I ran out of gas in my 1951 Clark Trucloader last year. I just pretty much left it alone over the winter because it was too cold to work in the warehouse most of the time or I didn't have to move anything. When I went to restart it, I noticed some swelling in the battery (we had some pretty hard, lengthy freezes here this winter) and it wouldn't take a charge. $100 later I have a new six volt battery installed but no signs of ignition. Pulled the plug wires and checked for spark with none present. I'm thinking to replace the condenser under the distributor cap and maybe the coil. Any thoughts on things to check?
The motor is a very petite continental n62. I need to do a complete tuneup on it but right now I'd just like to get it running to move some palletized material. It was running so well last year. It only has a thousand pound capacity, but it's been a champ.
No spark? Check condenser, coil, points. Check wiring to coil also. Is everything electrical making good contact? I take it that it turns over. Were there any other wires connected to the battery accidentally omitted when you replaced it?
How about the main coil wire that goes to the center of the distributor cap. Does it produce spark? Distributor cap OK?
I have one of these to help to see if I'm getting spark.
That's a good idea. I should check the coil wire to see if the electricity is even getting to the distributor. I'll run out there after the Simpsons are over.
I don't/can't work on modern electronic ignition vehicles but boy I sure do enjoy working on traditional systems. It's just been awhile since i've had to diagnose an electrical problem. Thanks for the advice.
Don't know about your beast. I had a 1942 Ford MPV (Ford's build of the Willys). I left it sit for a couple years. When I decided to get it going again it wouldn't fire either. The thing was bone dry on gas and the battery was shot. I got a new battery for it and put in fresh gas. Still no fire. Had good voltage coming from the coil so I knew that was good. I think 13.7v according to the meter.
Turned out being just points and condenser and it fired right up.
Small motor like you describe. I think it was called a hurricane flat-head 4.
Probably no more than 50 or so horsepower.
No juice coming out of the coil. I need to find my multi-meter.
I would take both wires off the coil and clean the contacts, after they are both firmly re-attached, disconnect the center plug wire on the distributer and hold the contact near a good ground and check for spark. If there is no spark, run a jumper wire directly from the + of the battery to the + on the coil. Check for spark. If still no spark, check coil resistance with an Ohm meter. Remember to disconnect the jumper wire, or you can burn up a set of points fairly quickly.
If your getting spark at the coil, but it still will not fire off, the contacts on the points may be corroded, or they may be stuck together. Tear the striker pad off a book of matches and fold it in half and use it to clean the contact face of the points. You can use the front of the match book to check the point gap. Generally a match book gap is good enough for most engines to run properly.
You could also clean the contacts on the rotor and distributer.
I would pour a little motor oil down each cylinder and turn it over for awhile with all the plugs out to make sure the compression rings are seating properly, this will also temporarily increase the compression , thus the vacuum, which helps in getting an old worn out engine to pull a solid cylinder of airfuel mixture.
If I remember correctly don't the smaller batteries require charging before use? Especially the ones that you have to add the acid yourself.
6 volt lead acid vehicle batteries are not smaller batteries, just lower voltage but higher amperage.
jud
Here is video of a 1945 model trucloader. Although it is very small, its specified weight is around 2300#.
[flash width=420 height=315]//www.youtube.com/v/nw97AVLn_KE?version=3&hl=en_US[/flash]
Looks very handy. What do you think you would pay now days for a new smaller fork lift? I bet a bunch more than one of those fully restored.
If the coil is bad, maybe you can hit up Uncle Paden for a new one.... Hell, why not just hit him up for a new Trucloader....
yuk-yuk-yuk...
Uncle Paden..
...has a lot of "stuff" in the abyss...but no 6v coils. Last 6 volt coil I had was a spare for a '49 Triumph Tiger. You wouldn't want it. It was manufactured by Lucas.
I did find the spark. Seems like I have a fuel flow problem. I ordered a rebuild kit yesterday. I got my parts washer working last week. I'll probably be hanging in the warehouse (barn) this weekend if it's not too cold.
I took the muffler off to get a little more working space when dealing with the carburetor (which is a zenith updraft carb). I found a rust-through hole on the far side of the muffler but Nelson Muffler is still in business so I hope to find something similar to replace it with.
I also figured out that the original battery is a 6 volt 3EH, which is a rectangular shaped battery about twice as long and half as wide as a normal battery. I think I can order one through tractor supply or the local parts store.
A bit off topic, but...the first vehicle I owned was a 1951 Dodge 1/2 ton pickup with a flat 6, 232 c.i. or thereabouts. (I believe there was a 218 c.i. available, too.) I got to know that engine pretty well, and was always surprised that I could buy parts for it at my local auto parts store. One day I asked if it was unusual that such an old motor still had good parts availability, and the guy behind the counter told me it was because that same basic motor was still being used in industrial applications.
A few years later I was working in a tomato cannery driving a forklift. One day I had to take my lift into the factory shop, and I saw that all of the lifts in there were rockin' that same Chrysler motor. It didn't put out much power, but it was a reliable power plant.
