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Died at stop light and won't restart.

Started by LaOtto70Charger, March 30, 2018, 05:09:06 PM

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LaOtto70Charger

First drive of the year went bad.  Last year I was having cold start backfiring issues.  Would act up when cold but fine when warmed up. Put a new pertronix 3 coil to go with the 3 electriconic ignition and readjusted the choke.  Fired up no issues.  Took off no issues.  Drove down the road 5 miles to the 2nd stop and no issues. Punched it as getting on the highway and right up to 70 mph no problems.  Drove 5 miles take the off ramp, and came to a stop at the light.  Once I was completely stopped she just shut off. Wouldn't restart.  At first wouldn't even cough.  Got towed home.  Replaced the spark plugs.  They all pretty carbines up. All dry and black.  Still can't get it to start. Put the old points system in no start either.  It cranks and starts firing some put once I let off the starter it stops.  12 v to the coil with the key in on.  Spark plugs are getting juice.  I have a in line spark light for that.  It looks pretty bright.  When not cranking I hit the throttle and fuEl looks like it is shooting into the carb.  Tried starter fluid but doesn't make a difference. Can was low on pressure though so probably need a new can. Fluid was coming out.  Just no a lot. 

Any ideas what to check next?  318 with edelbrock  4 barrel in a 70.

Brass


LaOtto70Charger

Withe the pertronixs setup I bypass that.  Had it in line though with the points but still run again.

A383Wing

What is your voltage at the "+" side of the coil when the key is in the "start" position?

LaOtto70Charger

Voltage at + side is 11.5 v at the coil with key at on.  About 12.5 v at the battery. Not sure what it is when cranking.  With the electronic ignition in place it was kind of firing and almost running. Let of the starter and she stops.  Going to change the fuel filter and spray out the carb good.  Fuel pressure is 5.5 psi going into the carb.

green69rt

Quote from: LaOtto70Charger on March 31, 2018, 05:57:07 AM
Voltage at + side is 11.5 v at the coil with key at on.  About 12.5 v at the battery. Not sure what it is when cranking.  With the electronic ignition in place it was kind of firing and almost running. Let of the starter and she stops.  Going to change the fuel filter and spray out the carb good.  Fuel pressure is 5.5 psi going into the carb.

OK what's the voltage on the - side?

LaOtto70Charger

Same voltage on both sides this morning about 11.
checking grounds next.  With meter set to 200 scale i get 0.6 from battery terminal to ground plate and bolt inside distributor.  From battery to "-" on coil i get 23.9. At "+" post i get 23.9. Between posts i get 0.8.  24.8 from coil - to distributor ground plate. I have to look closer at positive side i think it was 0.6.  Leads themselves was 0.6

Nacho-RT74

check on electrical section... couple of guides to check

Checking grounds is just valid at one of the pins of ECU. rest is about read resistance between pickup leads and voltages around
Venezuelan RT 74 400 4bbl, 727, 8.75 3.23 open. Now stroked with 440 crank and 3.55 SG. Here is the History and how is actually: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,7603.0/all.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,25060.0.html

LaOtto70Charger

I will check.  Also looking through the pertonics manual.

What is any check to rule out timing chain and valves?

69rtse4spd

One time had the Charger up in Ft. Wayne eating dinner, back in the late 70's, anyway ran fine going up, get done eating, no start, had a small crack in the coil tower, bought new coil, started right up. Check your bulk head connecters also, good luck.

Bronzedodge

Quote from: LaOtto70Charger on April 01, 2018, 10:41:51 AM
I will check.  Also looking through the pertonics manual.

What is any check to rule out timing chain and valves?


Turn the crankshaft with a socket and breaker bar by hand, see if the rotor under the cap turns.  Don't do it by the starter if your valves might hit the pistons if out of time.
Mopar forever!

