Ignition just stops when warm.

[oldroaddog]

Here's a CC paragraph from my post in the Fuel Injection Forum...

"So I'm cruzin' down the highway 70 mph for a few minutes waiting to see if the sputtering is going to start again. I thought I felt a few tiny misses and after I pulled off down a local road... wham! Ignition just stops as if the key had been turned off and then when I started the engine it came back. I stopped for a moment then pulled back into traffic and then again. The engine just stops but this time it's not restarting. So as I'm sitting in the parking lot waiting for my wife to come by and tow me home I'm thinking this is something electrical and possibly heat related. There may have been some blockage in the fuel flow before but this other issue was happening as well."

Back in my garage I decide to confirm if this issue is heat related. So after some time for lunch leaving the hood raised I step back out and bingo the car starts right up. So I close the hood and let it idle trying to get the temp back up. Sure enough after the temp gauge gets between 1/4 and 1/2 the idle gets really rough. Now the car doesn't completely stop running but I'm going to guess that the reason it is doing that on the road and not in my garage is because I'm not pumping the fuel (wet fouling the plugs) trying to get out of traffic.

So if anyone has experienced these same symptoms or has a reason that they think this is happening please post a reply.

I'll put a link here to the earlier thread in the Fuel Injection forum.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18017

[LanceM]

I would check/replace the coil. It maybe opening up once it gets hot. Best thing to do is get it hot and failing and check and see if you have spark. Right now it looks like you don't know for sure what you are missing during a failure.

[260Zed]

After checking/replacing coil, ignition module would be next on my list...

[oldroaddog]

All good advice guys, thanks. In fact I think I'm going to start down stream and work my way up. The plugs are new so I'm going to replace the spark plug wires and the distributor first. I'll test run at that point and if there's still problems then replace the coil.

[Aussie Zed]

What condition is you wiring? Bad question... but, it could just be that some part in the ignition circuit is loose and the circuit opens over a small bump or something. This would be cheaper than a coil or dizzy - a good rule of thumb to check first.

[oldroaddog]

I've been through the entire engine compartment over the last 4 months and removed all accessible electrical assemblies to clean and paint. I replaced the spark plug wires, coil and rotter this morning. The car still has the same problems except it has missing right from start-up. The local parts house didn't have a distributor in stock so I'm going to order that and some interior parts from MSA today. It does look a little crusty inside the distributor. Maybe change out the electronic ignition as well? I noticed a bit of adjustment where the electronic ignition mounts inside the distributor. How's that done and what does it change?

[racerx66]

i had a similar problem, dont know if it will help but my problem was the pick-up coil.

[my_mad_z]

I also had a similar problem; at first I thought it was the coil because I was losing spark at operating temperature. I replaced the coil and found that I still had the same problem; I changed the leads and she was as good as new. As everyone has mentioned, the symptoms you have specified usually relate to coil or leads.

My 2c.

Hope you sort the problem out.