I got the SA 200 running today. I was lucky enough to get the distributor right the first time I dropped it in, as it is either right or 180 out. New plugs and points and everything. Tried to fire it and it wouldn't. Checked spark by taking out plug and holding it to the head. Got too close to the contact with my fingers, and got zapped good. It had spark.
Mounted the cartridge oil filter back on, installed new roll of toilet paper filter, put in 1/3 qt. Marvel Mystery Oil and new 30 wt oil. All new lines. Put on new gas line and filters.
I figured I'd be lucky if the carb would run without rebuilding from the looks of everything else. I was right. Took it apart, and full of gook and sand. Disassembled, made new gaskets, cleaned in Simple green solution, ran pipe cleaners through, and blew out ports with compressed air, reassembled, and after a couple of primings, it took off and stayed running. That updraft carb was pretty simple, although I may not have it exactly right yet, it was nice to take something totally alien apart and make it work.
I will hook the leads up tomorrow and see if it welds. They are a teal color, and I cleaned them today with Simple Green soaking, and they look great. Something's not quite right as it runs at high idle all the time, and has to have the choke on to run. I'll play with it a bit, and make sure it welds, and if I can't figure it out, I'll find a good mechanic familiar with Lincolns or take it to a Lincoln service center. It's probably something simple.
But it does run, and it sounds good and doesn't smoke. Tomorrow's another day. Some work to be done on the trailer, as the weldor who owned this wasn't much of a weldor. I'll post pics on Flickr. Just going to clean it up, get it running right, paint it Lincoln grey with red trim to match my truck, and put it to work.
It was kind of deja vu all over again. As a teenager in the sixties, I cut my teeth on 55-57 Chevies. It was nice working with something with points again, and simple components. And it was nice to see I can still take a basket case and figure it out. It was sure sweet when it fired and ran.
Steve