Car dies in gear...

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It's been running on and off all day. She's not cold.

The Intake is hot.
 
Your engine is suffering from one of two things; A) insufficient torque to drive the TC, or B) a too-tight or faulty TC.
Insufficient torque A), could be 1) lazy timing, 2) lazy compression, as in crossed wires, 3)Too-big fuel droplets,as in;restricted emulsion-tubes,restricted air bleeds, too-big IABs, or too-difficult a fuel pull-over, 4) a too-big plenum causing low airspeed,5) a too big carb causing too much loss of airspeed when going into gear, 6) slow gas; as in hi-test or stale, 7) some combination of the above.
Try this; get the rear wheels off the ground. Start her up and put her in gear. Let her idle. Start applying the brakes while watching the tach. If it stays running, what is the rpm difference from freewheeling to wheels stopped? If it stalls when the wheels stop turning,there's a good chance the TC is bad.
 
Wow, now that's a hell of a reply!

I know stuff always works right before it breaks bit dam the car was working...

:)

Cuz I'm sick of this car I'm gonna have pops take me to the shop and get the timimg light,.pull his busted transaxle out of the VW and I guess grab the floor jack and stands...

That's is some next level thinking buddy!!

Thank you for the idea!

If the torque converter is bad this car is sitting for a long time as I'm not putting a dime into the 318. I got a 512 stroker, 727 and Currie 9 inch sitting in the shop, just waiting for pops busted as VW to get out of my parking spot....

Thanks for the idea.
 
I'll soak the carb but i did spray it with cleaner and blow it out. That has always fixed any carb issues I had in the past.

I pulled it all apart and sprayed all the passages, then blew them out.

This car is a driver, she don't sit more that a few days so not.much time to build up varnish.
 
I'd put my bet on TC as well.

As soon as you put it in drive. The TC is putting a load on the engine. That load is too high, causing it to stall. Could be bad TC. Or the TC has too low a stall for the engine. Or the engine doesn't make enough torque. Considering it USED to run just fine. I'd go with bad TC.
 
I read your posts again and just wanted to verify that all you did was change the wires and carb before it started to act up. The headers and new intake were already installed and ran fine before? Double/triple check your wire routing.
Firing Order.jpg
 
So the car is up on stands and I'm still dumbfounded.

Idle in N is about 800 (with T port square 1 1/2 turns out), in drive with tires rolling, 500. Press the brake and the rpm drop and car dies.

Trans is low on fluid.

I forgot to grab the timing light but pops is bringing it home tonight.
 
A 300 rpm drop, with tires rolling speaks to a major torque loss, or the tranny is trying to get two gears at once.
Stepping on the brake and engine stalls, speaks to a major torque loss, or a vacuum leak inside the booster,clamp the hose, and try it again.
With your T-port now synced and 800rpm at idle, your timing looks to be right where it needs to be.

What does the vacuum gauge say during all this?
Have you done a compression test?
 
So this is strange, (or maybe not?)

I put a quart of ATF in the Trans and now it works....

So no change to the carb or anything besides adding fluid.
Idle rpm 800, drive RPM 550.

Idle vaccum in nutral 20", idle vaccum in drive with the brake on, 17".

I'm waiting for the car to warm up and the Trans to warm up, then I'm gonna take the car off the stands, check the Trans fluid and MAYBE go for a test drive! (If its still working once warm)

Could it have been as simple as putting fluid in?
 
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
You are still suffering a 250 rpm drop going into gear
I would estimate, that a stock 318 should idle at 650 in N/P and lose no more than 75/100 going into gear.
I think a stall test is in order.
 
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Put the car on the ground and now it don't work, insert a long string of scooby doo swear words here!!!

That realy sucks if if it is the torque converter as that means the car is down for the season....

I do t wanna put a dime or much time into this as it sits as I have a full new drive train waiting to go in.

I stoped my my machinist yesterday and told we may have to shorten the budget on the motor cuz I just can't afford to finish everything. Looks like the iron heads are going on after all and forced induction is out...

:(
 
Cope said:
Put the car on the ground and now it don't work, insert a long string of scooby doo swear words here!!!

That realy sucks if if it is the torque converter as that means the car is down for the season....

I do t wanna put a dime or much time into this as it sits as I have a full new drive train waiting to go in.

I stoped my my machinist yesterday and told we may have to shorten the budget on the motor cuz I just can't afford to finish everything. Looks like the iron heads are going on after all and forced induction is out...

:(
Click to expand...
Did you get to check the timing yet? Are the idle mixture screws adjusted the same as when it ran before?
 
I will today, it's so hot out right now I don't wanna be outside..

No changes to the carb.
1.5 turns out, t port square.
 
It was 63 here this morning at about 10 am. Then it started to cool off. Now it's maybe 55/57ish.
We did have this warm week last month where it got into the low 90s.......lol

Sorry about your troubles, stock TCs are cheap.
 
Shoot it's overy 100 degree and leaning over a engine that's at 180 ain't fun...

Thanks for all your help, I'll let you know how it goes.
 
My pops is 68 and he won't do it any more.
If it ain't on the bench or a machine he aint touching it.

That's where I come in...

He did some excellent rust repair for a buddy of mine and I was messing with him about why he won't fix my quarter panels, his reply was "you get em off and on the bench and they will look like new"....

We'll played pops, well played indeed....
 
Ok so I finally got around to putting the dailback light on the dart and found some strange timing...

30 degree advance at idle and 37 at 2,700...

I have no idea how that was even working and remember I haven't timed this car in 6 or 8 years so it's been running like that for a LONG time...

I reset the timing to 10, 27 and drove that sucker to the gas station!!

Just now Im realising that I set the timing with the vaccum advance hooked up so I'll pull the advance and check it again.
Of course I have to leave in like a half an hour to go to a graduation party with my lady and we have plans tomarrow so shiza. This weekend is shot but I was able to drive the car!!

Next I'm gonna reset the timing, pull the carb and reset it and see if it works..

Just goes to show, always check the stuff you think can't be a problem any way, like trans fluid and timing....

Epic face palm........
I'm gonna go hide for a while and feal very stupid.......

Thanks again!
 
Cope said:
Ok so I finally got around to putting the dailback light on the dart and found some strange timing...

30 degree advance at idle and 37 at 2,700...

I have no idea how that was even working and remember I haven't timed this car in 6 or 8 years so it's been running like that for a LONG time...

I reset the timing to 10, 27 and drove that sucker to the gas station!!

Just now Im realising that I set the timing with the vaccum advance hooked up so I'll pull the advance and check it again.
Of course I have to leave in like a half an hour to go to a graduation party with my lady and we have plans tomarrow so shiza. This weekend is shot but I was able to drive the car!!

Next I'm gonna reset the timing, pull the carb and reset it and see if it works..

Just goes to show, always check the stuff you think can't be a problem any way, like trans fluid and timing....

Epic face palm........
I'm gonna go hide for a while and feal very stupid.......

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Glad you didn't go out and buy a torque converter. When you bring the timing back, your idle RPM is going to decrease. Open the secondaries to compensate.
 
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