Stalling/missing

I am having a similar problem. My car sat for a couple of months. I took it out for a spin the other day and after about an hour cruising along it just died. I coasted to a stop and tried to start her up again but nothing. After about 10 minutes it finally started and I was able to get back home without any signs of problems. The next day I clean the carb out with spray carb cleaner and take it for a spin after 15 minutes the car just dies like it did before and after 5 minutes it starts back up and I make it home without any signs of problems. 3 weeks later I take it out again and stop off in a parts store when I come out it won't start. After about 4 hours it starts up and takes me home fine. I haven't been able to duplicate it since and I am afraid to take it out now.

When it is giving me the problem, the starter will turn but the motor won't catch. It acts like it is out of gas, but it is not. Any ideas?

Sounds like "vapor lock".
Boss Wrench?

Have you tried replacing the fuel filter?

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Originally posted by rudy123395:
Car was running fine until a slight miss was encountered, then barely running until it stalled out. After coasting to a stop, it would start for about 30 seconds and conk out again. Did this a couple of times and eventually got home. Felt like it was out of fuel, but gauge showed 1/4. Put in 2 gallons of gas, no problem starting or getting to gas station, filled up with 12 gallons. Car probably sat for a long time before I got it. What's going on?

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try a can of heat, it sounds like water in the tank

When this kind of thing happens ,start with the basics.Are you getting gas or spark?Gas is the easiest to check for.Pull off your air cleaner and pump the carb by hand.You should see two steady streams of gas shoot in the throat of the carb.If you dont,it could be a plugged filter,bad pump,or out of gas(dont always trust your gauge).You could also have too much gas were a float has been stuck open with some grit(Holleys mainly)and the car is flooding .For spark pull off one plug wire and put it near a ground.If no spark there pull the coil wire and check again.If spark there bad rotor or cap or a sheared roll pin in the dist.If no spark there either check your points or ign. module if electronic.Good luck

1: everyone should have a port to tap into fuel psi while the engine is running if not while driving. 2: state what kind of ignition system you have. this helps in diagnosis.

I had a very similar problem on a 351c car, non-pantera. It would start and run ok slow, if I got into it at all, it would run poorly. Then, if I shut it off, it wouldn't restart for an hour or so. Fix turned out to be tons of corrosion on battery cable, points burned and not making solid contact.

YMMV.

My problem was burned points/closed gaps on a dual point distributer. Could be a clogged fuel filter, Don't forget the fuel filter INSIDE the carbureter INLETS! Yes! could be flooding from foreign matter stuck in the needle/seat. Also sounds like FUEL PUMP is working intermittently. And WATER in the FUEL(you DO have a DRAIN in the bottom of the tank). Could be distributer will NOT hold dwell setting because of worn bushings; or bad rotor and/or rotor cap. Also check for GOOD grounding AT THE DISTRIBUTER HOUSING(there is suppose to be a ground wire going from the frame to the housing!)!! A lot of owners have looked and looked, and finally came up with a BAD IGNITION COIL. Good-Luck with it, Marlin.

All My problems disapeared when I went from points to an electronic ignition. Marlin.

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Originally posted by madguy:
I am having a similar problem. My car sat for a couple of months. I took it out for a spin the other day and after about an hour cruising along it just died. I coasted to a stop and tried to start her up again but nothing. After about 10 minutes it finally started and I was able to get back home without any signs of problems. The next day I clean the carb out with spray carb cleaner and take it for a spin after 15 minutes the car just dies like it did before and after 5 minutes it starts back up and I make it home without any signs of problems. 3 weeks later I take it out again and stop off in a parts store when I come out it won't start. After about 4 hours it starts up and takes me home fine. I haven't been able to duplicate it since and I am afraid to take it out now.

When it is giving me the problem, the starter will turn but the motor won't catch. It acts like it is out of gas, but it is not. Any ideas?

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This sounds like two different problems. My NASCAR mechanic thinks it may be ugnition related but also suggested I out in some "dry gas". Cars going in soon for a clutch slave cylinder so they will check it out.

The second problem, which my other Pantera (yea, I have 2 right now) has the intermittent hot start problem. Hi torque starter should spin it with no problem. NASCAR guy thinks carb is flooding engine and it takes 1 1/2 hours to drain down the cylinders and start up. It's getting checked too.

Sound like the car is simply running out of gas. Some Panteras have a problem with the "final filter"- a nylon sock over the fuel line pickup inside the tank.The socks build up varnish over time,plugging them, so the pump cannot draw enough fuel. If its an early car, the pickup line is welded to the inside of the tank so the sock cannot be serviced. On later cars, its part of the sending unit for the gauge & can be removed. I suggest removing it; on an early, what works is to disconnect the top banjo fitting and loosly hook an air line, to blow the plugged sock off the line. Done properly, the sock splits & falls off. Too much air & the tank blows up like a metal balloon & cracks.

Another thing- Holleys have sintered bronze fuel filters (2) inside their fuel inlets. These are well known for plugging up, causing the problem you are seeing. Throw the sintered bronze filters away & get a good paper filter. FYI, those cute li'l glass filters are dangerous & should not be used, either. The aftermarket filter should be between the tank & pump, not between pump & carb, so the filter is not pressurized. Open track events do not allow such filter hookups, for safety's sake.

Okay I checked the carb and it seems to be working fine. I think it is ignition related because I started it up in the driveway and ran it for about 5 minutes. I shut it off and tried to start it and it wouldn't start. I looked in the carb while pulling the linkage and gas was streamed out. I then checked for spark at the #8 plug it was intermittent. I then checked at the coil and it sparked once and then nothing. I let it sit for about 8 hours tried it again and the spark was good and strong so I plugged the coil wire back in and it started right up. My car has an aftermarket Mallory electronic ignition with adjustable timing could it be this or maybe a bad coil? Does anyone know how to tell which one?

i personally have had bad luck with mallory componet along with a coluple other partners. time to upgrade to and msd or jacobs ignition sys. there is also www.davessmallbodyheis.com

I have a Mallory Unilite, and had an intermittent problem, as you describe. The car would run fine for awhile, then shut off. After a couple of minutes, it would start and run again. Turns out it was the module inside of the distributor. I replaced it, and have no problems since. Be sure to use the dielectric grease that is supplied with the new module.

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Originally posted by Paul V:
I have a Mallory Unilite, and had an intermittent problem, as you describe. The car would run fine for awhile, then shut off. After a couple of minutes, it would start and run again. Turns out it was the module inside of the distributor. I replaced it, and have no problems since. Be sure to use the dielectric grease that is supplied with the new module.

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I don't think that is my problem. I tested the spark at the coil and it would only spark once when I removed the coil wire from the distributor and cranked the engine.