Paul,
Change the coil and resistor and see what happens. I do believe a fellow MGB
club member had a similar problem and it turned out to be his coil. Coils
build up heat which is why they have oil to cool them down and also to
insulate them. Ballast resistors also heat up, naturally.
It's a hard call but seems to be the easiest thing to do. The oil could have
leaked from the coil a little at a time through a small crack. A cracked
coil also can make your car hard to start in humid/wet conditions. A friend
had that problem until we changed out the coil after a lot of head
scratching and changing almost everything in the ignition system.
Since you ran about 2 gallons through the fuel pump it shouldn't be that as
fuel pumps can get hot and fail too or if there was something being sucked
into your fuel pickup in the tank.
Good luck
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul" <9laser3@bright.net>
To: "Classic Datsun Motorsports" <dennis@classicdatsun.com>;
<datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2001 7:37 PM
Subject: Tech advice needed, 1600 ignition, (and then Sloan Racing news)
> When I start the car, It runs from 2 to 5 minutes before quitting, and
> then refuses to start. I thought it was a fuel problem but I just came in
> from going through the complete fuel system from the fuel filter to the
> return line. I have an electric fuel pump. Just replaced the fuel
filter.
> Ran 2 or 3 gallons of fuel without a problem. Both floats are new last
fall
> and are floating. Both needles in the float chambers open and close as
they
> should and the float levels are within tolerance. I blew back through
both
> the supply line and return line and received a lovely chorus of bubbles
from
> the tank. So, I think I have eliminated any thoughts of a fuel problem.
> Therefore...
>
> Ignition? Is there anything that would cause a failure of the ignition
> system after 3 or 5 minutes or running? The coil does not feel hot. One
> odd thing I noticed. My starter is wired to a push button switch under
the
> dash and All the key is necessary for is the ignition system and fuel
pump..
> The car did not want to start the first time I turned the key to ON and
hit
> the starter. But after turning the key to START several times, hitting
the
> starter button fired it right up. I have the coil wired straight to 12
> volts when I hit the starter button and through the ballast resistor when
> the key is at ON.
> So, am I looking at a failing ballast resistor? A hot short in the
coil?
> Any ideas?
>
> Paul
> BTW (non technical stuff to follow!), last night at about 8:30 I got a
> call from the Sloan Racing Garage. Through two cordless phones and 45
miles
> of phone lines, it was music to hear both motors fire and run for the
first
> time this season. It looks like we will still make it to our first race
> this coming weekend at Nelson Ledges. The new home grown fiberglass
fenders
> and trunk lids will not be ready yet, but the cars will be racing!
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