Thread: Hard starting Flathead V8 Ford

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I already posted the car on another site so I don’t want to get into double posting. It is a1950 Ford; I bought the car with a 6volt system new battery 940 cold cranking amps. If it doesn’t fire right away something pulls the battery down to where it won’t even turn over. I like the car but I thought I was finished pushing cars, I'm too old to start pushing again. Could it be the starter, solenoid or what? I want to keep the car but I would like to be able to it shut off, and know I can drive it home. The other day I took it for a police check since it was from out of state, the policer office wanted to hear it run but it wouldn’t start. Any help would be appreciated.

Side note I don't know if it's my computer or if this site has been going down alot lately. I tried to post this earlier and when I hit submit the site went down.


Richard

As for the site issues it took a long time to return a reply to you on PM, maybe the server is suffering from PMS.

I'd check your grounds and cables, both for connection and corrosion first. Remember, corrosion can also migrate up/down a cable if there is a breach at either end of the insulation, so just cleaning the ends doesn't always solve the problem. After that the starter could be in the early stages of failing and having an excessive draw which could show as you've described.

Thanks, I’ll check the cables out first, it’s frustrating when a car won’t start.

I saw a post where a guy took a 12-volt battery and had it hooked up as a jumper. The pos. to the frame, the neg, to the solenoid the wire to another starter button that would spin the starter real fast since it wasn’t wired to the system it would not interfere. Every once in a while he would put a trickle charge on the 12-volt since it was only drawing. If I can get that entire procedure straight I may try that if the cables don’t help, His only warning was do not hit both buttons at the same time. He had his in the middle under the dash to prevent hitting it.

Richard

Your starter is drawing too much current. Take it to an old mechanic that knows his stuff and get it rebuilt right.

Thanks, I'll see if I can find a guy in my area, it's a small country town so someone should know. When I put the trickle charge on it, it would spin over but not for very long. With that big of a battery it should really spin. Are you saying the brushes, and armature needs attention? I have rebuilt generators but not a starter.

Two other things I'd check are the voltage regulator and the ignition switch. Either one being faulty can drain the battery in a heartbeat.

Thanks for the help, I was so excited waiting for the car to get here, I really like the look of the car. When you are ready to go and the car won't start it's a bi--h!!! I got tired of pushing cars when I was a kid.

Richard

New brushes and bushings and a turned armature should fix it, if the armature passes the "growler" test.

At Billetproof last Spring as we were leaving the hotel a guy was trying to get his '50 Ford to start. He must have cranked it for like 5 minutes and every once in a while it would sputter but not fire. I asked if he needed help and he said no, it does this every once in a while, especially in the mornings. I was surprised his 6V battery kept going that long, but it did. I think I remember some guys installing an 8 volt battery in these?

I think when I get around to building the flathead I got from Paul I am going to put some modern upgrades, like a better distributor, 12 volts, and an alternator. I remember from the old days these things can be cantankerous sometimes, and I'm like you, getting too old to push.

Don

I'll try the brushes first, and clean the armature, cables, and look it over.
Thanks for the help.

If I can't get it going soon I’ll just go with the 12-volt conversion. Don, on the way home from getting a police check, after which the car wouldn't start I thought it was low on gas so I stopped to put some fuel in. A guy was looking at my car and said he knew where one was for sale. I ended up buying a 4 door 50 Ford that is really nice, or I should say before the young guy wanted a chopped top. That car fires right up, when I went to see it the thing was spinning over like crazy, the guy had unhooked some wires that the previous owner had flamethrowers on. When we got the right wires on it fired up. I always wanted to cut a top but couldn't bring myself to make the first cut. This car is cut so now I'm going to make it a 2 door Carson topped car hopefully.

Richard

I do have to say that in my past I worked on and owned quite a few Ford flatheads. They are for sure not the best starting cars in the world with the 6V system - probably only just better then an old MoPar 6 flathead. Then let it get cold and/or damp......

Positive ground - and they do have to be clean and shiny, a well built starting motor - one that the end bushing or bearing(depends on the vintage) runs the armature true along with all four bushes being long enough so the (good/strong) springs hold them to the commutator hard enough - and that comm has to be clean, and true with no road grime, oil or mica showing. Then, you do have to have reasonably good compression with good valves plus a carb that is correct. These engines turn very slow in comparison to current engines so need every bit of help they can get. The best thing you can do is a 12V conversion but use a very good 6V starter - the windings are way heavy enough to handle the voltage increase though you may eventually see some pitting on the comm.

I'm thinking the 12-volt conversion would be the best way to go; I have been trying to get as much information as possible.

The old day's of generators, brushes, and having to clean the armature, cleaning the contacts, and adjusting them on the voltage regulator when they are sticking. Just to keep them going, we were always doing something. I paid for a running car I didn't think it was going to be like this. If I hadn't paid so much for the car I would just get a crate 350 and go modern.

I guess I forgot how the good old day's really were!!!

Your car is looking good in the Avatar.

Richard

Honest Charley used to sell a "series-parallel" switch that let you run two 6v batteries and switched to 12v to start. There were a few farm trucks around here that had a similar setup, worked great. Haven't seen one in dog years, though.

Take a look here - aren't cheap but will bolt up to a flathead intake:

http://www.powermastermotorsports.com/powergen.html

And don't forget - you have positive ground if OEM!!!!

I had a 51 with a hard starting problem and a rebuilt starter and new thick battery cables solved the problem.make sure you have good grounds too. Jeff