Engine: New GT owner with sprak plug wire routing problem

[62STUDEGT]

Hello everyone- I just bought a 1962 GT and I am just beginning to learn the wonderful world of Studebakers and I already screwed up.

It was running good but I changed the spark plug wires for maintenance and now it wont start. I changed them one at a time so I wouldn't screw it up but apparantly I must have started at the wrong tower on the new cap.

I used the routing diagram I found on this forum and installed the wires in the cap by counting towers in relation to the retainer clips. The problem I see is that my #1 cylinder tower is not directly inline with carb like the diagram shows but it is facing off to the right or passenger side.

Is it wrong to install the wires according to the retainer clips and should I assume the tower inline with carb is the #1 cylinder?

thanks for the help!

[Tom Bredehoft]

This isn't going to be as easy for you as it is for me to tell about.

Remove the left front spark plug, that's No. 1. Pull the coil wire from the center of the distributor so none will fire.

Place a finger on the hole of the spark plug you just removed and slowly bump the engine over until you feel pressure on your finger. Stop bumping the starter and watching the harmonic balancer and it's pointer, turn the engine until the TDC mark is under the pointer. (Turn the engine over by moving the fan belt in the same direction it turned with the starter)

When the pointer is at TDC, No. 1 is at the top of it's stroke. Pull the distributor cap and note which wire tower it is pointing toward. (It should be pointing straight ahead, but who knows what some previous owner did.)

Connect this tower with the No. 1 plug.

With the distributor cap off, note which way the rotor turns when you bump the starter. I forget. In any case, the next plug in firing order is in that direction from No. 1

Firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

Don't forget to replace the coil wire.

[Andy R.]

I feel your frustration. We've all had "improvements" that took some fettling to get just right.
Once you find #1, you'll be good to go.

The easiest way I know:
1) Rotate the crank until you see the TDC timing mark on the harmonic balancer below the fan.
2) Remove the distributor cap and note the position of the rotor tip. THAT position is your #1.

HTIH.

[62STUDEGT]

I pulled a plug and checked for spark- nothing. I took the new distributor cap off and found that there is no center electrode to make contact with the rotor- I got a defective part.

I installed the old cap and carefully reinstalled the wires and tried to start it and it fired a few times but then the battery was too run down to get it started.

It did sound like it was cranking harder than it used it too but probably because of the battery.

Will it hurt the engine if I'm tring to start it and the wires are still in the wrong position?

[StudeRich]

I pulled a plug and checked for spark- nothing. I took the new distributor cap off and found that there is no center electrode to make contact with the rotor- I got a defective part.

I installed the old cap and carefully reinstalled the wires and tried to start it and it fired a few times but then the battery was too run down to get it started.

It did sound like it was cranking harder than it used it too but probably because of the battery.

Will it hurt the engine if I'm tring to start it and the wires are still in the wrong position?

That should not do any major harm, but WHY do that?

Tom's post #2 told you how to fix the mis-wired problem, just DO it!


By the way, all Studebaker Engine Distributors rotate COUNTERCLOCKWISE.

[62STUDEGT]

I fixed it- I reinstalled the wires using the the cap tower directly behind the carb as #1 cylinder and now it runs great. Apparantly using the retainer clip on the cap for positioning purposes does not work because it was one tower off what it should be.

I thought I'd try this first before doing the TCD method because I don't have a helper to bump the starter.

One thing I did notice is exhaust only comes out the left side pipe for some reason. I suppose the right side could be plugged but it runs too good for that I think.

[StudeRich]

One thing I did notice is exhaust only comes out the left side pipe for some reason. I suppose the right side could be plugged but it runs too good for that I think.

It is a bad heat Riser on the Right Exhaust Manifold, between it and the head pipe.

The counterweight should be pointed FORWARD when open and UP when closed, it is siezed in the closed position or partially probably, and needs replacement.

[K-Hawk]

you can bump the starter yourself under the hood. look at the batter cables from the battery 1 the negative goes from the battery to the engine block. The other 1 the positive connect to a solenoid switch. 1 side is to the battery and the other side goes to the starter. between those 2 positive cables are 2 smaller wires pushed on little posts they go to your ignition switch and when you turn your key you join them together. with your key in the off position use a wire with alligator clips on each end clip one end to 1 side and touch the other clip to the other little post your engine will crank over. they make hand held switches too . This is a technique that you will use to adjust your valves and many other things. Be careful keep key off watch your hands. Google jumping a solenoid. Good luck with your GT. Very cool car.

[K-Hawk]

StudeRich can I block my heat riser open.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Yes, you can block it open.
The function of the heat riser is to rapidly warm the carburetor for cold weather operation.
The engine will run fine with the heat riser wired open, but it will take longer for the choke to open.
(It will also take it a little longer to get to the dreaded vapor lock condition, too)

StudeRich can I block my heat riser open.

[Tom Bredehoft]