It's hot in the garage. Hoping for some ideas with this to save some sweatin'...
'68 Plymouth converted to electronic ignition years ago, FBO ECU, matching Pertronix coil, no ballast. Box mounts on the inside of the firewall, behind the glove box area. All components well grounded.
Firecore/Summit distributor. Alternator replaced about 3 years ago with a Napa unit.
3 times in the last month now my car has quit running during driving. I'll pull away from a light, it quits, diesels for a second like it wants to re-fire, but then dies...and I'm on the side of the road. It will crank over just fine but won't start. Each time I have swapped the coil and box and by the time I'm done futzing with that stuff, it has started and I've been able to get home.
However...It's done this with two separate boxes (one a new FBO) and different coils. It did it with a previous distributor and also a newer one---Same exact problem leads me to believe those parts aren't the root cause.
This was interesting--the last time it happened, after I got it started again, I noticed the ammeter needle sitting halfway between center and "C" and it stayed like that for the whole 3 mile ride home. Never seen it stay there that long before (even after sitting for a month) and if it happened the previous times I didn't notice it.
Come back out the next day; all is fine. Put the ECU and coil back in that were in it when the failure happened; all is fine. Never had any issues like this previously with this car. WTF.
I suspected my 20-year-old VR706 regulator so I replaced that last week. Since then I've driven it 3-4 times and no problems...so far.
I've checked all the wiring, looks okay. No 'opens' or shorts to ground when wiggling the associated wiring at various points.
It's gotta be in the ignition circuit, not start circuit or it wouldn't turn over, so I don't suspect the battery/connections unless someone has a different idea.
Ignition switch contacts? It's still the original.
There's always fuel in the carb bowls so I don't suspect fueling issue?
I realize it's near impossible to nail these things down over the 'net so I'm really just looking for anything I could test for if it happens again, voltage checks etc... Thanks
'68 Plymouth converted to electronic ignition years ago, FBO ECU, matching Pertronix coil, no ballast. Box mounts on the inside of the firewall, behind the glove box area. All components well grounded.
Firecore/Summit distributor. Alternator replaced about 3 years ago with a Napa unit.
3 times in the last month now my car has quit running during driving. I'll pull away from a light, it quits, diesels for a second like it wants to re-fire, but then dies...and I'm on the side of the road. It will crank over just fine but won't start. Each time I have swapped the coil and box and by the time I'm done futzing with that stuff, it has started and I've been able to get home.
However...It's done this with two separate boxes (one a new FBO) and different coils. It did it with a previous distributor and also a newer one---Same exact problem leads me to believe those parts aren't the root cause.
This was interesting--the last time it happened, after I got it started again, I noticed the ammeter needle sitting halfway between center and "C" and it stayed like that for the whole 3 mile ride home. Never seen it stay there that long before (even after sitting for a month) and if it happened the previous times I didn't notice it.
Come back out the next day; all is fine. Put the ECU and coil back in that were in it when the failure happened; all is fine. Never had any issues like this previously with this car. WTF.
I suspected my 20-year-old VR706 regulator so I replaced that last week. Since then I've driven it 3-4 times and no problems...so far.
I've checked all the wiring, looks okay. No 'opens' or shorts to ground when wiggling the associated wiring at various points.
It's gotta be in the ignition circuit, not start circuit or it wouldn't turn over, so I don't suspect the battery/connections unless someone has a different idea.
Ignition switch contacts? It's still the original.
There's always fuel in the carb bowls so I don't suspect fueling issue?
I realize it's near impossible to nail these things down over the 'net so I'm really just looking for anything I could test for if it happens again, voltage checks etc... Thanks