Now when I drive for 3 min the car shuts off. Cool off a couple minutes starts n and then shuts down 100 yards later. Just stops when driving. Any ideas? I am driving along and then it sputters then no throttle response. Rolls until slow then stalls. Wait ten minutes. Starts and drives for 100...
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The Pertronix is still running through the Bosch coil and the resistor wire is still hooked up. So is it possible I am running out of fire at 3200?
It doesn't stall after 100 yards like he was saying. It has a new ground strap from the frame to the engine. It does still click and it won't rev.
Should I get a Flame Thrower coil and see if it fixes it?
Or get a coil that doesn’t require a ballast resistor like a Standard UC15, and run 12v to it to clean up the wiring. But that doesn’t sound like the problem. Check your total advance, it doesn’t sound like your mechanical advance is working maybe. I recently had a GT that was just a dog at getting up to RPM, was the mechanical advance locked up. Could be not enough advance, and you need some vacuum advance.
On the clicking to start, does it have a new GTS high torque starter? If so, you may need a relay. These starters have proven to not be the most reliable. Could be your ignition switch going. And one last thing, check your ground from engine to body/chassis
I'm taking a Guessing Here,, I would check the Distributor vacuum advance ( simple stuff first)
Make sure the plates are free to move, maybe hanging up since the pertronix was installed on the plate.
Use a Vacuum Bleeding tool, see if the advance plates are Operating.
The starter clicks, You should be using a 12V Pilot relay to Operate Starter Motor.
Mount Relay near starter, to bring in full 12 volts to activate Solenoid... Battery fully charged 12.7 V
This is a common Method to save Ignition Switch , that's under load while Cranking Engine
Is the click when trying to start from under the hood? If so then it sounds like the solenoid is not making internal contact inside the starter to make the contactor close the circuit to the starter winding. Could be burned spots or dirt on the contactor, or the solenoid hanging up, or resistance built up in the ignition switch or the connections.
Your ignition hookup as described is not clear. Coil and Pertronix running through the resistor wire, or just the coil? More info = better help. Use a voltmeter to measure your voltage at the battery when idling and also when revved to 2000 rpm. Let's make sure you electrical sytem is up to snuff 1st.
Mark, this is the original 1.9, 2.2 isn't anywhere near done. Finally got the T5 installed and wanted to drive it before the winter engine swap.
The Pertronix and the fuel pump are both wired to the coil. You can't see it in the picture, but the resistor wire is there too. My understanding is that the resistor wire will keep the coil at 7v. So won't anything getting power from the coil also be receiving 7v?
I'll check the advance with a Mityvac.
I have a new permanent magnet starter, but I was waiting for the engine swap before installing it. I guess there is new time like the present. Haha Should I install a relay for the new starter?
Ok, Here what I see... Just trying to help, in the simple way.
If your using the stock resistor wire, it should be used for the Ignition Coil Only... Glad you posted photo's
and the other wire goes to the starter to give coil full 12Volt while cranking only.
The fuel Pump.. I think most of us run off the Horn Circuit or run a separate fused feed wire. Not on the resistor coil wire
If the resitor wire is being used than the coil ohm should be 0 or .07 Ohms
If you run a new 12Volt switched wire than you need to Get a New Coil that is 3 Ohms
Others can Correct me if am wrong. but that my Honest opinion
As said by many, only the coil connects to the resistor wire. There is a 'resistor wire bypass' in the starter solenoid (to apply 12v direct to the coil + when cranking) but that can be checked later. With all stuff that fed through the resistor wire, things will be well below 7 volts; everything is crapping out LOL!
A couple of 'improvements' on info:
Resistor wire end to end should be 1.8 ohms cold, + or - (Got this number off of a schematic IIRC.)
Vacuum advance will not be in play when you are near or at WOT. Good to measure it though and make sure it is working properly.
Have you checked the (initial) ignition timing at low idle and with the vacuum advance hose disconnected? What year is this?
FWIW, a 1.5 ohm coil plus the resistor wire is not going to behave to any significant differently degree vs a 3 ohm coil. Total resistance is about the same so coil current levels, which set the spark energy, are not much different at all. And the 1.5 ohm coil, when used with the starting bypass to apply 12v directly to the coil +, will actually produce a hotter spark when cranking for initial fire-up. The 3 ohm coil is more just a wiring convenience.
I asked the year, assuming the original distributor is in there, to see what the initial timing should be. Someone has posted the distributor info for all the years to show the vacuum advance and retard info.
When you say 'set to zero' for the initial timing, do you mean line up the BB on the flywheel to the pointer?
My original thought was the Pertronix starting to fail because the earlier ones are sensitive to the ignition being on or something like that. Just a guess.
Easy enough to toss on the original coil, points, condenser etc. a new cap, rotor, wires, while you’re at it. That’ll take care of that side of the mystery.
At least our engines are easy enough to troubleshoot. If it’s not on the spark side it’s usually fuel related.
Vacuum leaks usually show up at idle & just off idle, check the fuel pressure before the carburetor, the main jet to see if it’s got debris, then the full power valve diaphragm if it’s a downdraft. All can be done without removing the carburetor.
John, as far as the starter clicking, yes a common thing to do is to install a relay for the starter solenoid current. I've never had big issues without the relay, but the connections and wiring and switch contacts are getting old and corroded so such a relay helps work around those issues.
If you put in the relay now, and the present starter behaved well, then the issue is in the wiring, connections, or ignition switch. But that will not solve the issue if the present starter's solenoid is having problems, however, so then that would need to be diassembled and fixed, or the new starter put on.
There is a "Sock" at the gas tank outlet which could be plugged with crap and restricting fuel flow at higher rpm's.
There is a thread somewhere on here that addresses how to remove it.
I just got done reading a thread where the PO pulled the sock while refurbishing the tank.
Cap and rotor are new. I did find a couple rips in spark plug wires. This morning I made a pretty set of Mallory's for it. Plugs look decent. Gonna go grab a new set and pull them on the side of the road.
I'm gonna pull the carb and clean it up. I am running a Holley 350 now. It did the exact same thing before with the Weber.
Need to find a fuel pressure gauge to plumb in before the carb.
I'll tackle the new starter and relay next. I'm not going far with it or stopping anywhere, so hopefully it will be fine till later.
Park on a slight downhill.... I am confident you can push start the car LOL
One acquaintence once found a bug inside the fule line from the tank... could be anything in there.
Story time: Had a Manta starter problem years ago when first married. Wife and I finished a Sunday dinner out (a real treat for us young and poor folks) and so I pushed the car while she sat inside and popped the clutch when I yelled 'NOW!". Would not fire.. over and over and over..... I pushed that car many hundreds of yards back and forth across that mall parking lot. Problem finally discovered: She did not understand what I meant when I said "put the ignition switch in the RUN position".... LOL
This one comment got me thinking.
Although I've ways enjoyed the reliability of my pertronix after battling points for so many years, I can't help but wonder if my idling problems are pertronix related.
My sons car is set up 99% ide tkcal to mine. Same engine build specs, same carb, same jets, etc. His works great, mine suffers.
When I set up my pertronics I had to move the pickup closer to the magnet than his. Otherwise it wouldn't fire.
Hmmm.
I have another pickup unit. I should try swapping it out.
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