need help w getting spark

[Piper]

A bit of history on our Mk2. It was badly vandalized and all gauges, switches are broken/smashed. The distributor caps are good and we're in the process of redoing the wire ends that attach to the plugs. Today we replaced the 8 spark plugs. We'd like to do is see if the motor will fire and then go from there. With the new battery and fixed starter, the engine turns and we get compression as listed below.
cyl 1 - 30
cyl 2 - 0
cyl 3 - 0
cyl 4 - 85
cyl 5 - 90
cyl 6 - 60
cyl 7 - 0
cyl 8 - 0

Not promising values. The carrier has sat since 1985 outside, unprotected. We did dump about 4 or 5 ounces of diesel into each cylinder a month ago to loosen things up so we're hoping that the pressure will improve. I'm doubtful especially with the 0 cylinders. I'm wondering about a few things.
1. can we simply 'jump start' this carrier as the wiring is so bad? If so, how?
2. are there suggested parts within the distributor that we should automatically replace?
3. are these parts commonly available? (we do have all 3 manuals fyi)
4. we haven't done a leak down test on the cylinders but are there common problems that occur we could look into?

This carrier belongs to our local legion and if we can get it running, even poorly, then we're going to do a fund raising campaign in order to pay for the work needed. We feel that a running carrier will be more attractive to donors.

Any info appreciated.

Cameron

[Rob Beale]

I have the same problem having just done the water pumps. Our carrier has sat unused for about 2 years inside. I got it running but it didn't sound right, so I shorted out the spark plugs one at a time with a big screw driver - many of them made no difference to the running, but some caused it to die.

I'm waiting for the "Team" to look at it. Removal of the Intake manifold gives access to the valve stems and guides.
more later!

Rob
LP2

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Rob Beale

I have the same problem having just done the water pumps. Our carrier has sat unused for about 2 years inside. I got it running but it didn't sound right, so I shorted out the spark plugs one at a time with a big screw driver - many of them made no difference to the running, but some caused it to die.

I'm waiting for the "Team" to look at it. Removal of the Intake manifold gives access to the valve stems and guides.
more later!

Rob
LP2

Rob..
The one's you shorted out and caused the engine to die are working ok..Sometimes the heat of the running engine will loosen up the others..
But pulling the intake manifold off will give you access to the bottoms and you may see that the valve stems are rusted.. and sticking..
The valve springs close the valves so sometimes a good squirt of penetrating oil will free them up ..
Try prying them up off the cam after spraying..The valve spring will put the pressure to on them to close them..It may take some frigging around and some more penetrating oil..Make sure after you get them all freed up..wash everything into the sump with diesel fuel and drain well and wash again with some new engine oil and drain that and then put your new engine oil in that you are going to run with..
Turning the engine over by hand with the plugs out will be good for the valves to loosen them up..

[rob love]

I would agree with Alex about the valves. If you can get the motor to run, the heat might help. But if you run it too long with a stuck valve, you will burn the valve or worse yet the seat. You can free the valves either from the intake, or by removing the head and giving them a little tap each time they don't go down. After doing this a dozen or so times, they will free up. Best bet is to only tap them while the opposite valve of that cylinder has fully risen to the top.

To jump the carrier, run a small jumper wire for power (negative) to the neg terminal of the coil. The positive side of the coil (positive is the ground on these old fords) connects to the points. Is your coil the one right on the distributer, or the one mounted up top of the engine?
You can do this with 12 volts for a short time if you respect that the coil will not be happy in the long term. Otherwise, you will want to reduce the voltage to the coil by either using a 6 volt battery, or else a resister inline to the coil to drop the voltage. The starter will handle 12 volts without a problem.

Check for spark while the engine is turning over. In all likelihood though, you will have to, at a minimum, replace the points. As a temporary fix, you can lightly file them until they are clean.
The points generally aren't found at NAPA or Cdn tire anymore (although NAPA seems to come or go when it comes to some of these vintage parts) . A place like MACs, or any of the Ford vintage supply houses, can fix you up with new points.

If your coil is the one mounted directly to the distributer, for the longterm, look at replacing it with a new one, or installing one of those kits that let you use a newer coil. If it is one of the coils mounted independently over the head, you can still get those through Cdn tire.

Good luck with your motor.

[Ledsel]

Sometimes you can free up the valves through the spark plug hole. But don't get too violent. Tap the valve that you can see with a screw driver, if you can't see the valve it's not far. I've used a bent screw driver and felt for the valve. First take out the plugs and turn over the motor and see witch ones aren't moving and go from there. You may have to repeat this a few times. If you have compression in that many cylinders it may start like that and that will warm it up and loosen the others. If it starts there is no need to rev it up too much as that won't give the stuck valves time to operate. Good luck. That good damp Ontario air is great for sticking valves in the old flatheads. Mine used to sit sometimes for a few years and they were always sticking. Since I brought it out west I haven't had any trouble at all.

[Ledsel]

Send us some photo's. love to see it. I don't remember seeing one in huntsville. Then again I don't remember much.