I recently acquired a 1928 Chevy National that barn sat for 35 years. I have readied it to run by putting new gas and oil and fan belt. However, it won't start. I put a new battery in and am getting power to the coil and at the distributor but no spark at the plugs. Any suggestions for testing the distributor are appreciated since I know nothing about it.
Thanks!!

Did you try cleaning the points?

03452
Welcome to Chev Chatter.
In addition to Junkyard Dogs suggestion I would be checking that all electric connections are clean and tight. It would also be advisable to check that the carburetor fuel passages are clean.
Tony

Thanks for the suggestions! I did clean the gas lines but do not know how to clean the points. There is power in the distributor and they don't look dirty. I have been checking the electric connections but the wire insulation is disintegrating so I am sure there are shorts. A mechanic friend told me carbs are expensive so I haven't messed with it. My goal is to get it running!
Thanks!

Don't forget to oil the rockers and the valve springs! It isn't too expensive to clean the carb with a spray can of B-12 wear goggles and keep the B-12 out of your face! How about the Vacuum fuel pump? You should clean that too!.

You can clean the points with a small metal file. Either a regular point file or a finger nail file will work.

Thanks - I tried adjusting the points since there didn't seem to be any gap when I turned it over. Still won't start. The vacuum pump was long ago disconnected and replaced with an electric pump. I have not messed with the carb for fear of breaking it. I may have to call in an expert. I did oil the felt in the rocker section.

not related to the starting problem, but if it has been sitting for 35 years, I would remove the valve cover and oil everything up real good. I doubt oil on the felt will be enough.

Try gapping the points at about .018" when the rubbing block is on the high lobe of the cam. Also file the points because if they are dirty or corroded you will not have any spark.

If you have power to the distributor, with the points closed open and close them using a screwdriver by pushing back the movable arm. Do you get a strong spark or weak on at the point contacts? If weak try shorting between stationary and movable arms with the blade of the screwdriver. Get a stronger spark? If so the point contacts are dirty! If neither gives a strong spark, replace the condenser and check the coil. With good components you should get a blue "snapping" spark at the coil center wire or spark plug terminal end. Without that it will not run right.

Thanks all - there seems to be a problem with the fuel delivery. I poured gas into the carb and it started and actually ran a little. Also got rid of the mouse nest in the muffler!

Spoke too soon! Recharged the battery and when I went to try again nothing. Now it won't even turn over by hand! Please tell me it won't need a new engine! What next?

Before tearing apart the vacuum canister, make sure gas is getting to it from the gas tank and that there is indeed vacuum where the fuel inlet is. Run the car with the gas in the carb and check for vacuum.

The vacuum canister was long ago disconnected and replaced with an electric pump. It is still there but when I touched it the side caved in. Too damaged to use.

Ah, I see. Well a new fuel pump is a whole lot less than a 'new' vacuum tank.

Let's hope. In the meantime I have to get it turning over again.

Turns out a mouse nest got sucked into the cylinders so it's a cleaning job. Hopefully I can unstick it.!

Golly! I hope that there wasn't any mices killed or injured when the nest was sucked into the cylinder.

You gotta be careful what and whom you injure with those good for nothing infernal internal combustion engines that run on petroleum products and emit all of that carbon dioxide global warming gas.

One of the new Czars wrote a book about rats and mice having rights, and he advocated laws so that a laywer could represent mices done wrong and being able to sue the ones responsible, also he advocated that farmers quit extermininateing the poor creatures, and making the farmers share their crops with all the creatures that live on the farm, as they have rights to eat and dwell and potty in comfort since it is their land, too!

NO, thank goodness! The ones I found appeared to have lived a long and fruitful life and died peacefully, happily and comfortably in old age. They left a stash for the next generation which I will lovingly preserve and memorialize.
I just hope I don't get a visit from the rodent czar to determine if my icons meet government standard.

I think that you have shown that you are a kindred and careing person! Your 28 should be proud to have you for it's caretaker!

It isn't too much of a job to pull the cylinder head. It might be a good idea to squirt a liberal amount of PB Blaster around each head bolt and let them soak for a few hours before wrenching them. They tend to be softer than modern head bolts and need to be loosened and tightened carefully.

Thanks. I will soak it overnight. Will pulling the head off mean I have to re-adjust the valves? I don't have a lot tools to do this.

You can do a head removal , on the side of the road emergency, by keeping the pushrods in their original order and not messing with the rocker adjustment screw and lock nut, but the valves should be adjusted after the head is removed and replaced. I don't remember if the rocker shaft and towers have to be removed on a 4 cylinder or not in order to get to all the head bolts. If you mess up the head gasket you will need to have a new one handy. You will need a 1/2" drive socket set some boxend or combo wrenches from 3/8" to 1 1/2" and screwdrivers and a good set of feeler gauges and a few other basic mechanic tools to work on your 1928 Chevrolet. These cars were sold with a basic set of tools so that the new owner could do the ordinary maintenance duty and repairs a new owner should be expected to do. Screw drivers, open ended and adjustable monkey wrench, a hammer and a sparkplug wrench pliers and tire tools


VCCA membership will start you down the proper road to being a caretaker of a vintage Chevrolet...enjoy the trip!!!

Of course you have already sent in your application to join VCCA....haven't you?

By the way...If you join and our webmaster Old Billy Boy Barker enters your name in the VCCA membership database, You can have access to the VCCA Members ONLY section of this site and also to the electronic version of the G&D Classified adds before the magazine arrives at many locations...

Here is a partial list of Some vendors, but not all of them, enough to get you started, until you can get your VCCA membership completed and get a copy of the VCCA magazine G&D delivered.


Vendors for pre 1930 Chevrolet Parts:
Gary Wallace
The Filling Station
Stanleys Parts
Billy Possum's new Old Chevrolet Parts

Thanks for the tip.
Still sounds like a big job. I am just discouraged, two months of work to have it run for less than a minute then to have it look like I created another two months work. If I sell it I can have my garage back for the winter. I am beginning to understand why my father didn't touch it for 35 years. Ahh well, this too shall pass!

Our hobby is definitely a lesson in patience. Stick with it. I love my 28!

Nope - seized up. Looks like the winter will be spent rebuilding it. Yahoo.