Posted by Greg Coffin [172.68.3.22] on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 22:42:43 :
In Reply to: Crank pulley confusion posted by David Sherman [172.71.151.120] on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 00:19:43 :
Like you say, machines hate to sit for long periods of time, especially where it's damp. Rust sneaks in everywhere. My guess is nothing catastrophic has happened, and I doubt the engine timing is off, but it's possible. More likely the valves are stuck open.
Here's a quick check list of things that come to mind:
- Pull the spark plugs and squirt a shot or two of engine oil into each cylinder. They are very dry by now and need some lube.
- Rotate the crank and see if all the valves are moving. If one is stuck open squirt some Kroil in the opening. It may take a couple applications and a day or so, but it may be enough to loosen up the valve.
- Rotate the engine a lot to work the cam and lifters, which will help the valves drop.
- Clean the points (even if you have decent spark)
- Dump a shot or two of gas down the carb. It's better than ether.
Hopefully this will work for you. I've found that 99% of these old flatheads just want to run. If you can get them even close to spec, they will almost always fire. If you get weird chuffing through the carb or exhaust the engine timing is probably off, and it's time to dig deeper.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
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