Plethora of Problems

Well, I thought I had all my issues figured out. Had the carb tuned pretty good, nice idle, good response, no miss. I took it for a spin and about halfway through it went back to running like a bad lung. Now, it will barely start when choked and won't idle at all unless its choked/ idle turned way, way up. Touching the gas or adjusting idle now makes it die and have a hard start condition. I put a new cap and rotor button on it, the old was pretty beat up. This didn't help the issue at all. 2 issues I have found so far is one of the studs on the ignition coil won't stay tight and the ballast resistor is hot to the touch. Anything else I can look for outside of these 2 problems? And can I do away with the ballast resistor?

 

what kind of ignition system? Did you by chance check your timing?

 

All stock set up with the V6. Timing is on. Its something that has gone wrong in the last few days.

 

when was last time you changed points and condenser

 

I went through this in the late Spring.

Start with easy. Check points and condenser. Check wires. Check coil. Check spark plugs. Check ignition circuit.

Tim

 

Points, or an air (vacuum) leak on the intake side, by your symptoms. Maybe a vacuum hose cracked or an intake gasket.

Otherwise possibly a passage or jet clogged in the carb.

 

Sounds an awful lot like you passed some crud into the carb and it is plugged up some where in the idle circuits.

 

I think you need a new coil...and yes, you need to keep the ballast resistor.

 

Has the same problem on my F134 about a week ago - started OK - would not idle once off the choke. It die at the street corner if I didn't keep up on the gas pedal. I could hear a sucking sound - and it turn out to be a huge vacuum leak below the carb where plug my vacuum gauge.

 

Still messing with it. Last few days have been a pain trying to get it going. Starter crapped out and I busted my knuckle on the fan. That was a dumb mistake. Waiting on another cap as well. The one I got is for a different setup, the only way it works is to put the wires on the wrong numbered plugs and even then it has a miss. Have a new coil, new points and condenser, all wires tight and clean. Hopefully correct cap and strong starter will get it running again. Have I left anything out? It seems to be a simple system, shouldn't be fighting it this much.

 

Coils come in more than one flavor. If you are using the ballast resistor then the coil will have to be for use with external resistor. If you got the coil with the built in resistor (For use without external resistor) then you need to bypass your existing ballast.

 

I hope that all will be correct soon. I had problems in the past and they are solved (for today!). The carburetor was dirty, and some other small things at the same time.

The solution will come. Members will help you.

 

2nd, third, or 4th-vacuum leak. If it still has the stock heater controls, that's where I'd probably start looking.

 

As was said previously when it changes suddenly it may be crud in the carb,try blowing air through the idle jets,with a little luck it may dislodge it,if not you will have to dismantel and clean the carb,crud could be coming from corrosion in the fuel line orif it is a rubber fuel line that could be deteriorating if it isn't compatible with ethynol in the gas.....good luck Jim