'54 308 alum. head won't start

53hud54

Well guys, I'm back and so is my '54. Haven't been here in a while,so I'll back up a little. Sold my '54 Hornet last year to a friend who ended up with back surgery and sold her back to me. When I was last on the forum, I had just gotten the car running after setting for twenty years, and she ran fine, not even any smoke. Now after getting her back home, will not start, so I took out the plugs and they all are black, not oily but sooted up dry. I haven't started looking yet but suspecting stuck valves?? because new plugs won't start her, lots of spark and fuel. Before I sold her, I started the car at least ten times and drove her around the neighborhood with no problem. After I sold her she sat un-touched till now. Looking for advice what to check next, never worked on a flat-head  

KustomKreeps

Just confirming.

You have spark at the plugs & Fuel sprays at the carb ?

compression?

Engine turn over via starter & hand?

Timing set?

carb air/fuel mix screws dont look like they have been fiddled with?

It just keep turning over not catching? if so try a lil engine start spray or advance the timing a bit.

or it catch and splutter? if so check fuel filter, and carb air leaks then the mix.

Thats my normal run down when I have to start a car that has not been started for years/decades.

Saying this sometimes I have found I need to take the carb off and soak it in petrol as the seals dry up.

Those steps normally gets it going. if it turns over it wants to start.

Black plugs normally mean to much fuel running rich or stuck choke from memory

Ol racer

If only set for a Year I would just go thru the basic No Start Steps mentioned above Post from Kustom….Have Spark at Plugs?, Gas squirt in Carb?, Replace Spark plugs, etc.

53hud54

Thanks guys, all the above done, carb is just rebuilt and all new parts. I did notice that when turning over, if I give her a little gas, it slows the turn-over down quite a bit.

Uncle Josh

Do a compression test.  A zero or very low will indicate a stuck valve.  If you have a low cylinder the exhaust valves are directly under the plug holes and you can carefully tap them down, and sometimes free them up spraying Sea-Foam, or carb cleaner in there.  The intakes are another matter but if you can get it running, and warm up the block, sometimes they will come loose. 

BigSky

On my 37 I had a stuck lifter, I used brake free & a little leverage.  I ended up sticking a long Flathead screwdriver between the spring coils and used the block as leverage.  It didn’t take much before it popped down & was free.  If yours is similar just be careful not to damage the block doing this!