It sounds like there may be dirt is the bleed air or emulsion air, if it is not float level.
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Will not start
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It was the idle mixture/idle speed. One pump to set the choke this morning, and it fired up immediately. I think it's possible that I set their relationship backwards and was pulling fuel from two circuits when I was trying to start the engine.Last edited by MrBulldops; 11-09-2017, 12:41 PM.
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One of the best ways to adjust the choke valve is to get the engine up to operating temps. Loosen the 3 screws and rotate the valve to "just" movement of the valve in the rich setting. Forget the notches on the choke cover. That spring, or any spring may have lost its sprung...
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Well, as it turned out--and as expected--my fortune was temporary. I ended up running a high idle when hot again, so I adjusted it, and then I flooded out cold starting again. Tug of war continues...
I decided to replace my carburetor body with one that has a larger bore than the one that came with my car. Starting was easier, though not perfect--still the choke, I think. I started out on the center notch, but the spring holds the choke plate firmly shut, so I tried it on the leanest setting--though getting a nice, smooth low idle required significantly less adjustment; I'm only about a turn (360 degrees) out, and the throttle has no play in it (the one that came with my car is a little sloppy, though I didn't realize by how much till I got this one to compare it to). Acceleration feels smoother also.
I'll follow up once the engine is cold again and see how the starting goes.
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Well, I'm at a total fucking loss. Been grinding away at my starter now for twenty minutes trying to get this car started, and it's impossible. Same symptoms as before: choke/no choke, nothing; one pump or more, nothing; air filter on or off, nothing. Every time, it sounds like it's trying, but it never seems to get there. If by some miracle I get it started, I know it'll run perfectly after it's warmed up; it always does.
The list of replacement parts is now:
-Battery
-Coil
-Condenser
-Solenoid
-Regulator
-Ballast resistor
-Plug and coil wires
-Plugs
-Carburetor re-re-rechecked and body replaced
-Fuel filter
-Fresh tank of gas
I'm starting to think the problem is inside the engine now.
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Wishing you the best. There's something 'bout these cars to make even the most educated, and experienced feel dumber than a box of hammers! It keeps us from becoming too "high minded" to try to assist and help others with their problems.
My Business Coupe has kicked me in the shin several times. The latest, is that the last rotor button I bought seems to slide down on the distributor shaft and lose contact with the carbon conductor inside the distributor cap. The usually reliable little engine refused to hit a lick. After a very frustrating exercise in checking/re-checking all the wrong things...I finally walked away in disgust, and didn't touch the car for weeks. After (too long) a period, feeling guilty for allowing a couple inches if pollen, bee crap, bird droppings, to accumulate, I tried again to resolve the issue.
After an overnight battery charging, I hit the start switch and it still wouldn't fire. This time, I took my cheap in line spark tester and replaced the coil wire with it. Sure 'nuff, there was no spark! I removed the distributor cap, pulled off the rotor button, and barely placed it on the distributor shaft. Then, I put the distributor cap on, letting it push the rotor button down. This way, it stayed in contact with the cap. When I pressed the start switch the champion fired before making a full rotation!
This has happened before, but I had forgotten. I have not really cured the problem, and it will probably happen again. The first time it happened, I tried to shim the rotor, but, in that attempt, I discovered how easy it is to crack the brittle Bakelite plastic of the rotor buttons. We've all heard the expression..."Live & Learn," but many of us have lived long enough to ''LIVE & RE-LEARN," only to forget and repeat the process.John Clary
Greer, SC
SDC member since 1975
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Originally posted by jclary View PostWhen I pressed the start switch the champion fired before making a full rotation!
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White smoke is common with a bad head gasket. As the engine warms up, The leak may seal itself. Pulling the spark plugs after cranking it over cold might show a wet, coolant fouled plug.Tom Senecal Not enough money or years to build all of the Studebakers that I think I can.
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Originally posted by tsenecal View PostWhite smoke is common with a bad head gasket. As the engine warms up, The leak may seal itself. Pulling the spark plugs after cranking it over cold might show a wet, coolant fouled plug.
Incidentally, when I replaced my voltage regulator the other day, I got flickering lights and a slight idle drop which cleared up if I isolate the regulator from the frame. When I hooked the old one back up, same issue. Strange, since it was mounted to the frame when I bought the car, and I never had an issue before.
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While troubleshooting, I noticed that the ground reading between the motor and frame ran between 1 and 15 ohms. An inspection revealed that the ground strap on the passenger side was missing. The bolt and a connector were there, but no wire. I used a 6 gauge 12" switch cable and mounted it to the frame point and then to the motor mount bracket above it. Readings are now less than 1 ohm measured anywhere along the frame. The battery is grounded directly to the motor near the oil filler. Not sure what effect this will have on my starting issues, but I've been surprised by less.
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Well, she fired up perfectly this morning. High idle is a little too high though, so that'll need to be addressed. No white smoke either, so it's pretty clear that smoke was fuel related and not a head leak.
But it's not over yet...
If I ground my new regulator, the voltage measured at battery is 15.5v; a little high. If I isolate it, 12.7v. Obviously the battery doesn't get charged when the regulator isn't ground, but if it is grounded, all of my lights pulsate, and my idle is affected. When it is isolated, they remain steady. Is it possible my new regulator is a dud, or could I have a problem elsewhere?
To review:
Replaced battery
Replaced battery cables
Replaced coil
Replaced ballast resistor
Replaced solenoid
Replaced distributor cables
Replaced spark plugs
Replaced condenser
Grounded engine to frame (0.1-0.5 ohms, head bolt to frame)
I'll omit the fuel system work since it's pretty clear this has been an electrical issue all along
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