Since we have an apparent thrown rod in the Celery Wagon, the car I used to
drive both in Panama and for quite a while here in the US (starting when I
shipped it to Panama in September 1984), we are trying to get the engine going
in the Gray Wagon, an early 1966 220, early enough that the VIN is not stamped
on the firewall. Inspection of the side of the engine revealed that it is a
496821, a B18D, probably the original engine. I installed oversize throttle
shafts in the carbs and otherwise fixed them up so they should be in pretty good
shape. The distributor cap had been off for a number of years but it seemed
to be in reasonably good shape other than a lot of dirt and spiderwebs in it.
Cleaned it out, got the points and condenser in good shape. I am pretty sure
that I have the timing set right and the wires in the right order. We got it
to fire a few times but it would not start for us. We checked the compression
today and found the dry readings (front to back) to be 60, 78, 90 and 90.
Then I shot a couple squirts of motor oil in each cylinder and got readings
of 85, 140, 160 and 158. The last two sound a bit high for a B18D but it might
be the amount of oil, carbon deposits, etc. The valves do have clearance so
I don't apparently have a partly open valve in #1.

But it still doesn't want to start. Although it does have spark it doesn't seem
very strong. My guess is that this engine has not run in about a dozen years.

I'm wondering if I should take the electronic ignition off the celery wagon
and see if that helps.

Your thoughts on that and other suggestions would be most gratefully received.

We'd like to put this engine into the celery wagon for Ben to drive to work.
His job starts Wednesday.

Meanwhile, ¿see you in Kansas City?
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!