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It starts, it runs, it moves......barely!


bclement

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So.....The old guy after being dormant for an unknown period is alive once again, but barely. Where do I start? '41 Continental, with Heck only know what for a semi-functioning V-12, correct Zephyr carb, just enough wiring to make it start and everything else disconnected to prevent a fire. A little valve noise, but not much. The fuel system is good, brakes all done, coolant circulating. What gentle next steps do I need to look at?

Brad

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Brad:

Mine started out like that. Most logical place to begin is with spark. You might be running a V-6 instead of a V-12. Clamp on a timing light to each plug wire, or measure the voltage at the points terminals behind the coil. (Watch out for the fan!) Running voltage should be little less than 3 volts on each side. If you have 6 volts or zero volts on one side, check the points and the wiring to them. I've seen frozen together points, and even had a NOS set break the spring inside. Bad grounds will get you in trouble too.

Abe

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Thanks Abe.

I forgot to mention that sometime ago the or one of the POs converted over for 12V. There are all kinds of strange step ups and step downs mount everywhere under the hood. To keep from trying to fish all that out the car is basically 'hotwired' to start and run. No gauges at this point (but I was going to tackle them one by one), no dome light, and no back seat cigar lighters for right now.

As I was starting the car to pull it back in the garage after sufficiently POing the neighbors I came to the realization that 1.) my dash choke knob does nothing, so I don't at the moment have the benefit of choke (without laying on my side under the dash pulling the linkage) 2.) The car will not continue running with the air cleaner attached (plan on cleaning that all up first thing today)

Will keep you posted on the progress if I get any today.

P.S. Was think about the Marvel Mystery Oil trick just for GP

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Well done.if it runs..get it warm / hot and change oil...it needs to loosen up and get pressure lubrication circulating..

ck for spark on both banks...The car has 2 coils 2 sets of points ..2 condensers..right side runs on on, left the other...

it will on six...like a dog..but smooth..a shorted condenser will kill spark as well as any of the other parts..which should be

renewed asap...but it is much easier to work on a "living" motor than a cold dead one that has not run in years..

--lose the 12 volt nonsense and all the step downs

--send your coil to skip haney in punta gorda

--send you dist to jake flemming in tx

--new plugs / wires..

--hook up power back to dash..see wires off starter solonoid that feed dash

--chk red wires that exit plug woire looms that feed coil, they hook to resistors

under dash along with headlight breaker unit..this is main power distribution for dash ,

gauges lights etc..

--if you are gonna drive it, consider pulling heads and replace headgaskets

--if fuel is clean..great..if not pull tank and douche

--pull oil pan and clean sludge, replace / rebuild oil pump

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Go Bucks, Fork the Flyers!!

Coil, Dizzy, and points are good to go rebuilt....plugs and plug wires are a good next step. 12 vs 6, I kinda agree my '35 Ford is still 6 but with an alternator. Because it's a wiring disaster and I haven't traced exactly everything down I don't want to go tugging on things just yet. The pan had been dropped and cleaned and the oil system flushed.....but with no gauge it's an unknown. Compression check seemed good on all cylinders and I've got good coolant circulation, all the hoses get hot?

It starts hard and gets to warm quick and stinks to high heaven. I've lubed everything I can think of to lube to include the rear-end. I think there must be carb issues. The LZ carb was not the carb that was originally on this engine but was a 'rebuilt' carb that came of another engine. Oh by the way any tips for rehabbing an air cleaner? The car will NOT run with the air cleaner installed.post-96847-143142443149_thumb.jpg

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The air cleaner thing is funny, i had a modern element in mine, for years..and found a weak headgasket, replaced it.car wouldnt run with paper element..

so i returned to factory wire mesh job..it is a can with a sliencer that provides enough draft to suck fumes from intake valley..into can and down throat of carb..

uses a copper mesh like crack heads (see it sold at carryouts and head shops) or from parts guys..

oilly copper mesh..keeps out low flying birds and such.. The air cleaner unit is wonderfull to silence the air rush, and most definitely provide the pcv system

so critical for engine air flow..air enters in the oil filler, exits through the little breather tube...unless you engine is worn out, then it belches out the oil fill tube..

and into the car..a nice smell for a short time...( I have an open car) A closed car will stink you out...

The old boys called 'em Stinkin Lincolns for a reason..

Dont be afraid of the wiring..very very simple circut..

pictures are similar to yours...the complete unit is a chop job by our old friend from Houtzdale, who made one

to fit his prototype one off 39 Continental..but shows the very important breather tube

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You say 'very important'......I say 'uh oh' as mine is plugged at the intake. I found new off the shelf plugs in stock at NAPA. Any over the counter solution for plug wires?

