It Lives!

In my quest to get the engine running and really get the project rolling, I encountered many obstacles, though in reality, they are merely just bumps in the road. The story of the rust being sucked up from the tank and fowling the engine was proven not true. In checking the carb, crud never got past the float chamber. During the compression test, I determined that I was getting fuel to the cylinders but was getting no spark at the plugs...

The Ignition Coil

The first suspect was the coil. I checked for voltage to the coil and was happy to find out that I had the juice. I usually use my trusty Fluke Meter, but I didn't have it on hand so I used my cheap as sin Harbor Freight $2.00 meter. I tested from side to side and got what I saw on the internet as being the correct reading.

Outside Winding (yah I know it's still connected)

When I checked the inside winding, I got no reading, signifying bad coil. I found that NAPA said they had one in stock right across from the shop. When I went to the shop, they said the online catalog was unreliable and they didn't have one. This really set me back a week because I was planning to use it that day. They could get one shipped in but it would take a few days. I queried Autozone, and got a puzzled look from the worker. It was in their system, though no part number, and they couldn't get it. I checked O'Reilly and they had it at a depot and could get it the next day. O'Reilly wins!

On picking up the part, the connections were different and I dreaded having to replace the connectors so I tested the unit. Low and behold it tested the same! I scratched my head for a few minutes and then re-tested. Being used to my fluke, I wasn't used to not having an auto-range and when changing to a higher range, I was able to get a reading. When I re-checked on the existing coil, it read good as well as seen in the below picture.

Inside Winding

With the coil checked, I proceeded to the next step, the distributor. It was in good condition, and I quickly (about an hour) realized that the point wasn't properly set. I took it off, cleaned it up and then the shop owner offered some help as they were slow. I tried setting the points where I though they should be and my friend said I was close and fine tuned it.


My friend suggested we check the firing order, we changed the plug wire around and that didn't work. He then suggested putting it back and squirting some gas in each cylinder. I complied and...



I turned the key and it started up like a champ! No sputtering, no odd noises, just the warm purr of a kitten. We adjusted the timing and let it run for 20 minutes, just to make sure all was well and the juice hadn't been the cause of it starting. Later that day, my friend suggested trying to start it again and I was reluctant to tempt fate, but I complied. It started right up without issues.

It Lives, the 6 second clip of the engine RUNNING!


Please excuse the mindless dribble of words coming out of my mouth, I was still in awe. We were talking about the unconnected part on the valve cover. Now, with the engine running, I am forced to the next stage. Cutting out the rotten rocker panels...