Starting a 1910 Cadillac after years on sitting

OK--- 1910 Cadillac these guys are trying to get going again--- Told me they have spark and fuel- Pulled it through MANY times, tried priming by putting some gas in the pre-cups (yes when opened) not getting and pop at all. they tell me the car was driven into the garage running good-- then it just sat there until recently. all gas lines are cleaned, fresh gas in it now, carb cleaned -- fresh plugs..

ALL this info is from them--- I have not gone over to help YET--- Been busy right here at home!

I have given them a few links to you tube videos showing many hand crank starts---

Any advice here? Yes, I know what you are thinking,, no they don't want to put electric start on it.... yet---

Timing should be OK if it drove in and wasn't monkeyed with. Be sure the valves aren't stuck.

Try a squirt of oil in the cylinders. If the rings are dry they will not seal and you have no compression. Can be caused by cylinder wash down (too much gas) or just sitting for a long time.

But first be sure you have a good spark, and it is happening at the right time, plugs are firing, and plug wires are in the right order.

In extreme cases you can tow the car (slowly) and put it in second gear. They usually start within 50 feet.

Make sure the brakes are working first!

All good stuff.. Thank You All! I am so busy, I have not been able to get there myself, so I have been giving them info and asking what they have done. Will try to get over there next week. They tell me timing is correct, fuel is good-- compression ok-- no stuck valves--- Best that I just go see for myself-- when I can--- Pushing is an option

"Pushing is an option" down a long hill?

Well, actually, I was kinda thinking there was a '10 Cadillac guy reading this and I would get a few tips before going over there to see what I can do. But I just got word they "tried everything" including suggestions from a guy that TOUGHT he knew what to do----- After these guys told me what that was-- uh-- I said OK--- time to pull the mag and send it in for a rebuild.. What they did was a BIG No-No--- I am not even going to go have a look until the mag comes back from the rebuilder...

So-- Do you REALLY want to know what they did???? Do Ya? ------ OK-- so here goes: The HELPER told them to put a booster battery on the MAGNETO to get more spark-- Yep, there ya have it--- I am guessing the car has the Kettering (Delco) ignition, but have not looked at the car. Again, I want to get more info before I go-- But I think they need to send out that mag.

Most mags primary opperate around 4 volts,,

Zapping it with 12 would be fatal??? to the windings

and maybee de magnatize the magnets,,not good

The plus/minus changes every 180 degreess so mixed result here,,,

IF the engine had poor compression,,the crank might stop on top center not

flat across,,then the armature would not act as a keeper as it should,

Once a magnet is charged wrong way its said to never fulley recover,,,does anyone here

know if that is true,,Just thinking,,,,,Ben

If a magnet is charged the wrong way, it needs to be COMPLETELY de-magnatized (I believe the technical term is de-gauzing, or something like that) and then it can be charged with the correct polarization or, for that matter, with a reverse polarization if desired. The magnet itself is just a chunk of ordinary iron until it is given a magnetic charge. I would assume a 1910 Cadillac has a typical high tension magneto like a Bosch DU4 or something like that. Where they would have connected the 12 volt jumper is weird in itself, since a typical magneto has the spark plug terminals and another wire connector for the ground wire. Of course, this car could have some other type of magneto or other type ignition system. A picture of the the magneto would help us out. My guess is that if everything else is up to snuff, the magneto was just weak and turning it over by hand was not enough to get a spark out of it. With some faster turning rpms, it may or may not have been enough to create a spark and make it run.

Magnetism can go away on its own in as little as 10 or 20 years. You can remagnetize them easily and they are good as new. Every auto electric shop used to do this. I believe they use the same machine they use to test starter and generator armatures, a "growler".

Another problem with old mags, "shellacitis" where the shellac coating the windings weakens with age and melts when the mag gets hot, running down and gumming everything up when it cools and solidifies. The cure is to rewind with new wire.

It is also possible to disconnect the points and use them to work a coil ignition. I have seen this done on an old mag with weak magnet.

Cadillac used a mag up until they introduced the modern coil system, was that 1912? If they used a Bosch mag they should not have much trouble, they had a spring loaded device to improve the spark for starting. Some high grade cars used dual ignition, Model T style trembler coils for starting, mag for running.

I dont think the growler is suitable for magnet work,,only testing SOFT

iron motor armatures,,Ben

It is also possible to disconnect the points and use them to work a coil ignition. I have seen this done on an old mag with weak magnet.

I've done it. I've also made a distributor out of old magneto parts. It isn't all that complicated but from the description the OP has given us about his colleagues, I don't have much confidence they could do it.

I can't add much except this...never ever absentmindedly snap over a magneto with it resting in your lap. Been there done that and I guarantee you it won't happen again.

The first time I ever bought a magneto, I went over to Bill's Auto Parts in Valley Falls, RI and asked Bill if he had any. He sent me into the back room where he had perhaps 40 of them lined up on a dust covered shelf. I chose the most likely one... brought it out and set it on the counter. $25 said Bill. "Fine" I said, but how do I test it? Bill said "hold on to that wire..." I did, he spun it and my arm was sore for a week.

Always impressed me that on vehicles with a dual ignition they almost always seem to run better on the mag than on the battery and coil.

They were supposed to. The battery was for starting, mag for running.

In the early days coil ignition made a continuous buzzing spark like a Model T spark coil. This made starting a cinch, if there was gas in the cylinder they would often start without even turning the crank. In any case you did not have to spin the engine very fast.

But, that type coil ignition was only good for about 2000 RPM and the faster you went the thinner the spark.

A magneto on the other hand, sparks better the faster it goes because it carries its own generator. It has no battery to feed it.

So, dual ignition gave the best of both. Easy starting and smooth low speed running, with no limit to the top end.

The total range of degree of advance on battery was sometimes

many times the range of the mag,,

SOMETIMES the range of advance was NOT what the book called for,,

1915 Pierce ,,,, and K - 1925 Mercedes come to mind,,

When I remade the linkage the performence was better than expected,,

Oh,,Memories of the 1950s,,Ben