I hate to think about running and driving the car with the top of the carb open, so I'm going to have to find at least a temporary breathability solution. I was going to try and do the old clean it all out with kerosene but I'm even sure where to buy kerosene here on the beach. I'm think gasoline would not be a good idea.

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If you cleaned oil pan, and have 12 cylinders sparking...I would use goo 10-40 or 20-50 oil and run it good and hot

..it may tick for a while...it needs to be run ....remember these are high rpm little motors

not lug around in high gear motors...

We like auto trans fluid to clean lifters..add a quart and run it..or marvel mystery ...same diff..

this old engine is not gonna be damaged by no filter operation...avoid dust storms and dirt roads..

short term will not hurt it..

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I know I've got good oil circulation, even through the filter....which is more important that pressure to a point. I think I'm going to hit it with some MMO and will give you an update this evening if it stops raining. Down here we only have sand and salt air.....no dust, especially since it's been raining.

I've sourced new champion spark plugs from NAPA can't find an over the counter (as in go get it today plug wires), any thoughts on that? Probably should have thought about that before today!

As you can see from the pictures, this is one 'salty dog' and there is enough debris I need to blow and suck out under the hood to keep me busy all morning. I just tremble at the thought of running the carb with no air cleaner. So I've got to get that solved too.

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plug wires are not available.locally..you buy a spool of solid core wire, black laquered stuff..save the old numbered ends and resolder..plugs h-10 c champions..I used some similar ngks for a while...they were good too..

or buy em from earl brown in pa..they are ok..

get the garden hose out and wash the crap out from under the hood..not rocket science

cover the carb, put on long sleeves and lose that good old Toledo made Owens Corning fiberglass

insulation from the hood!! ..Do it first! You will itch for a while either way, dont worry it wont hurt you..

no need to call the asbestos hotline or anything..but it is a dirt trap...

What are those wires doing to next tothe blower gizmo on the fire wall??

Look at the regulator..it will say 6 or 12 volt

Edited by Mssr. Bwatoe (see edit history)
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Not sure about 41, but most later models I've seen come with an oil bath air filter. You do need to change the oil. Might be running lean, no air filter would slightly richen Maybe carb should be taken apart and soaked in carb cleaner and re-assembled with new gaskets, power valve, etc. If you still have the stock ignition resistors, you need an 1.2 ohm, 25 or 50 watt resistor in series, otherwise you can overvoltage the coil and damage. You also need a 6 volt regulator for the stock instruments. You can also replace the coil with a plate and use electronic ignition with two coils. Mine had MSD for a while, but flashed over the terminals when the plugs were fouled. Stock ignition has weak spark. If the 12 Volt conversion uses negative ground instead of the stock positive ground, the stock radio needs new input capacitors with polarity reversed.

On my pre-rebuild engine, someone had run a hose from the oil fill tube to underneath the car. Sorta worked but the underside was a sticky mess. I'm now a fan of PCV valves.

Abe

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Sounds to me like bad gasoline. I had a 41 set for 10 years with a full tank of gas. When I sold it we started it up and it acted just like you describe. We drained all the smelly gas out and refilled the tank. It coughed a little bit and then just reviewed up and ran fine. Lee

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  • 1 month later...

If your air cleaner is a Lincoln one ...the air filter is just 2 pieces of 1/4" hardware cloth mesh with a copper mesh filter between. Go to Publix...in the household cleaner section look for a product called "chor boy". It's a copper mesh pad...like a brillo pad. Buy three packages, remove the staples and unroll the pads. Fit the three mesh pads to forn a single long pad about 3/4" in diameter. Take the two hardware cloth mesh (one small, one large) and sandwich the copper mesh between the two of them. Fluff them out to form a substitute copper mesh air filter...just like an original. Oil the mesh with 30w oil and that should help the engine breathe.

Contact Earle Brown (our resident mechanical V 12 parts supplier) and buy his ready made plug wires. Much easier and cheaper in the long run over making your own right now. You will find our suppliers under sources on the web page. Narragansett can supply your needed wiring with proper 6 volt wiring runs. Print out their catalog.

Jake Fleming can properly set up your distributor, check his ad. A properly setup distirbutor is half the battle. He can also rebuild your v 12 coil. With those two rebuilt you are on your way to a non stinking (maybe just a little)good running V 12. Getting your carb and fuel pump is also a must. As Lee said...get clean (non ethinol) gas in your tank. You should find someone on the Beach that has not ethinol.

When you are ready to rewire the engine...a suggestion is the spray silicone in the two wire tubes. Makes sliding the many fat wires lots easier.

Keep asking for help. We were all in the same position you are now in getting all 12 cylinders to function. No such thing as a dumb question. JUst ask...

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