Chipper/Chip has a good guide for trouble shooting somewhere on the old forum. Maybe someone could post it here, I cant find it. You say the coil has spark how about the plugs? Starting fluid not working would seem to indicate no spark. I would verify the valves are not stuck from sitting.

Dave

Here's Chipper's electrical troubleshooting discussion on vccachat.org:

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/285347/re-1950-wont-start.html#Post285347

In addition to that, I suggest that you squirt a little automatic transmission fluid into each spark plug hole and let it soak for a couple of days before trying to start it again. The ATF will lubricate the cylinders and seep into the rings to help free them up if they are stuck.

Cheers, Dean

I think most of the members with the 194 have their spark gap set at .040 and the timing around 18 degrees BTDC. With fuel and spark you should still get it to fire regardless of the above settings.

Update on my journey to get her started.  Bare in mind, this truck was running about a year ago and had been sitting inside since my recent possession.

New 6V Coil

Plugs gapped to 0.025

Points gapped to 0.018

Cap and rotor like new, no cracks, wear or moisture

Firing order and wiring in order 153624

Rebuilt Fuel Pump

Would have rebuilt the carburetor side accelerator pump but parts are not available - just put a new cap on top (old one was severely destroyed)

Cleaned out the fuel filter bowl and replaced the fuel filter (screen type) - checked gas flow when carb was removed (fuel pump working)

Removed Carburetor, cleaned out bowl, replaced needle and seat and bowl gasket.  Used carb cleaner on exposed ports when carb bowl was removed.

*  See note after reading the following:

After all of this, the engine would not start.  Not even a pop (so to speak).  I then noticed the gas peddle accelerator rod was so sloppy, the gas peddle rod was not operating the carb attached brackets and the side accelerator pump unit (the 4" vertical type).  Actually, the gas peddle rod, being so sloppy in its operation, the return spring fell off.  The gas peddle, once depressed, stayed depressed t the floor board.  The carb was not getting any gas flow.  So I manually rotated the brackets, a few times, as if the gas peddle was requesting gas flow.  Once back in the driver seat, upon starting, I got a couple of pops, but no start up*.

So...this gas peddle accelerator 1/4" dia rod has no guiding bracket from the interior floor board it passes through, to the connection at the carburetor???  Due to a 3/4" hole in the floor board, this hole size allows a sloppy movement for the accelerator rod.  Checking the distance from the floor board to the carburetor, I find nothing in that distance to mount a guide bracket of some sort to keep the accelerator aligned with the operation.

Therefore, I have two thoughts on this sloppy accelerator rod operation.  1)  replace the original floor board and drill a 3/8" hole, try the operation of the rod and if necessary, enlarge the hole diameter little at a time until the rod works properly.  OR   2) instead of just drilling a hole in the wood floor board, install a Flange/Sleeve Bearing in the wood floor board to which the Bearing would have a 3/8" Inside Diameter for the 1/4" accelerator rod to function.

Anyone have Great Input on my delimma??

* Upon my manually by hand operating the gas peddle bracket on the carburetor, I noticed gas flowing out the "other side" of this bracket/accel rod attachment where the side accelerator pump is connected to that bracket.  See that picture below for where the gas is slightly leaking out as I rotate the bracket.

Granted, once the engine starts, the vacuum through the carburetor, most likely, would prevent gas leaking out at that side bracket I mentioned above.  But is this normal for the gas leakage here??

The slop in the accelerator pedal linkage is not your problem as long is the accelerator lever moves the throttle plate. Originally there was a spring, washer and cotter pin on the shaft end that fits into the hole in the accelerator arm. It will hold the foot button and rod in a fairly rigid manner.

Are you pulling out the choke on a "cold" start? If not do that as many need the richer mixture for the first start of the day. Typically the choke can be pushed back in just after it starts unless the temperature is below 60 deg F. Then it might take several seconds to begin to push it in. Since I use 0.040" spark plug gap I typically don't need any choke as the hotter spark will ignite a leaner mixture.

