Guest Posted June 30, 2003 Share Posted June 30, 2003 I got a 1936 Dodge 2dr sedan with the 218 6cyl flathead. Starts excellent when it's cold. When it's hot it's impossible to start. Engine cranks, but it won't fire. I'll run the battery down trying. If I let it sit for 2 hours it will start right up no problem. I can smell gas after I shut it down so I thought the carb was leaking into the engine creating a flooding condition. But last time I had it running after I shut it down I tried re-starting it almost immediately (within 2 minutes)and I had the same problem. I don't believe the engine could have flooded that fast. I've tried holding the throttle all the way open to start it, as well as, pumping the hell out of the throttle thinking it didn't have enough gas to fire, didn't make a bit of difference either way. Any ideas, I've been avoiding taking it any place, to unreliable for me to use. note - Seems to run pretty well when in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nearchoclatetown Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Have you checked valve adjustment? Could be they are tight. How about compression hot and cold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 IM RECENTLY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 26 DODGE.MY PLANS ARE TO REMOVE THE HEAD AND DECARBONIZE EVERYTHING AND THEN READJUST THE VALVES.WELL SEE WHAT HAPPENS I SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION.ANYONE HAVE MORE TO AD? HANK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan Arnett Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 You need to detemine if it is ignition or fuel before you start tearing things apart. Pull a spark plug wire loose from the plug or get another plug and ground it to the engine and see if you have spark. If you don't have spark I would check the condensor and coil to see if they are breaking down when hot. If you have spark pull a plug and see if they are wet when it won't start. If they are wet you are getting fuel and maybe flooding or have a compression problem. If they are dry you have a carburation probem. Try a little starting ether to see if it will start. Do you blow smoke when it finally starts which would indicate flooding. Check the height of you float. The last resort would be to pull the head and check the valves. Run a compression check before pulling the head and doing a valve. I bet your problem is ignition and can be fixed easily.Hope this helps,Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 THAT WAS THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CHECK THE SPARK.I KNOW FROM THE 26 DODGE REPAIR MANUAL THAT THE VALVES AND PISTONS NEED FREQUENT DECARBONIZING.THE HEADGASKET IS REUSABLE AS ITS MADE OF COPPER.I WONDER IS THE 36 HEADGASKET MADE OF COPPER?ARE YA GETTIN SPARK ON THE 36? HANK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterpainter Posted July 12, 2003 Share Posted July 12, 2003 dumb question time...have you tried "roll or coast starting" it? if so.. does it blow black smoke or does it not start?Many times a failure to start hot can be traced to a battery that can't do the job. you might try putting a voltmeter across the battery when cranking cold and cranking hot to see if the battery maintains its voltage during a hot crank. If the voltage drops too low you won't get enough spark to do the job. This is espcally true with some of the modern cheap 6 v batterys available now. (and I don't mean cheap in price!)Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amigo Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 NOTICE !!!!!!!!!!! EVERY ONE OF YOU ARE WRONG The flat head six has a heat deflector that mounts to the manafold and to the top of the fule pump , with out this deflector it will not run when it hits 160 % for 10 mins and in a hot summer , I live in texas and I reaclenty purchesed a D2 that runs like a sewing machine from a cople in Iwoa , summer time came and it was the damdest thing u could set your watch by it . I was shure it was vapor lock and wraped teh fule line still dident work then i saw a pic of a complety restoration and BINGO their it was so I tryed just a pice of flashing jamed in their just to see ........NO MORE PROBLEMS YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I know this post is a few years late but it might help outhers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankngin Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Well, This is a very common problem and having went threw all of the problems. I can say you have to check every thing from the Key to the blow by pipe. Start with the electrics any amount of ohms on the meter is wrong a 1/4 volt drop is wrong then go on. E Mail me if you want I drive my 36 Dodges every day it does not snow. rain, Wind, hail,hot,cold all ok but not the Snow.Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I would assume that the original poster's on this 8 year old thread have either solved their problems or moved on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankngin Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Well, There you go. I gess I do not understand these form things at all. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwollam Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Frank, if you look to the left side of the page just above your "frankngin" user name it has the date or time that each post was made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DodgeKCL Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Just my 2 cents. Many of these old 6 cylinder CPDD engines suffered from vapour lock when new and Chrylser eventually knew about it. Many, if not all CPDD vehicles with these 30s in-line flat head engines, should have a heat shield on the top of the AC fuel pump. You can make one yourself. There was actually a part number and sheet metal part from Chryco. At one time someone in the Plymouth Club was offering them for sale. I believe in the case of the earlier cars where the exhaust pipe came down in FRONT of the updraught Carter carb another sheet metal plate was installed to stop vapour lock in hot climates and on hot Summer days ,in slow traffic, elsewhere. Some of you may be chasing hard starting because this heat shield is missing and the car was never taken back to the dealer to have one installed. I do not know at what year they became a factory installed item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1930 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I have a confidential sales bulletin that goes into detail on the heat shield KCL is reffering to on the new Plymouth, cant seem to put my finger on it but it was dated sometime in 29, went into detail about the experiences they were having of vaporlock and what they were doing to control it. If there is any interest I can dig further to find it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1936 D2 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Here are some shots of an early '36 (#654766 - on copper colored background) heat shield and a late '36 (#854413 - on blue colored background) heat shield. Different shapes but same application. The #854413 MAY have been used more on Plymouths of that time period too. Not sure. Both were selling for around $45.00 (shipped) on eBay in 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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