Hi Frank...

Forget all prior messages.
Your point about condenser got me to checking that.
It is a small rectangular condenser inside the distributor.
Well the screw holding the condenser tight (I and assume grounding it) was not tight.
Tightened it up and all seems well....

This could explain why previously idling the engine would sometimes rev down and after a 10 seconds it would re-rev to previous point.

And Sundays 50 mile run must have giggled it free ever more.....
More test drives next weekend....

Thanks
Guy


YOur

Hi Guy.....

Might be a good idea to change that condenser. The square ones probably haven't been made for 50 years!

Condensers can go bad just from setting on the shelf.

You can adapt an external condenser like used of the 1929 and up Durants. Still available from NAPA part number AL-38

Enjoy the ride!!!

Frank ---

Where Are You From? Hookstown, Pennsylvania

Do You own a car built by Durant? 17 Durant & Star cars and a Durant-Dort buggy (one horse power)

Frank and all :

Well problems are not solved.

Went for gas and groceries (10 miles flat land), no problems.
After supper, took it up my test hill (named Judah creek Hill, 6% grade 2+miles long), .... total failure 1/2 way up the hill while doing regular 22mph in 2nd gear.
Got turned around and with sputtering car made it back home.
At this point, at home runs as badly as when I first asked for help.

Next Step (May 20th)
Condenser :
I am lucky, I happen to have 2nd rectangulsr condenser... I put this in car this afternoon and everything seems to run well (in shop). I.E. starts great at retarded spark, sounds healthy at sweet advance spot, shows steady 20 lbs vacuum and revs up at will.
But I have ordered the condenser, AL-38, as suggested from NAPA.
Took car up my Judah Hill and around town with no problems.

Next Step (put put put sound of exhaust ie. Bill Hoaglan):
Checked my valve clearances and found 3 with zero clearance, others with 6 and 10 thou.
Adjusted valves to 8 thou clearance and restarted... put put put has subsided.

Next Step : compression
Dry : #1-50 #2-45 #3-45 #4-55 lbs.
Wet : #1-52 #2-46 #3-47 #4-56 lbs.

So with new coil (9,900 OhMS in lieu of old with 5,000 OHMS, new condenser, and with adjusted valves she climbs my Judah Hill no problem... 25 mph and when I get back home, the plugs are no longer black but looking like no residue of an kind.

Planning another 50 miles drive for tommorrow. Should be a better 50 miles than last time....

For your greater knowledge.... snow is Peace River today... won't need my snow chains but will need a warm skidoo suit. OH Canada !!!

Tx to all

Guy

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1926 - W5 Model M

Guy,
Have you ever had good pep with your engine since the rebuild 700 miles ago? 45 PSI compression seems low to me...We had a thread some time back that seams quit similar to the problems that you are having...Go to the search above and enter "Carl" not by keywords but by author, the topic is "Performance problem w-5" scrole down to the begining, also be sure and read his topic "performance problem w-5 problem solved...I don't know why the thread no longer comes up by keywords.

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA / Yuma, AZ

Do You own a car built by Durant? '23 Durant Touring / '29 model 40 coupe