Can you remember if the tach died the instant the engine cut or continued
registering until you dipped the clutch or knocked it out of gear? If the
tach was still registering at least the ignition LT circuit was still good,
could be ignition HT, timing or fuel.
A weak spark i.e. yellow can be caused by a bad condenser (if you had one,
presumably not) - it should be blue, make a sharp 'crack' and be able to
jump at least 1/4".
Could be anything in the ignition electronics which can only be checked by
substitution - idealy a standard points system.
If it was the ballast you almost certainly wouldn't be getting any spark at
all, as with a bad coil.
Check the timing.
Single carb? Could be that.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
From: Eugene Balinski <eugeneb@nni.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 12:53 AM
Subject: Sudden Engine Stoppage - No restart
> Listers,
>
> I need a little help. I was travellng along a highway when the engine
> in my 80 B decided to quit. I was accellerating smartly in third gear just
> getting ready to
> shift into forth when the car lost power and I had to pull off to the
> side of the road. There was no restart. I did check to see that it was
> getting
> gas - or at least the gas filter was full. To dangerous a location to
> do much else. Nearly got hit by a Mustange doing better than 80 trying to
> do a breakdown
> lane pass - when I was stopped in the break down lane ! The car was
towed
> (flatbed) home.
>
> I had a chance to look at it today. I did a quick check and the spark
> seemed weak.
> I checked this by pulling a spark plug, resting it on the block and had
someone
> crank the engine. So just as a precaution, I replaced the plugs, wires,
rotor,
> and cap. Still weak spark and no start. No biggie, it needed it anyway.
> BTW by weak, I mean that the spark is yellow in color and thin.
>
> The PO installed a Crane X-700 module. I believe that he also installed
> some sort
> of device to eliminate the points. The device is connected to the Crane
module
> by wires that run through a notch in the distributor, and not through the
> standard
> connector on the side of the disrtibutor.
>
> The coil is an unknown type, but it does say that it must be used wth a
> ballast
> resistor. It could be stock.
>
> Does anyone have any idea what might be going on ? Is this type of
> failure indicitive of
> a bad ballast resistor ? Maybe a coil that has opened up although I wold
> think an
> open coil would mean no spark at all. Perhaps the Crane module has gone
bad ?
>
> I would be appreciative of any/all suggestions.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Gene Balinski
>
> 80 B
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