1952 Plymouth Cranbrook

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Check your timing with a test light on the points?

That's where Im going next, static time it with a test light. Just needed to come in and clear my head for a minute and refresh my memory on the procedure.

Ok, we have fire! Static timing was way out, there are 2 adjustments, the adjustment plate bolts to the bottom of the distributor and then that plate bolts to the motor to hold the distributor in place. It can be adjusted at the motor (standard timing setting) or at the bottom of the distributor. When I disassembled the distributor I marked it on the bottom and put it back the same way, but when put back in the car like that there was not enough range at the motor side to even set the static timing. I can only guess I screwed that up somehow but then again I also had to re-bend the hard line to the vacuum advance in the new location so who knows.

Either way it fires, or tries to at least, there's signs of life now. The carb is junk, Im just using a spray bottle to shoot fuel down the carb throat for now so that's part of the issue, and more fuel is leaking out the throttle shaft bushings than is getting to the motor.

I imagine the timing needs a bit of tweaking as well but its close now.

Finally circling back around to this. Been up to my ears in asphault adventures stuff and the day job. We finally came to the realization the motor in the car was crap, there was just too much damage done when it seized. As luck would have it a local rodder was dropping a whole drivetrain in his 51 Plymouth so he sold us the engine, trans and rear end for $200.

This weekend the car's owners cars owners showed up to tear into her. In the last day and a half we swapped motors and transmissions with a lot of little things to sort out along the way but last night the motor fired up and ran. Today we finished the transmission install and some other bits and she moved under her own power and bonus the brakes still work so she stopped.

Next up we need to rewire the whole car, we are going to run all new brakes anyway and probably upgrade to a dual circuit system, drop the fuel tank and clean everything and I have to make a new exhaust. Big move forward though. The owners are hoping to have it ready for the AA Explore the Shore 2014 rally at the end of September so still a lot of work to do. After the rally they hope to drive it back to GA.

Just a quick snapshot of the transplant in action:

I didn't help much beyond handing off tools; that thing is twice my age and I was totally out of my element. She is, however, still a handsome old gal...

The is cool. I have a friend that has one, his wife's grandfather bought it new. His is not restored and looks it but it's a cool survivor, runs and drives.