1935 Buick won't start. Need help. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

[35buickakaBelle]

What could be wrong? it cranks but won't start. I put fuel in the carburetor and still no start. I think no spark but how do check that. Or any suggestions why it wouldn't start would be greatly appreciated. still 6Volts system . Thanks Luis

Edited June 3, 2020 by 35buickakaBelle (see edit history)

[Pete Phillips]

Pull one of the plug wires off of a spark plug, but hold it about 1/4 inch away from the plug while someone cranks the engine. If you don't see any spark jump across the gap occasionally, then you have no spark. Get a test light and see if you have power at both terminals on the ignition coil. Clean your points. Has the car been sitting long? You don't give much information to go on.

[edinmass]

Putting fuel down a carburetor is EXTREMELY dangerous.............if you don't know how to check spark, you don't have enough skills to try and work on the car. A backfire can blow the gas thats dumped down backwards causing a large fire event that can burn you, the car, and the garage. Don't try and service the car without someone knowledgeable about pre war cars. It just isn't worth it. 

[35buickakaBelle]

4 hours ago, Pete Phillips said:

Pull one of the plug wires off of a spark plug, but hold it about 1/4 inch away from the plug while someone cranks the engine. If you don't see any spark jump across the gap occasionally, then you have no spark. Get a test light and see if you have power at both terminals on the ignition coil. Clean your points. Has the car been sitting long? You don't give much information to go on.

 

car was sitting for about  7month. I was driving around  end of last year and it stalled on me and then it would start after that. So i put it away for the winter and i decided to start working on it to get it running. I diid a full tune on 2018 new wires, coil, spark plugs, gastkets, water pump, radiator etc... I did try the spark test but i didn't see a spark going to do it again and also and check the coil. thanks

[Marty Roth]

First check for spark at the ignition points:

1.       remove the distributor cap

1A.     use a piece of cardboard, matchbook cover, or a points file to clean both surfaces of the points 

1B.     if you see a cone shaped buildup, file or replace the points

2.       rotate engine so that points are closed (making contact between the two parts

3.        with a Non-conducting item, such as a plastic or wooden object, and ignition "ON", separate the points contacts

4.       you should see a little spark at that surface

5.       if no spark, look to see if there is a bare wire which may be shorting out leading to, or inside the distributor

 

Good Luck, and please let us know your progress

[35buickakaBelle]

5 hours ago, Marty Roth said:

First check for spark at the ignition points:

1.       remove the distributor cap

1A.     use a piece of cardboard, matchbook cover, or a points file to clean both surfaces of the points 

1B.     if you see a cone shaped buildup, file or replace the points

2.       rotate engine so that points are closed (making contact between the two parts

3.        with a Non-conducting item, such as a plastic or wooden object, and ignition "ON", separate the points contacts

4.       you should see a little spark at that surface

5.       if no spark, look to see if there is a bare wire which may be shorting out leading to, or inside the distributor

 

Good Luck, and please let us know your progress

 

Good advice. i will check this tomorrow morning. Thanks 

[bhemi]

On 6/1/2020 at 5:55 AM, edinmass said:

Putting fuel down a carburetor is EXTREMELY dangerous.............if you don't know how to check spark, you don't have enough skills to try and work on the car. A backfire can blow the gas thats dumped down backwards causing a large fire event that can burn you, the car, and the garage. Don't try and service the car without someone knowledgeable about pre war cars. It just isn't worth it. 

Push the car outside and go through the typical diagnosis. If a car has compression it needs air/fuel/spark to run. I am not in favor of taking stupid risks but if nobody took a chance to learn something there would be no hobby and no amateur mechanics. A little carb fire never killed anyone. Leaving the 5 gallon pail sitting next to it probably burnt down a garage or two. 

[35buickakaBelle]

1 hour ago, bhemi said:

Push the car outside and go through the typical diagnosis. If a car has compression it needs air/fuel/spark to run. I am not in favor of taking stupid risks but if nobody took a chance to learn something there would be no hobby and no amateur mechanics. A little carb fire never killed anyone. Leaving the 5 gallon pail sitting next to it probably burnt down a garage or two. 

 

yea i spray just a little bit not to extreme. Just to see if it fires. im being cautious when i do stuff like that. 

[carbking]

Test!

 

As mentioned by others in the thread: you need (1) compression, (2) spark, (3) air/fuel mixture, (4) all arriving at the right time.

 

Compression testers are inexpensive, and easy to use. If the compression is bad, fixing the spark and/or the air fuel mixture won't matter. Test compression first.

 

Spark testers are inexpensive, and easy to use. If the spark is bad, fixing the air/fuel mixture won't matter. Test the spark second. If the spark is good, check the timing of the spark.

 

If compression, spark, and timing are good, fill the carburetor through the bowl vent rather than pouring gas down the throat of the carburetor.

 

See if the engine will fire. If it will, great. If not, maybe time to enlist some more experienced help.

 

And a fire estinguisher rated for gasoline sitting within easy reach is never a bad idea when trying to start an unknown engine.

 

Have fun, but be safe.

 

Jon.

 

 

[Frank DuVal]

2 hours ago, bhemi said:

A little carb fire never killed anyone.

 

But skin grafts still hurt!  A fellow AACA and HCCA member almost lost his life on a hot day when the gasoline fumes surrounding the engine caught fire from a backfire on his father's brass car. 

 

And it is the rest of the oil covered engine and hood insulation, on later vehicles, that gets out of hand quickly. No longer a little fire. 

 

Fire extinguisher at a minimum, and NEVER  lean over the carburetor while someone cranks the engine. It takes a while to grow back the eyebrows and other hair. Seen that. Don't want to see it again.

[35buickakaBelle]

On 6/1/2020 at 5:09 PM, Marty Roth said:

First check for spark at the ignition points:

1.       remove the distributor cap

1A.     use a piece of cardboard, matchbook cover, or a points file to clean both surfaces of the points 

1B.     if you see a cone shaped buildup, file or replace the points

2.       rotate engine so that points are closed (making contact between the two parts

3.        with a Non-conducting item, such as a plastic or wooden object, and ignition "ON", separate the points contacts

4.       you should see a little spark at that surface

5.       if no spark, look to see if there is a bare wire which may be shorting out leading to, or inside the distributor

 

Good Luck, and please let us know your progress

 

thank you, i focus on the distributor and cleaned out all the contacts inside. I put new wires they where frayed maybe one was shorting out. Once i did that she turn on right away. thank you all for the inputs. i was doing safe not a idiot i always have a fire distinguisher in the car. Thanks again she running fine again 

[Frank DuVal]

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