Part 15: Chevrolet Stovebolt 6 Ignition System - 1948 Chevrolet

Join me as I get the lighting system in place.
Listening to Kansas while doing so is recommended.
I command the lightnings hand!

[@SeanChristianStudios]

Thanks for all the videos, man! My favorite channel so far when I'm in a rut working on restoring my '46 pickup.

[@TheJayhawker]

You guys are the only reason I do it! Thanks for watching

[@jameswalker8832]

Man after watching this video I think my 235 is 180 degrees off. Which I believe explains my crank no start situation.

[@snowking55]

Great video, I just preformed the same procedure on my 36 pickup today, and it works! You're videos are helping quite a bit, thanks Jay.

[@carolynbatta9525]

Wonderful….my 235 is very grateful! Now I need a complete class on the dreaded valve adjustment…please. Steve

[@russelltrupia4479]

I always look forward to your videos, great content and info. Great job.

[@TheJayhawker]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@russelltrupia4479]

@@TheJayhawker I would like to see that first drive

[@redneckwithajeep5001]

Dad gave me a good way to remember the firing order for these things some time ago 15 too young 36 too old 24 just right I can't remember what it is on a small block Chevy to save my life but by God I've got it down for a 6 cylinder lol

[@TheJayhawker]

Things could possibly get a little more creepy with v8. 18-43-65-72! lol

[@Geyservillespeedshop]

Thank you for this! father in law got a 34 master, and whoever had it before didnt have the distributor set in right, appreciate the video not a lot of info out there for us youngings lol!

[@TheJayhawker]

You are the reason I'm doing it! Thanks for watching, much more to come!

[@Geyservillespeedshop]

@@TheJayhawker just finally got her fired up! watched all your stovebolt videos thanks again!

[@TheJayhawker]

@@Geyservillespeedshop Great! and congratulations!

[@shotgun161]

So I got a 62 c20 with a 235. Just got it few weeks ago got it running then today I found I have no spark. Found that the wire from starter is on the neg part of the coil and the positive terminal is on my distributor now how was it evern running? And did it take out my coil?

[@billchuplis9460]

Early built 48's had the dual post reverse polarity type (41-48) using a different set of points. Later and this one has the 49-53 distributor. Number one on the cap is traditionally about the 6:00 position on all 216's. But too late. The wires have already been cut to length :)

[@NebukedNezzer]

in 1960 my grandfather gave me his 48 chevy style master. notice how small the spark plugs are. great car but minnesota rust ate it up.

[@fightingirish5173]

How do you adjust the octane selector. I loosened the bolt and wasn’t able to get it to move. Is there something I’m missing or is it just stuck a bit.

[@TheJayhawker]

I would say that most likely your distributor is just stuck. Try turning it with a pliers or gently tapping around on it with a soft mallet.

[@gustavoesqueda9964]

Great video, learning tons . But got a question ? ? ? To replace rear main seal will engine need to come out ?

[@OGSHAKER2020]

I'm gonna check where mines is sitting but is the way you set up the two clamps parallel to the block 🤔 & rotor point to the number one on cap..(is that according to stock location? )these 2 locations you can you can actually male them be whatever you want so long the engine is top dead center on compression stroke correct?.. please ✊🏽 elaborate. God bless 🙏 buddy

[@Josh_martin689]

Thanks

[@ciscokaliking8469]

Can you break down the order of the cables fro the distributor cap to the spark plugs ?

[@TheJayhawker]

Inline Chevy engine firing order is 153624. No matter where you place #1 on the cap you follow that sequence going clockwise around the cap. Some like to place #4 terminal on the cap pointing straight forward, others like to place it straight towards the block. www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/54-chevy-235-no-longer-firing-up.872153/

[@kevinpfaff2301]

Very helpful!!

[@justinburg6065]

I hope you see this. I just replaced the vacuum assistant and thought I put everything back the way it was now she wont start can you help me please??

[@TheJayhawker]

She needs air, fuel, and spark. Look down the throat of the carb and pump the throttle with your hand, do you see fuel squirting into the throat? If not the fuel in the carb may have just evaporated. Did you disconnect anything on the ignition side? Turn the key on and check for battery voltage at the + side of the coil. Also pull a spark plug and have someone crank it for you while you check for spark. You can do this as simply as finding another old spark plug and attaching it to the wire that you pulled of the spark plug in the engine. Then ground the threads to the engine block while someone cranks it for you, you will see spark if everything is working. If this doesn't reveal any problems let me know and we'll get farther into it.

[@jasonpeachrick2037]

Perhaps you already have this information in another video... But how’d you paint that engine? Looks gorgeous!

[@TheJayhawker]

Started making videos after I had already painted it. But it is simply rattle can engine paint that is supposed to be the correct mix. I bought it from Chevsofthe40s

[@DurhamHumor]

Sir, my 1954 6 cyl 235 will not start.. plugs are firing. any suggestions

[@TheJayhawker]

shoot some carb cleaner down the carb and crank it. If she fires then you have a fuel issue. Take the fuel line off of the carb and crank it, if a stream of gas comes out of the line then you have a carburetor issue. If not you may have a bad fuel pump, a blockage in the line or it's not picking up gas in the tank. Let me know what you find!

[@DurhamHumor]

@@TheJayhawker found out it was the timing

[@todaywithbk]

Don't beat yourself up too much. At least you found it before it was a catastrophe.

[@TheJayhawker]

Nope, but I believe we need to be able to laugh at ourselves. Anymore, people make light of the big things and can't laugh at the little things.

