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1919 Pierce won't start--need advice


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I have in my garage a 1919 Pierce Model 48 7-passenger touring car. It has sat for 3 or 4 years since the owner died, but ran and drove well prior to that. The owner's widow wants to sell the car (don't get your hopes up--she wants too much for it), but I cannot get this thing started. I have drained the old gas out of the tank and out of the fuel line to the carburetor. I have installed a new battery and 12 new spark plugs, and have cleaned the distributor caps/rotors. There is spark, because it will fire once or twice on ether sprayed into the carb intake. Gas is getting to the float bowl just fine, but after a lot of cranking, when I unscrew the spark plugs, they are completely dry--not even any gas smell. Gas is apparently not getting from the carburetor to the cylinders. I know how to use the hand primer pump on the dash. I need help or suggestions. Is there a small passage in the carburetor that might be blocked? Do I dare remove this carburetor and try to overhaul it? Is there something else I am missing? I know about the spark and throttle settings and have even tried them at different settings. I know about the plunger control for the fuel near the steering column at the base of the dash-it seems to work, but doesn't make any difference. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Pete Phillips

Ector, Texas

pphillips@netexas.net

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Guest stude8

I'm not particularly familiar with that era Pierce but there should be a choke of some sort on the carb and it would seem from your description is isn't working (Stuck in open condition). Also what conditions was the car stored in? You might have a critter nest between the carb and intake manifold blocking the fuel air mixture from getting past. The same could hold true for the exhaust pipe, a blocked muffler or pipe would inhibit the engine operation. Stude8

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The car was stored in a clean, nearly new, heated, metal garage with concrete floor, behind a house in a built-up, older subdivision. There is no evidence of mice or other animals--in fact, there is hardly any dust on the car. There is a cable and lever at the bottom of the carburetor that is worked by a knob halfway down the steering column. I presume that is the choke or a richness adjustment. I have cranked the car with this knob at different settings, with no results. Thanks for the suggestions, however.

Pete Phillips

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  • 7 months later...

Hello, I've had some past experience with these cars and can say that under normal circumstances they are excellent starting and running vehicles. Given what you've done thus far, a few additional items come to mind. You don't say whether you've checked compression? It's possible that you are dealing with stuck rings or valves (due to the extended storage. This would certainly be one cause for the dry plugs, even after extended cranking. Did you pre-lube the cylinders before attempting start-up? Any vehicle that has sat for some years will probably have dry cylinders, and this would also cause low compression, hence lack of vacume. Another possible problem could be any of the manifold gaskets that could have become dried and/or cracked which would be another source of lost vacume. A final matter could be the carburator itself. Did you take it down and check all internal orafices. Old dried gas can clog small openings, and while the bowl itself is full, that doesn't necessairily mean that fuel is getting through to the main air passage(s) for proper atomization. Best of luck. If I can be of any other help feel free to write back.

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