Reply to "Quit Running"

Richard,

I've seen ignition modules and the pick up in the distributor both make a car behave that way when they are failing, the motor dies, then works okay for a while, then dies again. In other words, they don't die completely, they fail intermittently, more often than not heat related (the motor will restart when the ignition cools off).

An egr valve that sticks open will also kill a motor at idle, but they don't cause backfiring. I'm asuming you don't have an egr system since you have a Holley carby.

Engines backfire when the exhaust system collects unburned fuel, because the ignition isn't igniting all the cylinders, or because the fuel system is running very rich. So the fact your engine was backfiring before it died tells me to suspect those two things.

A dirty fuel filter will allow a car to start & idle just fine, but will make the motor lurch under load like going up a hill, due to a lean condition, not a fuel rich condition. Carburetor floats that sink or are saturated make the car run rich and make it hard to keep it idling. But once saturated, carburetor floats don't work OK again. When they are dead, they are dead. Same thing goes for crud stuck in the fuel bowl needle, once it is stuck open, they stay stuck open.

That is why my first impression, based on the info you've provided, I lean towards suspecting the ignition. Intermittent problems are normally electrical.

Get yourself an aerosol can of that electronic "freeze" stuff. When the motor dies again, spray the ignition module to cool it off and see if that brings the motor back to life. Or just install a new module, and drive the car. If that's a Mallory Unilite dizzy, well, I've written warnings here before. The Unilite will cause problems from time to time.

There is also the possibility the voltage supplying your ignition system is on the borderline of being too low, due to high resistance in the ignition switch.

good luck my friend

cowboy from hell