[@Hog-rc6bk]

I’ve watched the videos on the ignition system and the distributor rebuild, however I have a 48 Chevrolet Loadmaster 4100 that is 6v pos ground, do you wire the coil differently because of that? I have power to the coil and then to the distributor, but still no spark. Everything is new points, condenser, cap rotor coil and wires as well as the ignition switch which needed to be replaced. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[@TheJayhawker]

To the best of my knowledge, Chevrolet has never made a positive ground vehicle. GMC produced some around this time that were positive ground but not Chevy. Your + battery cable should go to the stud on the starter and all smaller power feeds come off of that. Should have 6volts at the + stud on the coil, then from the - stud to the distributor.

[@Hog-rc6bk]

It definitely is positive ground, I was told a few of the bigger trucks were wired that way, I will continue to work on it thank you!!!

[@TheJayhawker]

@@Hog-rc6bk what year are you working with? I still find it very strange.

[@Hog-rc6bk]

It’s a 48 Chevrolet 4100 loadmaster, the engine is not original but it’s earlier 40’s 216… it’s titled and although rare it’s 6v positive ground

[@TheJayhawker]

@@Hog-rc6bk That's interesting, I'm going to have to research that myself. Anyway about your problem, if you have no spark at the plug but you have battery voltage at the coil then unfortunately your problem lies somewhere between the two with something that you've already changed out. If things were in used condition I would almost always start at the points. Maybe it would be worth rolling the engine over by hand again until you get the points open and rechecking the gap just to be sure. I realize the coil is new but I'm not sure that means anything these days. Measure resistance across the primary studs should be around 1.5 ohms, and from the negative stud to the secondary terminal somewhere around 8,000-11,000 ohms.

[@eliseorafaelmataramirez5021]

Amén

[@OGSHAKER2020]

Hey bud just wondering i see 👀 the coils installed inverted like yours do they have to be this way or does it matter ?..thx bud. & sorry for asking but why the stovebolt moniker. Why they named that thx bud

[@TheJayhawker]

Hey no problem! The coil is installed upside-down, because, well, that's the way Chevy did it. And besides I don't think the coil wire would reach if it was the other way around. They are called stovebolts because of the 1/4" slot head screws that hold all of the tin pieces to the block. Apparently there was a common type of stove that was assembled using the same type of screws.

[@OGSHAKER2020]

@@TheJayhawker awesome thx for y he history for 👍 sure.. im having a hecka off a time trynna get her going. I'm gonna recheck the points ..but I hve to pump the heck out of the gas pedal almost breaking my leg to catch her to start.. I did get her to idle for a minute or 2 by herself..but as soon as I touched the manual choke she died.. I actually gotta pour gas down the carb to even get her going. I pulled carb apart their was a chunk of garbage inside the needle seat for the float. On that note my shop manual says float drop to be 13/4" . Im at 2¹/⁴ .like half inch out.. is this starving my engine of fuel . Should I readjust to manual specs. Just trying to solve this mystery . Wanna get her going she was hibernating for 12yrs.. but I went through all the fluids & brakes & fresh tune. New coil as well. If you can please 🙏 help.. ill take any pointers I can... thx bud

[@OGSHAKER2020]

@@TheJayhawker I can't even check timing cause cant get her to idle long enough ... maybe timing is out of wack.. idk..bud lost for words.. & these cars are a dying art. Not many people know how to work on them. ..HELP 🤔 .. thx for the channel for sure 👍

[@TheJayhawker]

@@OGSHAKER2020 Yes readjust the float drop to the correct amount, there is also a measurement for how high the float rises before it closes the seat. You need to turn the carb top over upside down to measure that. Also find the idle air mixture screw, turn it in all the way, then back it out 1 1/2 turns for a starting point. If you get it to idle and have a vacuum gauge, attach it to the vacuum port on the intake manifold and adjust the idle air screw to the point of the highest reading.

[@OGSHAKER2020]

@@TheJayhawker thx bud yeah I had set that mix . Screw already for starting point .. & I believe that other measurement is1⁹/¹⁶ the book has a tool for it but I don't have it it kinda cradles the pontoons. .but I believe siting like you say ..they should rest just above the flange . I've been learning lol trynna get it right .. just sharing what I learned.. but your awesome thx for the response..I will set that float drop then as well..( I believe sitting1/2 lower on float drop measurement causes to starve the engine of fuel? )... as far as a vacuum gage.. I will try to invest in one for sure.. when you say highest setting you mean the rpm.s correct? For now hopefully 🙏 I get her to idle that would be AWESOME 👌 . I will let you know of the out come .thanks 😊 God bless brother. Hey I mean I drove her home some how like 4 miles away.. although I had to keep her revved up. . If not she'd die out. But that been said I guess the timing isn't to far off right? Thx a million... lets get these babies back on the road STOVEBOLT POWER...HAAAA

[@thomasgscheidle5663]

Jayhawker: I have been following your instructional videos. I have a question as I am having an issue with starting my 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster. Could you message me or contact via email. Key position switch issue.

[@TheJayhawker]

my email is [e-mail]

[@thomasgscheidle5663]

Thank you.

[@sgiqid2189]

1:55 auffällig

[@michaelmitchell5583]

That really sucked

[@WilliamLeonard]

My 216 is out of timing. I was changing the vacuum advanced yesterday and looks like I did something wrong. The timing is so bad that it backed fired and my muffler exploded. Is there a number I can call you or an Instagram or Facebook account? Thanks! My Instagram and Facebook are generation oldschool

[@TheJayhawker]

Sorry no, I personally steer clear of as much social media as I can. Please email me with any questions at [e-mail].