Hi, I am helping a friend on his 1956 T Bird.  He just bought it.  It had been sitting for 20 plus years.  I removed the gas tank and cleaned it and the gas lines, replaced fuel pump.  Installed new plugs and wires.  The disturber and carburetor were sent out for rebuild.  I replaced the heat tube in the intake. I checked the compression and it is 155 to 145 with one cylinder at 120lbs. . The radiator and water pump and hoses have been done. When the engine is running it sounds good.  It revs up good, but when you put it in gear (auto trans) it will barely move out of the garage.  I don't know what else to do.  Do you think that the one cylinder with compression at 120 is doing it.  No smoke or bad sounds.  Thanks for you help 

No I don't think one cylinder is causing it. Back in the 70' when I was both young and foolish I took a long trip in my 57 T'bird. Came all the way back from Florida with 2 blown head gaskets running on only 4 cylinders and the car would cruise easily at 75 mph. Have you looked at the trans and does the rear seem locked up?

Mike, still lovin his 57 t'bird after 53 years!

Low compression on on cylinder won't cause that, I ran one engine with broken rings in one cylinder and no compression, idled a little rough but ran fine at speed. Have you checked that all wheels are rotating freely, especially the rears. If it sat that many years and with the emergency brake on, something may have rusted in place and locked up the brakes..

Have you checked the ignition timing with a timing light?  At this point and with a timing light, insure that the ignition advance curve is functioning as the engine rpms are raised.  The ’56 distributors are vacuum advance only and rely solely on the vacuum signal from the carburetor and manifold to change the ignition advance curve.  If the dual diaphragm pot on the distributor is ‘bad’, then the distributor will not advance at all as the engine rpms change.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Hi, thanks for you help.  I have done the brakes and the car rolls easy in the garage when pushing it.  I have wondered about the trans if there is any way it would be holding it back.  The distributor was sent to a T Bird repair for rebuild so it should be ok.  Timing has been set over and over but there is no timing mark that I see, I have the pointer but nothing to line it up to. thank you   

On the Thunderbirds, the timing marks are on the outside edge of the engine side belt pulley on the damper.  The Thunderbird timing pointer should be aligning with the inside edge of the belt pulley portion of the damper.  The timing marks themselves are not on the damper ring on the TBird dampers as they are on the car and truck dampers.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Sounds like trans issue. Does the engine rev while in gear but not move? If so it could be the bands in trans needing adjustment / tightened. Ck shifter linkage, trans fluid? might sound stupid but ck all obvious first. Engine will not cause the car not to move. Does it go in reverse etc?

OK, thanks I will find them. tman0950