63 Lincoln question...

[Guest drnittler]

I am working on a 63 Lincoln for a museum. The car sat for years, but I got it going and drove it a bit. Later on it quit.

I discovered that the s[ark plugs were not firing so I took care of that problem. (The voltage regulator and distributor were changed from original years ago. The regulator is a dodge part and the distributor is a later ford that used electronic ignition.).So now I have electric stuff ok but the car won't fired well. It will crank but spits through the carb now and then and that's it.

Does this sound like a timing problem?

Advice and opinions are appreciated.

Thanks.

[Rusty_OToole]

First thing you need to do is buy a manual. The one the factory supplied to dealers is the best. They printed thousands, one for every dealer, and they are still around. Can be found on Ebay or flea markets or old car literature sellers.

 

Could be a lot of things. Spark timing is one. Sticking valves is another. Suggest you do a compression test and go over the ignition, checking timing, and that all plug wires are going where they are supposed to.

[Guest drnittler]

Hi, I do have the manuals. However some of the parts were changed to non original items years ago. The car ran for a while and then stopped. I thought a valve was messed up but I did a compression check and all seemed ok. So I am not sure what happened. Something could be hung up but who knows??? Thanks

[Aaron65]

It sounds like your timing is off...do you have a timing light?

 

If it was running fine before, that may or may not be the issue.  If it's a later electronic ignition, the module could have gone bad.  

 

Do you have spark now?  If yes, check the timing.  Is the timing close to factory specs?  A few degrees off won't matter in getting it running.

 

If no, is the carburetor flooding?  Do you smell excessive gas from the carb or are the spark plugs wet from cranking?

 

If all this stuff checks out, you could be getting into timing chains jumping or who knows what.  But you have to explain exactly what the car's doing now or nobody on the internet will be able to be of any help.

[Guest drnittler]

Thanks for the e mails. Basically the car cranks, but won't start. I sometimes spits through the carb. The car ran for a while before.

Stuff I did:
1. I put a new carb kit.

2. New plugs and wires.

3. Carb did get fuel.

4. New distributor cap (Somebody put a electronic distributor in it. it is a Ford part).

5. The timing was ok before.

6.  A new ignition module (The part was Dodge???? Go figure!!!)

So far I get spark. The checked the compression using a finger on the plug hold and cranking the engine, with this highly scientific method I this all the cylinders have some compression) All I can figure is to loosen the distributor a bit and turn it and see if it fires). 

Any suggestions are appreciated. 

[vermontboy]

If it were mine I would suspect the carburetor. Very easy to miss something in rebuilding a carb. Perhaps you can borrow a used carb from someone local (a lot of people keep them rather than return the core).

[Guest drnittler]

Thanks for the e mail. When I spray starter fluid in the carburetor should it try to run???Thanks

[JACK M]

Spray gasoline, not starter fluid.

That stuff kills engines.

[61polara]

If it is spitting through the carb, you may have the distriburor off by 180 degrees.  Make sure #1 cylinder is on compression when the distributor is set to fire.