Re: 1956 Oliver 5.5 hp won’t start

[David Stanton]

Throttle too far open shouldn’t be a problem because several old motors I’ve had that don’t want to start, do start if I open the throttle all the way. Now on some carbs, it’s possible if the linkage is not right to have the throttle plate in the carb move past wide open and start to shut again – take that muffler off the front of the carb and look into the carb throat as you move the throttle and see if the throttle plate is full open at full throttle.
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But before you go taking things apart, do the simple checks first if you haven’t already; like ddwilson suggested, check for spark. If you have spark, next thing I’d do is "cheat" by using a shot of automotive starting spray (ether).
Dave