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'47 ford truck won't start

E

e-manhunt

Member
Don't know where else to ask: my 47 ford pick up sat for 2 years. Got a new battery, filled the tank with new gas and started fairly easily, ran nicely.
Started to back it out of garage --slowly, but stop and go (tight fit). The truck quit. No spark.
The distributor is in a crummy spot. Any ideas where to start before I need pull the fan blade off to get to the distributor? thanks guys.
 
If you haven't already, I would also post the ? here:
http://www.yesterdayspickups.com/trforum/wwwboard1.html

In 1981 I purchased a 1951 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup, becoming the third owner. It would have the occasional problems also. Sometimes is was simply the old insulation getting wet or connections being so brittle, they would break and such things would mess up the flow of juice from the six volt battery to the spark plug electrodes. You did say no spark - Sitting two years, make sure all your connections are shiny, bright and tight; mice haven't found your pickup a buffet/lodging facility; coil; loose connections, i.e. coil wire-distributor-spark plugs; ignition switch corroded up; battery cable properly grounded. I also once had the fiber timing gear self destruct - HEY, after 40 years what is going on! Yup, it got tired. I had mine about 12 years, 'my little puddle-jumper' Good luck with your project.
 
Thank you. Just what I needed. The truck has been in the family since 46, but haven't had time to drive it with a new daughter directing my attention--2 years old. I am hoping it might just be brittle wires because getting down to that distributor behind the fan blade is an all day pain in the neck.

thanks
 
An 80 year old guy was stopped beside the highway with a truck of your vintage--same problem. He had the distributor off the front of the engine when we stopped by. Asked if he needed help--he said he didn't--the points just needed polished. As I remember, the dist. was held in by 3 5/16 bolts. Long story short- we did chores & came back fully expecting to have to take the old boy home. Truck was nowhere to be seen. He didn't have to take the fan off--you probably won't have to either. Temp. was around 10 degrees as I remember.
 
did you use a 6 volt battery? If you tried to cheat and use a 12 volt you probably burned out the coil, and maybe some other things. Or if you were using 6 volt, might be condenser, check for juice getting to the distributer, before you take it off. sometimes the resistor up under the dash will burn out. could also be a bad connection in the ignition switch, flick it on and off a few times.
 
I have had several pre 49 Ford V-8's in the past and you can get to the distributor caps and or remove and replace the entire distributor without taking the fan off. Tight fit but dooable.

Harold H
 
using an 8volt. you have a couple good thoughts there for me to try and will post to let you guys know how it comes out. Won"t be able to get to it until next Friday..
 
The 47 distributor comes off easy.Ive done it on the road side when a point spring broke.I have 2 Ford dist under the bench with broken point springs on the left side facing the distributor.First watch your ammeter while the engine is cranking.The needle should flick from 0 to 4 amps.If the needle stays on discharge you have a brokn point spring.Get rid of the 8 volt battery.All bulbs in the truck will have a short life only 25% of normal.Dash gauges and sending units will be short lived.If you have a radio it will be damaged.The distributor comes off easy, just remove the wire from the coil and 2 bolts, note rotor position and set it the same when you put it back in.There may be a resistor mounted on the coil.It was moved from under the dash in 1948.Ive found some Fords with no resistor and a few with 2.Ive owned 8 Flat head Fords.
 
Seems that posters who ask for help never come back and tell us if the problem was fixed.I type one finger, it takes time to post a message.
 
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