positive or negative ground???

Majumbo wrote:

Hello i just bought a 1953 hudson super wasp. im trying to get it running an was wondering if my year is a positive or negative ground. help would be greatly appreciated. also the wiring to the coil. positive is the power and negative is the distributor?

thank you

I forgot - in the on-line library @ hetclub.org/burr is a 1948-1954 Body Service Manual that has wiring diagrams from 1948 thru 1954. On the first page of the web site, scroll down to Manuals, then near the bottom of that page is the 1948-1954 manual.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

I'm not sure if anyone answered your question re the distributor wire. As on all positive ground cars the + terminal on the coil goes to the dist. Neg goes to the starter switch, ie, what ever the ground is at the battery then that terminal goes to the dist. Hudson(amc) went to neg ground in 1956 with 12volt as did most US cars. GM went negative grd in 1946 except for GMC. Packard was 12volt positive in 1955 only, as were most UK cars since the 1930s(Metropolitans et al)

I got one to top your rotor failure. Back in the 60's I was stationed at the Coast Guard Air Station in Brooklyn, NY. At the time I had a '56 Olds. I was getting ready to head north to Maine for a weekend at home, so decided to put a new set of points in the distributor. Went out and got the points at the local parts store and installed same, no problem.

Car started right up and ran great. Next afternoon headed out for Maine - got about 10 miles from the station, she died in the middle of the freeway. I spent 45 minutes checking everything before I found........the little plastic bag the points had come in was fastened at the top by a little brass staple. That staple had somehow fallen into the distributor and finally lodged between the plate and the housing, grounding out the distributor. Removed the little staple, ran great.

It's the little things that get you!!!

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

RL Chilton wrote:

Yes, by all means put in a new condenser, and DON'T use China-made or Mexico-made condensers. About 50% success rate is all you can hope for in finding one that 1) will work from the get-go, and 2) Will last any time at all. Use an Echlin Condenser. They are reliable, last a long time. Yes, they cost a few bucks more, but well worth it, I promise.

Same goes for the coil. If it's ancient, hasn't been used much lately, whatever, best to replace with a new one. Check your plugs, too, make sure they are gapped at SOMETHING and not clogged up, or closed. Lastly, make sure that when your distributor is turning, your points are closing and opening. Use a fine piece of sandpaper, or one of those disposable women's fingernail files and clean the points, for now (eventually, the rougher surface will be more susceptible to carbon build-up), so plan on replacing the points, as well, if not now, then soon.

Then see if you can get a spark.

Sorry but Echlin sells junk too. I installed new Echlin points and a condenser
and set of plugs in my bone stock 63 Belair wagon. The 327 ran great for about
30 min. till I got off the interstate and into some traffic. When it died I
coasted into a parking lot and popped the cap that I'd just had off an hour
before. I was by myself so I bumped it a few times and checked to verify the
points were opening and closing and all looked good. Stuck the cap back on
and it fired right up and ran fine. It quit one more time before I made it
back to the interstate.Once again I could see nothing wrong but convinced
myself that the wire from the coil to the points was somehow losing connection,
likely when the vacuum canister was moving the breaker plate.I disconnected the
vacuum advance and it started right up again.Made it to within a mile of my
exit running perfectly at slightly above the posted limit when it shut off
again.Now the powerglide automatics in 63 had a extra pump driven off the
trans tailshaft allowing them to be push started(at speeds over say 20 mph).
So this nifty powerglide is spinning the dead 327 over at a pretty good clip
and right about the time I'm thinking to shift into nuetral there is a terrific
explosion followed by the horrible sound of metal scraping on the highway! By
the time i got to the side and stopped I had visions of half my engine jammed
up under the car in pieces. Thankfully that was not to be,but both of my month
old expen$ive mufflers looked like someone had stuck a grenade in them. Shrapnel city. By the time I regained my composure I hit the key and again it
fired right up(albeit much louder than before)and I was able to make it the last
6 miles home dragging muffler remnants the whole way.

The problem was that brand new Echlin condenser would work up to a certain
temperature and then ground out and kill the ignition. As soon as it had a chance to cool off again it would work. These days I try to stick with Mallory
or Accel parts,but that one Echlin condenser was the most expensive one I ever
bought...:ohmy: