1940 Olds Series 90 no start!

[scot]

Hello,

I was performing an antifreeze flush and refill on my 40 Olds 90. Flat head straight eight. Car had been running very well. Upon refill of antifreeze the engine started to miss at higher rpms. Then at idle it stalled and refused to restart. Took out the plugs and they looked fine. Put them back in and tried a shot of either. No start! Must be ignition? Checked the points and they look fine. So I reset the points. They were pretty much on target. Still no start. Have the wife crank the engine with me holding a plug wire next to the plug. As she was cranking there was no spark, then all of a sudden there was a spark and the old girl fired up and promptly died.

So we pushed the car into the garage and there it sits with me scratching my head which leads to me thinking that the problem is the coil.

Am I on target or am I missing something?

Thanks,

Scot

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Have you checked the coil to distributor wire? Bet it is wet.

Ben

[scot]

Good thought Bruce. I just went out and pulled the coil to distributor wire and it is dry as a bone. Just to make sure I sprayed some wire dryer on the terminals and still no start.

Thanks for the idea. Makes sense since I was playing with water.

Scot

[D Yaros]

Definitely sounds like a spark problem. Is the timing where it should be? I ask as it sounds as though you are getting spark, but not at the proper point in the firing cycle?

[Guest De Soto Frank]

The spark plug wires on my '41 De Soto are fairly old, and run through a metal loom.

If I am careless with the hose when washing the car, and spray water under the hood, hitting the wires / loom, the plug wires short-out, and the car will not run until I get things dried-out.

Don't know if this applies to your Olds...

[scot]

Thanks for all the ideas. Got me thinking that I was overthinking this.

Turns out it was a bad connection on the coil to rotor cap wire. The fitting on the end that goes into the rotor cap was loose. Explains the no spark then spark.

Again, thanks for the ideas. Always nice to be able to bounce ideas around with others that are in the know.

Best,

Scot

[GARY F]

pull the coil wire out of the dist. hold it close to the hole & have someone try to start & see if you have a steady spark. if not switch the coil. just a thought.

[scot]

Took the car out for a ride tonight and it runs better than ever!

Thanks again for all the ideas.

Scot