Engine: Champion 1948 first start after 50 years

[Jos]

I am restoring a champion 1948. After several attempts it started and run smoothly. I had first to figure out that the plus was on the chassis. Also the voltage on the coil was to low only 4 volts. So I connected a wire direct from the min to the coil. And suddenly it run. But there was something strange. When I tried to stop the engine I disconnected the plus from the battery and it kept running. After a wile it stopped there was no gas anymore. How is it possible it kept running when the plus was disconnected. I have bypassed the ignition switch with a direct wire to the coil.

[bensherb]

Depending on how you jumped it or how messed up the wiring might be, it may be running on the generator and not the battery, so once started it doesn't need the battery anymore, because as long as the generator keeps turning it continues to supply power to the coil.

[Jos]

That will be probably the reason. So I have to cut the wire to the coil to stop the engine.

[jclary]

My terminology might be incorrect, but I believe there are two options in how a battery is is integrated into the electrical system. If it is in "series," it is required for the engine to keep running. If it is parallel, it is Part of the system but mainly used to start the car. Once the car is running, the battery is maintained, but the system is sustained by the generator/alternator. If the generator fails, the regulator will switch over to the battery and draw it down until the battery can no longer sustain enough power to run the engine.

I have vehicles that will not run with the battery disconnected. I think all my vintage vehicles will run with the battery disconnected. Of course, none of them will "crank" with the battery disconnected.

[nvonada]

The battery is always in parallel with the generator/alternator. The fact that it kept running is good. That means your generator is working. Disconnecting the coil wire is what you want to stop the engine. That is why it is called an ignition switch. And don't leave it sitting with the coil wire hooked up and the engine not running.

When your car was new there was an "armored" cable (wire run through a flexible metal conduit) running from the dash key switch to the coil terminal. Does that still exist? If that is where the 4V was coming from you either have a bad connection, bad switch, or there is a ballast resistor in the circuit. My 41 did not have a ballast resistor but the 48 might have. If so then there is a terminal on the starter solenoid that should be connected to the coil. That wire's job is to provide full battery voltage while the engine is cranking for an easier start. Then once the engine starts it will run on the reduced voltage through the ballast wire/resistor.

Nathan

[kxet]

Had a battery cable come off while driving at night, we were moving about 30 and bump bounced car and the heater revved up, lights got bright. Driver stopped and we found cable off, battery was under seat. It was and old 39 Desoto. They will run w/o battery but can cause damage.