Starting issues

[RacerX]

you need a points based distributor to switch to pertronix. that's a motorcraft electronic ignition with a pick up coil in the distributor, external control box and regular coil. the control boxes were notorious for going bad without warning.

Go to the local auto parts store, get a points based distributor and then rotate the engine to top dead center with the rotor pointing to number 1 spark plug wire ( first front cylinder, right hand side of engine). Then you can pull that duraspark distributor and put in the points based one and set it exactly the same as the one coming out.

Then hook it up an try starting the car. should fire right up. Then you can install the pertronix module and then set the timing per the factory recommendation. probably at 6 degrees before top dead center.

Thank you for your service in the military. Let us know how we can help.

 

[droptop73]

Dash, If you're running a Cleveland (or a 429) PM your address and I can get a points distributor heading your way.

 

[Dashbrazil]

Well thanks to Jeff I've got the new distributor in and the engine starts up but the power feels shallow and putting it in drive stalled it. It can rev fine in park and neutral though. I figured that the carb is probably gunked with starting fluid over the past three months of not firing so I'm going to check the timing and clean it out a little. It stutters quite a bit so I'm hoping it's just a little clogged up after sitting so long.

 

[droptop73]

Where is the timing set? If it is a stock 351c start at about 10 BTDC.

 

[supercoupe]

maybe I can help since I'm only down the road from you and love to swap stories as well.

 

[Dashbrazil]

Well I put the pertronix and new 12v coil in and now it Idles amazing. Better than it has before. I can rev it to redline and it feels powerful, but any gas in drive or reverse and it still stalls. I'm at a loss as to what the problem could be at this point.

 

[goodnigh]

How much manifold vacuum are you pulling?

mike

 

[Dashbrazil]

I have to go and buy a vacuum gauge still. I basically have a full toolbox in the trunk of the car now. I can't get back to the car until Friday now though. It's confusing that the vacuum would be an issue as it wasn't before the car started sitting and I've checked the lines. I also noticed that shifting the car between drive, 2nd and 1st I don't feel the transmission shift. Maybe I knocked a line loose when I was replacing the starter? I've never done anything with vacuum lines before but I have the chapters bookmarked in my manuals so I'll read through all those tonight and get up to speed.

My radio and a few lights aren't on though the alternator and battery are fine I noticed right as the taxi drove up so I wasn't able to check the fuses. Is a sensor in the tranny maybe disconnected? I haven't bypassed the resistor wire to the Pertronix yet either as I just wanted to see if it'd even get started up today so I'm picking up some extra wire tomorrow to bring back next weekend for it. Instead of the flamethrower I have it on a Blaster II coil.

I'd have hired a mechanic by now but I'm learning too much about my car this way despite how inconvenient this is. I miss my 2005 where all I had to do was check a code sometimes. I feel like whatever is wrong must be incredibly simple at this point, as the engine definitely sounds healthier than it's been in the past with all I've replaced and cleaned up the past four months. A big improvement in starting and idling with the pertronix too. The starter turns over at a snail pace until I push on the gas, then it fires up immediately. In drive and reverse she'll start moving on her own but if I put gas in the equation she stalls.

@Supercoupe that sounds like a good idea, PM me your number and maybe we can meet up when my schedule opens up hopefully this weekend or the next.

 

[goodnigh]

You can tell a lot about how an engine is behaving with a vacuum gauge.

Pick 3 or 4 random intake manifold bolts and check their torque.

Checking the torque on the intake bolts is a scheduled maintenance

event recommended by Ford for these engines.

You say the car moves on its own until you step on the gas... vacuum issue I think.

mike

 

[Dashbrazil]

I read I can try to spray some water near the manifold edges to see if there's a leak. I'll pick up the gauge tomorrow too. I have a 4bl Edelbrock and a new performer in the trunk, I may just put that on and torque it right.

