Reply to "Engine Cutting Out"

I appreciate ALL of your input and suggestion! Thank you.

Marlin,

The engine will keep sparking even when I keep cranking through, then past the VRM. Whenever I'm cranking, the spark is sparking. The engine DOES NOT run if I keep the key forward in the cranking position although spark is present. It will just VRM and die, every time.

If a float was stuck and fuel were dumping, I'd smell gas, which I don't. The engine doesn't stumble at all when trying to start, or when it dies. In fact, at first I thought there wasn't enough gas getting through the carb, so I pumped the pedal about 8 times, smelled gas, and it spit and popped a few times before I got a clean VRM again.

I'm going to disconnect my fuel line feeds from the carb and check those filters in the a.m., just to rule out a blockage there.


George,

I don't see any fuel in the secondary barrels at all. Nothing is squirting, and there is no pooling on the blades (they don't even look wet. Did your engine stumble when it happened to you? Were you blowing black smoke from the tailpipes? Did you smell gas?


John,

I have an MSD box, and my right arm pit can attest to it's 'jolt'! My MSD tach adapter bit the dust at the end of last season and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet, so I can't answer your 'tach needle' question. I guess I'll order a new one tonight so I can answer it. What does the needle's reaction tell you? I'm not sure what type of distributor I have, or whether it has points or not. I'll check that out in the morning. It may be a Mallory unit. It does have a vacuum advance, though. My answer to Marlin above should answer your 'spark & revolution' question.

There is a standard Ford coil that was replaced in Sept. 08 while on my way to Canada. That was the second or third one I replaced in 7 years, but each time, there was no spark at all. I'll try your vacuum advance disconnect in the morning. What would the vacuum indicate to you?


Larry,

Being an '86 car, the ignition key and tumbler are different than the earlier cars (I don't know if that makes a difference). I haven't had any key turning or other issues with the tumbler, but once or twice during all of this cranking, when turning the key back, it felt a touch like it catching, like I was using a newly cut key. I didn't think anything of it. It could have been the angle I was twisted into trying to look at the engine, or the speed at which I was turning it (too fast).


It was suggested to me that the gas could be bad. The gas in the tank is probably 6+ months old, but I think stumbling would be involved, maybe some popping too. My feeling is that it's electrical.

Michael