positive ground on my 37 Austin

[donuto]

I just purchased a 1937 Austin Ten Cambridge Saloon. The battery went bad (showed reverse polarity when tested outside of the car) and I purchased a new one. I installed it just as the old one was, with the positive side of the battery going to ground. I changed no other wiring.

When I started the car, the amp gauge shows a discharge but the headlamps get brighter as I rev up the engine. Any ideas why this condition exists? The manual shows that it is a positive ground car. The battery is new and shows it on the tester. This is the first time I started the car. I asked the previous owner if the amp gauge always showed discharge but he said it did not. If you have any thoughts on this problem, please let me know. I am a new member and appreciate any input members can give me.

Thanks you,

John - St. Louis, Mo.

[Dave@Moon]

My gut reaction is a stuck voltage regulator that killed the first battery in the first place. Have you tried checking the voltage with a meter at idle and when revving the engine? If you're getting a wide range in voltage (say 2V-8V) instead of a roughly constant 6V-8V I'd swap that out first.

[Guest Bob Call]

John

Did you polarize the system when you installed the new battery? Do that and also check the voltage output.

[donuto]

I am about to pull out my hair!! I start the car and it starts quickly and idles right away but that's all it does. When I try to give it gas it bogs badly and dies. I put on a new carb, new coil, new points, condenser, cap, wires and set the timing. It is getting plenty of gas but not enoguh spark to accellerate. What could it be. I have done all I know how to do.

The engine turns over great and catches quickly when it starts. When I first acquired the car it ran slugish, never attaining a quick rpm. It was very slow and wouldn;t climb a hill. Now it just idles and thats it!

I hope someone can help.

John

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It is getting plenty of gas but not enoguh spark to accellerate.</div></div>

Are you sure it has to do with the strength of the spark? Have you tested is with a ignition/spark tester? (The tool linked costs about $10, and is available from almost every British parts vendor, i.e. Moss, British Victoria, etc.)

It sounds to me like a bad vacuum/mechanical advance system, or vacuum retard system, or whatever combination of the 3 this car has. If you check the spark and it's strong, test to see if you have an advance. If you do, check to see if it's up to spec (advancing enough).

Assuming the advance is working, if the spark is weak, or if it gets weak with rpms, I'd suspect one or more of the new parts you used are bad. I had a set of brand new AC wires in a car that lit up like the 4th of July (at night) with voltage leakage, causing these exact symptoms. I didn't know that (you could only see it at night), and a mechanic showed it too me in a darkened garage by spraying Dow Bathroom Cleaner (<span style="font-style: italic">the "scrubbing bubbles" stuff--he kept it in the dealer's garage for exactly this purpose</span>) on the wires, facilitating the sparks. A cracked cap/coil/plug would do the same thing, and I think would show up the same way.

[donuto]

Dave,

I think you hit the nail on the head. I took the distributor apart and the mechanical advance is real loose and sloppy. Now I have to find the parts to fix it, which may be difficult.

Thanks for the help,

John with the 1937 Austin 10

[Guest Bob Call]

Google Lucas with model number. Just googling Lucas distributor brings up lots of sites. I suspect the the distributor on your Austin is the same internally as a lot of other 4 cylinders including some farm tractors.