 

[hyena429]

{thumbs up} Vac Gauge...I did circles around my car..Buying new carb and manifold....thinkin my old one was giving me issues...No change...Tune up..No change..Was running rougher every day...spend alot of money on quick fixes.....Didnt smoke ..Would idol just fine and rev just great..But in gear it was acting odd and falling on its face if you stomped it...I attached a vac gauge and it was reading in the red...Horrible vacume....Come to find out my cam went flat and some one did a crappy hone job and left a rag in my motor...Im lucky it didnt blow up after 15 years of driving it...lol..If you got a manifold leak or even a valve issue it will show you on the vac.....Instead of throwing darts at it like i did..lol

 

[goodnigh]

I read I can try to spray some water near the manifold edges to see if there's a leak. I'll pick up the gauge tomorrow too. I have a 4bl Edelbrock and a new performer in the trunk, I may just put that on and torque it right.

Not sure about water. If you put the Performer on the torque settings

are different than a stock Ford intake. I did not know that until we replaced the Performer with the stock cast iron intake.

mike

 

[Dashbrazil]

Sounds good then. I'll see if maybe the distributor is the issue when I put it in as that's the only vacuum leak I could think of as having been made since I started, but I'll just look over all the lines again too just to be sure. It's good that I'm finally narrowing this down.

 

[droptop73]

Michael check the transmission lines too. Spray some carb cleaner or WD 40 around the intake, carb and vacuum lines, If the RPM picks up you've found your leak.


Michael check the transmission lines too. Spray some carb cleaner or WD 40 around the intake, carb and vacuum lines, If the RPM picks up you've found your leak. Don't overlook the timing, cranking slow sounds like timing that's too far advanced.


Michael check the transmission lines too. Spray some carb cleaner or WD 40 around the intake, carb and vacuum lines, If the RPM picks up you've found your leak. Don't overlook the timing, cranking slow sounds like timing that's too far advanced.

 

[Dashbrazil]

Well I got my propane torch and went to work looking for that vacuum leak and the man shut me down! :\ Apparently the apartment complex she's been sitting in doesn't want to hear a loud muscle car in the parking lot anymore according to the firm but kind manager . So I have until Saturday to get it moved so I'm just going to call a shop tomorrow and have it towed in for the final quick fix and hope they don't try to charge me to the moon since I did all the legwork! Can't wait to get out of this tiny base and back to a place I can have my own garage :dodgy: If only I had more time than a few hours on Sundays to get over there. Thanks for all the help though, especially Jeff for that distributor!

 

[droptop73]

Sorry to hear your neighbors are giving you trouble. I guess you are too close to San Francisco. Best wishes on getting it running properly. Do some research and find a real mechanic, some do not know what to do if they cannot hook a scan tool to it! LOL

 

[c9zx]

It amazes me how a society that is so enthusiastic in embracing diversity in human behavior and culture has become so intolerant of anything that is not deemed to be politically correct. Hopefully your next post will be in an area that abides by "it's a free country". I hope you get the car problem sorted out and thank you for your service to our country. Chuck

 

[Dashbrazil]

Well she's back up and running, not sure where the vacuum leak was since I didn't get to talk to the mechanic yet but the receipt says thats what they took care of. Just one more day without the neighbors complaining and it'd have been free!! Lol Oh well, at least now I can drive again. My friend said he'd let me use his second garage now that the ex-misses is gone so for a while I can actually get some good cleanup done without being in a raining parking lot! Thanks for all the help everyone though I really appreciated it!

 

[droptop73]

That's good news Michael, enjoy putting some miles on that beast!

 

[goodnigh]

My apartment complex has underground parking but I never use it. Starting the Mustang at 0400 would set off every car alarm in the building.

So I park outside just to be a "good neighbor". The management likes the idea saying I am trying to be a good neighbor. They admit there is

nothing wrong with the car, it just is what it is. People tell me motorcycles make plenty of noise in the morning and they park downstairs. I

explain while noisy, they don't trigger the seismic monitors at Moffett field like the Mustang.

mike