1957 won't turn over

Oceanaris

Oceanaris

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Joined
Oct 28, 2022
Thunderbird Year
1957
I just received my '57 and it won't turn over. Battery is good and the starter is working I can smell gas after several pumps of the pedal. It caught once for just a second and then died.

It turned over fine yesterday. I drove it to and from a meeting. Engine runs fine when it is running. It's the starting that's the issue.
 
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You can omit the make & model of your car in the subject since we are an all Ford Thunderbird site. Edited.
 
I just received my '57 and it won't turn over. Battery is good and the starter is working I can smell gas after several pumps of the pedal. It caught once for just a second and then died.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Turning over and firing are two different things. If the starter spins the crankshaft that is turning over. If it doesn't fire it's most likely ignition issues as you have fuel and compression.
Try bypassing the coil resistor. The ignition switch bypasses it in the starting mode but then uses it in the run position. If its defective it will fire when cranking but instantly die when in the run mode.
 
I just received my '57 and it won't turn over. Battery is good and the starter is working I can smell gas after several pumps of the pedal. It caught once for just a second and then died.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Most likely flooded carburetor... check if the vehicle turns after keeping the gas pedal pressed and the butterfly valves open to let it breath... if it starts after this, you need to replace the main inlet needle which stops the reservoir to fill, holding the float.
You need to keep it breathing for at least 10 minutes... so you may want to do it at the carburetor directly. Also, you may want to strangle the gas hose to stop the supply, just to confirm no flooding happens.
 
I just received my '57 and it won't turn over. Battery is good and the starter is working I can smell gas after several pumps of the pedal. It caught once for just a second and then died.

It turned over fine yesterday. I drove it to and from a meeting. Engine runs fine when it is running. It's the starting that's the issue.
A small thought: given that you said you “just received” your ‘57, I wonder whether you’re familiar with and following the starting procedure recommended in the owner’s manual? (Picture attached). Just a thought.
D480DF4F-4A9B-44AA-85E6-E30FD5F9BF1A.jpeg
 
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Take a voltmeter to your positive coil terminal and make sure you're getting 12v to it. Check your plugs, and make sure power is getting to the distributor firing and your timing is not off. If all is good on spark then time to check the carb and make sure the float is not stuck on the primary. As stated, push the gas pedal all the way to the floor and crank. Don't pump it if you are flooding out. You using an electric choke or heater tube off the intake? Diagnose through each system..starter...electrical and spark.. then fuel delivery. Good luck
 
Most likely flooded carburetor... check if the vehicle turns after keeping the gas pedal pressed and the butterfly valves open to let it breath... if it starts after this, you need to replace the main inlet needle which stops the reservoir to fill, holding the float.
You need to keep it breathing for at least 10 minutes... so you may want to do it at the carburetor directly. Also, you may want to strangle the gas hose to stop the supply, just to confirm no flooding happens.
I would not suggest “strangling the gas hose” for you can damage the rubber hose, especially an old/original hose, which may lead to a failure, maybe fire!
 
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It sounds like you are saying that the engine won't start, but that the engine is turning over.
Is that correct? If so, we could write a book on that early bird's problem.
Please respond and perhaps we can help you.
 
Crankshaft rotates, fan rotates, starter good, battery good. It is not getting combustion, it seems.

Got it to turn over after a dozen tries and it ran for @ 3-4 minutes in idle and died. Getting soot out the tailpipes.
 
Crankshaft rotates, fan rotates, starter good, battery good. It is not getting combustion, it seems.

Got it to turn over after a dozen tries and it ran for @ 3-4 minutes in idle and died. Getting soot out the tailpipes.
Those were the exact symptoms when my coil resistor went south. It first started while warming up in my garage and just flat out died. was able to restart but would just die unexpectantly or get intermittent ignition.
The vibration of the engine would break the connection in the resistor. Wiggle the wires and it would run again. Once I replaced the resistor I have never had another problem.
 
Not "turning over" is you turn the key to start positon and nothing, or only a brief click sound happens. Nothing more. no rrrr rrrrr rrrrr rrrr from the starter motor. "Turnover": you turn the key to start position and the engine goes : rrruhr rruhr ruhr ruhr as the starter motor rotates the flywheel and thus the crankshaft and the engine "turns", this is also called "cranking", it may or may not "start"when it goes vroooom and maintains a long vrooooooooooooom and "runs" which is when it runs. But it may "fire" when it tries to run--this is also "combustion") and then the engine may run in some fashion: it may splutter, or vibrate, or chug chug chug, or plooga plooga plooga, or p-ka, p-ka, pka: or it may "run" smoothly, or run in any of the aforemention sound versions, and then stop running (die-quit-stop= silence). When "turning over" rrrrrr rrrrr rerrrrrr, but not yet "running" (vroooooooooom) it may momentarily seem to "run", or may spit back (pip pip !!) or it may backfire (blam !) . That is not running, it is "turning over" and is "firing". "Firing" is not yet "running". It can fire on 1 to 8 cylinders and any number in between, and "run", but not operate smoothly. (vrooooooooooom) "Running" is not yet operating normally and smoothly, coming to operating temp, choke coming off and rpm slowing to a smooth and normal idle rpm (which is not the chugga chugga chugga) , for which: Air, fuel, spark: each in the right amount, at the right time. Chuga chugfa chugfa is not normal, backfire blam !) and spitting back (pip pip pip) is not normal, black-blue-white exhaust AFTER first start and run is not normal. RRRR, RRRR , RRRR from the stater crankng but no firing, and thus no start is not normal. Clakety Clakeyt bang bang clakety is not a normal sound, nor is ting ting ting ting, or rrrr rrrrr rrrrrr BOOM. Electrical smelling smoke, or orange-yellow-red flames are not normal. As to the specific question..from description, it sounds like it is flooded from too much gas (smell gas, black exhaust--runs good (vrooooom) once running. Try a start assuming flooded from first try---pump twice, hold gas pedal to floor and crank (rrrrr rrrrrr rrrrrr rrrrr) for quite a while and see if you get a start (vroooooooom). it may take two to three long tries...if it starts you have proven flooding is the issue--then have to find out why the flooding, as others have suggested. Hope that helps.
Nico
 
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