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hard to start

L

leroy crankshaw

New User
I have a 1950 ford 8n that is converted over to 12v and it is very hard to start. I have replaced the following.
ignition switch
starter solenoid
cap
rotor
points
condensor
coil
plugs
wires
wiring harness
alternator
does anyone have any suggestoins on what I can do to make it start easier? Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Well here's something you may not have thought of..is your starter good or is it drawing too much power and thus leaving the ignition low volted. The reason I suggest this is that my old Dodge truck started getting harder and harder to start, yet it had been tuned up properly...after several months the starter motor started to click before it would engage, I went to the auto wreckers and bought a used starter for $25 and installled it..the truck now fires up at the snap of the key..hasn't started this well in years...bad starter dragging too much juice out of the system and leaving none for primary coil and ignition!
 
Battery cable size is important as well. Using O gauge rather than the common #4 wire is best.
Auto parts and tool stores sell amp gauges that are just held against the wire they are checking. Starter Amps are easily in the 350 to 400 range, but if it pegs a 600 amp gauge, the starter is in desparate need. JimN
 
Mike is right. If you converted to 12V, you should have more than enough power to spin the starter faster. You can pull it and have it tested, if it's turning too slow. If it is turning fine but just not firing, you need to check for spark at the plugs, and maybe look closer at the fuel system, since it looks like you completely reworked the electrical side
 
By Hard To Start you mean it cranks over slowwwwwwww or that it cranks fine n plenty fast but just isnt starting??????

John T
 
Front or side mount distributor, makes a difference as to what you problem maybe. Hard starting could be a carb problem, spark problem, or engine compression. You need a spark that is a blue white spark and will jump a 1/4 inch gap. You also need fuel to the engine and you need at least 90PSI in each cylinder for one to run well
Hobby farm
 
Old is right. You may have replaced all good parts.
You need to diagnose the fault. Check the spark while cranking, check the plugs to see if fuel is available at the cylinders. I disagree on needing 90 psi to start, although a compression test could show a leaking valve which would increase starting problems.

You don't tell if it burns oil - worn bores
What oil? If it is non detergent it may have stuck rings. Spark can be superb, but if it is at the wrong time......

Could be something as simple as an air leak into the inlet manifold. Without proper details, who knows where to start looking.
RAB
 
When was the tractor converted to 12V?

When it was done there is a posiblity that they left the 6v coil in the tractor and put a balast resistor in the circuit.

If they put a balast resistor in and you put in a 12v coil that would make the tractor very hard to start. You could either remove the balast resistor or put in a 6v coil.
 
what about the condensor? does it matter if it is a 6v or 12v, before I done the tune up on it, it would start,but ran the battery down as the alt. was not charging, so I changed it out, after I did the tune up it would start just fine, with just a flip of the switch, the more I used it the harder it became to start.
 
What do you have the points set at??? On the front mount they need to be set at 0.015 and if you set them other then that that can make it hard to start
 
have exact problam. the voltage is to low at coil. put a jumper wire from coil to battery. crank it over with the starter. it will start and run until you unhook jumper and shut off key .my coil only had 7.84 volts when cranking and had a spark .but under compression did not.
 
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