Will it start?

[2ruNgineer]

Ford 2N '46 rebuild. This is an in block rebuild. I did not remove crank, cam shaft, water pump or oil pump. Oil pressure was in spec when i tore it down. Having trouble getting spark. I have a new
battery and it has turned over several times. I primed the oil pump through the relief plug. But i have let the smoke out of the starter. I replaced points, plugs, wires and condenser. Kept the old coil.
No spark. My next steps will be to check ground from head to battery, replace condenser and replace starter. I'll also add some more oil to pump, because i think i have used the prime up.
What other things should i be looking for to get spark?
I put oil on everything during assembly. I can hear the puff - puff through the exhaust. I have not seen oil pressure come up. Do i need to preload oil in the press gauge line and governor line?
I have a temporary fuel container so i can keep the hood off while getting this thing to fire.
Will a spark plug ground to a newly painted head? I used oil plugs during the painting process?
So many questions. So few sparks. Obviously my first.

 

[HCooke]

somany questions. Let the spark out of the starter? What does this mean. You could pull start it. When I have rebuilt my Ns, I have started them up with 12 volts to the starter motor.

 

[2ruNgineer]

The starter has smoked while trying to get it to start. Yep on 12V, I will try the 12V start it as I get everything else checked again.

 

[Jim L WA]

"But i have let the smoke out of the starter." I don't understand that. Do you mean you cranked it so much looking for oil pressure that the starter smoked? Laying a spark plug on a newly painted head should still produce a spark. Personally, I wouldn't get too worried about oil pressure until you can get it started. In the post by michember just before yours, Bruce gives a great detailed step by step test to make sure everything is right with your front mount distributor. If your starter is bad, you may not get a good spark. Try what H. Cook suggested.

 

[NoMoreCash]

One thing to make sure of when looking at the distributor. Coil has a spring that must contact the screw below. I have had in the past this spring being to short to contact the screw and the spring from the coil being burnt up. In the case of the the spring being to short I just had to lengthen the spring a tad to get it to touch, sometimes the spring may be at a bad angle to make contact. In the case of when the coil spring was burnt, I had to buy a new one. Just something to look at to see if that may be the problem.