Your description points to lack of spark at the plugs. If a couple of quick shots of carburetor cleaner or starting fluid into the air intake does not produce at least a few pops spark becomes suspect number one. Have your wife, girl friend or favorite other hold the spark plug wire to any cylinder in one hand and put the other on the engine block. If after cranking the engine a couple of rotations and they are still friends or she didn't immediately call an attorney it is a spark problem. Well, maybe that may not be the best given today's relationships and tolerance. Instead of the first suggestion have someone probably yourself put on an insulated glove or thick dry towel or insulated pliers (on the insulated wire) and hold a spark plug wire end about 1/2 inch from a ground (spark plug base, clean metal part on the engine and have someone crank the engine over a couple of revolutions. You should get a spark jump the 1/2" and make a noticeable "snap" sound. 

See the electrical trouble shooting linkage in Rustoholic's earlier post. It should find the problem.

@junky 

Short answer is... yes.

If you are pumping gas into the carburetor with the accelerator pump, and there are no "seals" on the choke shaft, gas is going to weep out past the shaft.

Thanks Chip and Stovblt,

Yes, I have the choke pulled out as I have been trying to start the engine (its been 38 to 50F at times).  But remember, I don't think I'm getting gas through the carburetor.  Also tried the acceleration cable and the spark advance cable knobs, together, and independent and with the choke. No pops.  And yes, I have been inserting thin oil (MMO) into each cylinder before any attempts.  And I have been checking the plugs for oil or gas saturation.  Especially no smell of gas flooding in my attempts.

Bare in mind, the many times before this last attempt, I did not get any "pop" or as one would say, the engine did not try to start.  But once I noticed the accelerator rod (gas peddle) swayed to the side and the return spring fell of where it was "hooked" onto the edge of the exhaust pipe flange, the gas peddle was dead to the floor and did not return.  That's when I noticed how sloppy the "action" of the accelerator rod performance to the carburetor was a big concern.  Yes, there is little action to rotate that bracket but when the rod slides sideways, its not functioning properly (this I can fix).  And that's when I hand rotated the throttle bracket, also attached to the accelerator pump (this position being opposite from the accelerator rod attachment on the other side of the carb) about three times and this is when the engine tried to start but there was not enough gas flow.  As I inspected this design, the large hole in the wood floor board allows the rod to sway side to side quite a bit since there is no stabilizer of the rod between the floor board and the end bracket connection, for a forward action for that bracket to rotate properly.  Again, this I can remedy easily.

And before anything else, I will gap the plugs to 0.040 before any next attempt.

I have always had spark.  How much, without proper equipment, forced me to put on a new 6v coil just to be sure.  Again, the truck had been running previously.  Then the owner passed, the truck sat for about 10-11 months, individuals who knew nothing of this truck tried to start it (no avail) for its shipment to me.

The gas leakage due to the missing seal, as you pointed out, is now a main concern to me.

One last item, I downloaded the Chevrolet Wiring Diagram for the 1929 and I mapped out my wiring.  Mine is not wired exactly.  See the image below.  The wiring from the ignition switch to the coil, distributor and the ammeter is different from the Chev's wiring diagram (also in my diagram below). Since this truck has been running for a some years and I acquired it from the estate sale, I would, hate to say, "assume" my wiring is sufficient.  A future fix will be installing a battery kill switch with key.  And, the light switch fuse is ok.

I'll keep ya all posted on the update of my next attempt.  Thanks Guys, really appreciate it!!!

Just before I walk away, 01:10am, I'll pick up a compression test kit and check compression.  As we all know, you need spark, gas and compression to make it start.  Hopefully there is no stuck intakes.

A couple of thoughts if your other tests don't pan out. You mentioned the gas tank had gas in it. Unless you drained it, it has been sitting with the truck for 11 months and who knows how long before that. If someone replaced the solid copper plugs wires with suppression cables it can reduce your spark.

Good luck

Dave

Thanks Dave.

This I did not know.  So I just searched the difference between copper and suppression wires, which was very interesting, and that article I read brought me back to my early/young years when listening to FM radio in my bedroom and once in a while the static of a car's spark/coil came through the radio speaker.  It wasn't all cars going by, just the few that perturbed your listening for 3-4 seconds max.  I never thought of looking out the window to see what neighbor's car was passing by.  I do remember it more prevalent when it was wet outside (that's why I was inside listening to FM).

And I remember back in the 60's some spark plug wires where hard, not likely to bend, and cracked severely when you handled them roughly and then you had to replace those wires.  And I remember those hard type wires where very dirty when handling.  I forgot about those happenings.  Great memories (thanks for that - appreciated).

Oh yeah...The gas in the tank was about a quarter full (there's no tank float application) so I added about 2.5 gallons of premium.  Yeah, I should have drained it off...took a short cut that might have bit me in the ....

I'll check to see if my wires are copper core.  That can only help my dilemma issues.  Thanks!!!

That article:

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/77775-copper-core-plug-wire-vs-modern-suppression-plug-wires/

"When it rains, it pours!"

So today, upon re-gapping the plugs to 0.040, and putting a bit of MMO into each cylinder, and checking my spark plug wires to see if they are copper (they are not), I decided to tighten that "one" loose exhaust flange bolt that was so loose (it drove me crazy not touching it early on), the exhaust pipe swung back and forth, left to right.  And guess what?  I broke that bolt.  Oh, I been soaking that bolt connection with P Blaster each day for three weeks.  It's the one bolt forward towards the carburetor.  A more open area to attack from underneath.

So, this upcoming week I'll have to drill that broken 5/16 inch bolt out of the exhaust manifold flange.  Very slowly, with a quality drill bit and cutting paste.  And yes, from underneath laying on the floor.  I'm not going to chance removing the intake and exhaust manifolds in order to do this drilling on my work bench.  With my luck, I'd probably end up with some broken manifold bolts too!

My plan is to drill it out with a 1/4 drill bit then follow it up with a 5/16 bit so eventually I'll use a 1/4" bolt & nut through that exhaust flange.

Round two, coming up!

My "29" is running.  Took it for a short drive up and down my street.  Tranny works well.  I must get accustomed to the side "trigger pull" so I don't grind gears.  Oh...the memories came all back as to "No Power Steering".

First I noticed, the brakes went to the floor with a slight spongyness at the floor bottom and had to use the emergency brake lever to maintain backing out of the driveway.  Next step is to see it its only a brake adjustment or brake replacement.

THE STARTING ISSUE I was facing...although today she was giving me a pop or two when trying to start, the engine did not really engage to really try and start.  And I drained the battery very quickly.  Upon 1:15 hours the battery was back up to full charge (on a trickle charge) which tells me I have a decent battery to play with.  If the battery was on its last life, so to speak, the trickle charge would have taken many hours to achieve.

So..second attempt today, same as the first, the choke was pulled out all the way, instead of giving her three pumps of the gas pedal before starting**, I chose to hold the gas peddle to the floor.  She did the same as the first attempt and gave me again a couple of pops.  Don't ask me why I did the following.  I was sitting there thinking either the throttle advance knob/cable OR the spark advance knob and cable, I have not been using in all my attempts, so I chose the "spark advance knob" even as though I am not starting the engine with the hand crank.  She started right up!!  My thoughts on this happening is that her timing is slightly off.  Since I can get her started now, I will check her timing and advance her say 2 to 3 degrees.  Then see how she starts without the use of the spark advance knob.

*NOTE:  Previous to today's wonderous happening (engine, tranny and electrical is working) upon my future application of a guide bracket to limit the gas peddle accelerator rod from swinging sideways so much that the carb return spring disconnected and the gas peddle collapsed to the floor, I made a bracket in the shape of the letter "F" and was going to mount it at the front exhaust flange bolt to which I broke when trying to remove.  I knew my so called HFreight drill bits were not of great quality to use in the drilling out this bolt, so  I used commercial grade 1/4 and 3/8 bits to which drilled through quickly with great success.  With the application of new exhaust bolts AND the F bracket installed, the gas peddle accelerator rod now has limited side to side movement and the operation of the gas peddle operates and feels proper for its forward action from the depressing of the gas peddle to the carb (beautiful action).

With todays operation of events, I noticed the front headlights do not work.  Once I have my better half present, I'll check the rear tail light.  A few days back I installed a new tail light switch (it was missing) and adjusted it properly with the brake rod vertical plate for its operation.  When I mapped out this trucks existing wiring diagram, it did not fully match the 29 Chevrolet Wiring Diagram.  I'll check the headlight wiring in its housing first before I make the change to the 29 Chev Diagram.

I'll keep ya all posted on the next steps.  Any input is greatly appreciated folks!!!  right now I'm extremely happy with today's events

Junky, Glad you finally got it running. Sure is a pleasing experience to coax an old engine back to life and be able to drive the "old girl" down the road.