LaOtto70Charger

I actually tred that yesterday.  I lined the timing mark at tdc and checked if 1 cylinder was close to the top.  If it wasn't all the way up it was really close.  I went cw to ccw a couple times and there wasn't much movement before the rotor would turn when changing directions.  Also didn't get any excessive resistance.  With the mark lined up at TDC I rotated the distributor until it lined up with and clamped it down.  The vacuum hose going to the distributor was pinching against the intake under the carb which I think is where I normally have to get 16 advanced not tdc.  So maybe it jumped a tooth.  Anyway it started up but ran like crap.  So I shut it down.  Going to have it brought in and let someone else play it.  I think it is ignition but can't seem to rule out which.

M5Ivan

Probably a long shot, but I had similar problem last year. Would crank and had spark but wouldn't start after it died. At that time I was still running points (have since upgraded to Pertronix 3 with the Pertronix 3 coil and a new factory look distributor)
The culprit ended up being the tic tock tach that I'd just had rebuilt last season. Once we unhooked the tach, it started right up using either ignition. We even wired the tach to another car and it wouldn't let the car start either.

Now I need to pull it and have it looked at and rebuilt for my new ignition.

Firetodd

I've had almost the same exact issue before. It was a bad coil.

LaOtto70Charger

I hope it is that simple.  It went to the mechanic yesterday.  I had just put a new coil in before this trip.  When trying to figure it out I put the old coil back in.  No difference.  Put the points distributor back in.  No difference.  Ain't life grand.  :)

ws23rt

All of this reminds me of a head scratcher I had with a chevy pu in the eighties.

The final issue found -was a hairline crack or more like a pinhole in the rotor that allowed the coil wire to sometimes jump/leak its charge to the dist. shaft and ground. :slap:

charger Downunder

You have a 318 have you got the firing order on the dissy going the right way its the opposite direction of a big block. Pretty sure it should be a clockwise direction.
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AKcharger

Ballast resistor is only $6, change that out

LaOtto70Charger

I should have the firing order right.  It was running great until it wasn't. 

For ballast resistor with the pertronix 3 system you have to bypass it.  So I can at least scratch that off my list :)

Right now waiting to here back from the mechanic.  They picked up Tuesday.

birdsandbees

Did you try squirting FRESH gas into the carb before you started playing with everything else??  :shruggy:
1970 'Bird RM23UOA170163
1969 'Bee WM21H9A230241
1969 Dart Swinger LM23P9B190885
1967 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S
1966 Plymouth Satellite HP2 - 9941 original miles
1964 Dodge 440 62422504487

randy73

Quote from: birdsandbees on April 12, 2018, 01:12:02 PM
Did you try squirting FRESH gas into the carb before you started playing with everything else??  :shruggy:

I was thinking fuel pump is bad.   :yesnod:

LaOtto70Charger

Didn't try fresh gas.  Gas was coming out of the carb though, and I did try starter fluid.  Which with that at the time it won't even cough.  Mechanic found debris of some type in the intake.  It fired up but ran rough for them when they got it there.  No oil pressure now though.  So need to get that figured out.

Brass


birdsandbees

Wife's Vette had spark, gas squirting out accelerator ports and air this week. No firing at all with a fast crank on dual booster packs. Tried starting fluid.. no go and I walked away from it, because I killed the booster packs!

Next morning I grabbed my squirt bottle from when I fired up my Bee, gave it a good shot in her carb..crank and instant run. Drained her fuel tank of the old "varnish" and refilled. Then ran the car on the squirt bottle until the fresh stuff made it though the fuel line and she idled like a noisy kitten!
1970 'Bird RM23UOA170163
1969 'Bee WM21H9A230241
1969 Dart Swinger LM23P9B190885
1967 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S
1966 Plymouth Satellite HP2 - 9941 original miles
1964 Dodge 440 62422504487

Finn

1968 Dodge Charger 440, EFI, AirRide suspension
1970 Dodge Challenger RT/SE 383 magnum
1963 Plymouth Savoy 225 with a 3 on the tree.
2002 Dodge Ram 5.9L 360
2014 Dodge Dart 2.4L