Stalling/power loss while driving?

[homecloned]

Just want to ask a quick question. The other day while out driving I was passing a slower car and everything seemed fine. Good kickdown response and power. Then the car has a small backfire and I lose all power. I coast into a turn lane and stop. Car fires right back up. Drive a couple of miles and it dies again, but with no backfire this time. Again it starts right up after I stop. This has happened a few times now but not everytime I drive. So I guess my question is what might be the cause of this? I know I have not given all the info and specs needed but was hoping for a idea on where to start looking as the cause of this. Coud it be a bad ballast resistor?

Thanks for any responses.

 

[onecatnodog]

Pull the dist. cap and look at the rotor... Grab the lower front pulley on the engine and move it slightly counter clockwise, then clockwise.. If the rotor in the dist. doesn't move with the movement of the lower pulley you have a timing chain that is ready to fail... Check this out to take that off your list...
:read2:John(onecatnodog)

 

[homecloned]

Pull the dist. cap and look at the rotor... Grab the lower front pulley on the engine and move it slightly counter clockwise, then clockwise.. If the rotor in the dist. doesn't move with the movement of the lower pulley you have a timing chain that is ready to fail... Check this out to take that off your list...
:read2:John(onecatnodog)

Thanks John. This is a fresh stock rebuild so they are new. I did think for a second that meybe it jumped timing because of the slight backfire, but it runs and idles fine otherwise. I need to see what the timing is set at again.

 

[bcuda452]

What type of ign system? Points? Electronic? If points, could be a bad condensor, if electronic, could be a bad box, maybe a plugged fuel filter, the backfire could be either, have to check the basics and go from there

 

[homecloned]

What type of ign system? Points? Electronic? If points, could be a bad condensor, if electronic, could be a bad box, maybe a plugged fuel filter, the backfire could be either, have to check the basics and go from there

Its electric bcuda452. I gave the fuel system some thought as well. My filter is clear so I can see fuel in it. What I need to do is the next time it happens just stop and look under the hood.

 

[bcuda452]

good call, keep us informed, well get this sorted out, no problem.........

 

[memike]

Just throwing this out there homecloned :happy10:
Is the dist a new one ? how much wobble on the shaft.
Engine grounded good to the frame and fire wall, ecu could be loosing ground under flex and driving condition, a bad ground will make it get hot and miss a reading and go bad as soon as it get hot.
You knew I had to put my 2 cents in :-D Keep us updated and I hope you get this figured out soon :happy10:

 

[1969dodgedartgt]

mm
not sure. if you got pieces to replace ignition system try replacing piece by piece and isolate whats bad..
maybe check if coil is always sparking when it should.

replace dist, fix prob? no -> put back
replace coil, fix prob? no -> put back
replace box, fix prob? no -> put back

maybe this is only happening when your low on fuel and getting a bad fuel clog down at the tank???

 

[homecloned]

good call, keep us informed, well get this sorted out, no problem.........

Thanks.

Just throwing this out there homecloned :happy10:
Is the dist a new one ? how much wobble on the shaft.
Engine grounded good to the frame and fire wall, ecu could be loosing ground under flex and driving condition, a bad ground will make it get hot and miss a reading and go bad as soon as it get hot.
You knew I had to put my 2 cents in :-D Keep us updated and I hope you get this figured out soon :happy10:

Not a new one memike but its in real good shape as far as how it seats on the drive shaft, which is a new one. Ground is good, I scraped the paint off engine and firewall connections. This does happen after its been driven a few miles and things are warmed up.

mm
not sure. if you got pieces to replace ignition system try replacing piece by piece and isolate whats bad..
maybe check if coil is always sparking when it should.

replace dist, fix prob? no -> put back
replace coil, fix prob? no -> put back
replace box, fix prob? no -> put back

maybe this is only happening when your low on fuel and getting a bad fuel clog down at the tank???

Good idea 1969dodgedartgt. I do have some extra stuff around. I will do the one piece at a time and see what happens.

I don't think, but am not ruling out a fuel problem. When I first got the car 8 years ago I had issues with vapor lock and this is nothing like that. When it dies it just looses power, no sputtering or bogging at all. Its just like I turned it off.