driving and died ...what ??

[Woodie]

I was on the way out taking the wife to an appointment in the early evening heat3 miles from home and 3 miles to go, changed lanes and rolled to a stop at a light. HEy!! it stalled,,what the??

Pulled over, tried the starter, it turned over, then nothing, tried again and it just turned over and over. thirty seconds in traffic, and I said "self move this little beast or somebody will move it for you" I did not even give the wife a chance to get out, I just started pushing from outside the drivers side while reaching in to steer. (isn't that how we do it when we are alone.)

Got it to a parking spot a few hundred feet from the corner. Popped the hood, ok dear turn the key, yup gas going through the filter (thank goodness for clear filters), Hmm only other thing I need is spark, but I have a pertronix and they last forever!?!?

Hey toolbox is in the trunk,,, and my old points are in there, I'll reinstall them and we will be on the wait a minute... I forget how to do this, I need my manual which is tucked away in the basement after Duncan (tosoutherncars) and I spent 5 hrs doing rear brakes and spring shackles on saturday. IT'S NOT IN MY TRUNK, GRR that darn Duncan,,,hmm lets look again, oh is that what I think it is, why yes, the #1 sparkplug wire is rubbing against the wb lead at the coil, and it looks why yes its has worn the wire and broken it. darn smoke got out. Pulled the connector, trimmed a bit of wire, spliced a new spade connector on reconnected, loosedned the coil and turned it so the sparkplug wire did not rub, and TADA we were on our way.

It actually took me longer to type this than to go from stalling to fixed. Gotta love simple cars !!

SSSHHH my wife thinks I am a genius to have fixed a broken down car on the side of the road....

 

[jlaird]

Hehe, well done. Nice write up.

 

[Pythias]

My pertronix failed, but it too wasn't a failure of the unit itself, rather it was sloppy installation on my part. I allowed the rotor to rub the wire inside the dizzy. .. when it wore thru, i was stranded... a $250 tow bill as i hadn't the forethought to carry spare points!. I converted to the CRANE 700, paying more attention to installation DETAILS.

AND now i carry a spare dizzy completely set up with point and condensor. IF the Crane fails its a quick dizzy swap.....

On the other hand i have yet to hear of a CRANE unit failing. doesn't mean they don't, just i haven't heard.

 

[jvandyke]

One thing I want to do eventually is install a Crane Cams XR700 that I pulled off my Opel GT. My '63 Midget is still positive earth, does the 700 care? I think the newer ones don't mind. I should probably just convert to negative earth anyway I guess. I'm also not sure the shutter I have is correct, would you happen to have a picture of yours installed in the dizzy?

 

[PeterC]

Woodie, I have to ask.... did you notice if the tachometer was moving while you were cranking? If it wasn't, then that would point you to the low tension side of the ignition as being at fault... which it was. The tach needle will not move if there is no triggering of the LT. (unless you have a mechanical tach)

I advocate using the tach as a diagnostic tool, obviously.

Good job seeing the problem! But you might have spent too long looking at the fuel. Enjoy!

Peter C.

 

[DrEntropy]

:lol:

SSSHHH my wife thinks I am a genius to have fixed a broken down car on the side of the road....

...and aren't we ALL geniuses for driving these cars anyway? :laugh:

Th' genius is in the fact we pilot straightforward cars, eminently "fixable" at the roadside. :thumbsup:

 

[tosoutherncars]

Oh, I see how it is!! I help fix stuff, and then I get blamed when unrelated stuff breaks down?

Boy, I'm almost glad I forgot to tighten all those brake fittings... :wink:

-Duncan

 

[Woodie]

HAHA no no I was not blaming,,,just having fun I know you were no where near the engine. Next up rear shocks in early august after my holidays

 

[Sarastro]

:lol:

SSSHHH my wife thinks I am a genius to have fixed a broken down car on the side of the road....

...and aren't we ALL geniuses for driving these cars anyway? :laugh:

Just goes to show that there is a fine line between genius and lunatic.

 

[evic1]

we are having the same issue! Been reading all the threads we can find about hard starts-ignition failure. Seems to happen when the car sits overnight-not always, but starts on turning the key back-changed the ignition switch-still acting up. Changed the starter solenoid-still not fixed. Once the car does fire up it has a tendancy to die out for the first 15-20 minutes of operation. Not fuel because popping the clutch has no effect-it will start when it is ready!Died three times on the way to work this am-that makes 4 days in a row!!
Has factory electronic ignition-should we repalce it? With which kind? I have been driving midgets since '83 and have never had this problem before-lucky I guess. Hubby is a small engine tech now-used to work at a 5 star dodge dealership so he knows his way around a spanner. Will check the tach thing when it acts up again(tomorrow).

sorry if we hyjacked your thread, Woody-I'm going to get a bit greasy now and check those wires again! Thanks