in the engine wiring harness from ign switch to coil.
But you can still burn up a set of points by leaving the key on with the points closed, or setting the point gap too narrow, or using the wrong condenser.
Preaching the Hot Rod Gospel according to the 4-stroke apostles:
Suck, Squish, Fire and Fumes
| | |
|
|
