360 Chrysler running like crap cont...

[honestcharlie56]

HarryB, I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we would love to see a write up on this. Videos in the write up might get a beer sent to you, the possibilities are endless.

[bill]

Thanks

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/convert- ... to-gm-hei/

It may be on my bucket list
OR Sell it..
bill

[bill]

Okay I ran the starboard engine at the dock for about 45 minutes then it started losing power and stalled.
Would not start back up . I put a spark plug tester into the tower on the distributor and installed the coil wire. Then I put a spark plug tester on #7 spark plug. After the engine cooled I restarted it. I sat there watching the two testers . After about a hour I heard a light miss. I was watching the two spark plug testers. The one on the coil was still showing spark but the one on the #7 spark plug was not showing spark. I pulled the distributor off and just for the hell of it I checked the continuity form the top center post to the spring loaded carbon pencil inside the cap. There was none I had a spare cap I purchased from Auto Zone which was suppose to be made by Wells and after checking it for continuity and it was okay. I installed it and the engine fired right up. Tomorrow I will run it at the dock and report my findings. I am now in the process of finding a replacement cap made in the USA with brass contacts instead of aluminum.
bill

[Fastjeff]

Damn! When you can't count on new parts, what can you do?

Jeff

[honestcharlie56]

Clean old ones and reuse.

[bill]

FOUND THE PROBLEM
I believe the problem with the distributor cap is the center carbon pencil that makes contact with the rotor.



The carbon pencil is held against the rotor by a spring. My thinking is the continuity is lost some where in this link after the rotor and cap heat up.This pertains to the Chrysler 360 engine with original transistorized ignitions from the factory, with clip on caps. Mine is a 1975.

My fix will be changing caps every two years
bill
Hopefully this will end this posting.

[tundrarules]

That's great news! Saved some bucks for a little while.

Happy Boating

[Maestro]

Glad you found a solution! Hope you can make it to PIB now!

[bill]

Well now I could have saved myself a whole bunch of Aggravation by re-reading my old OCTOBER 7, 2014 posting.
Don't get old.
bill

BigM

Found caps made in USA made by WELLS and purchased at Auto Zone #AL 960



I had voltage meters on the output sides of the ballast resistor.
Well after running a little over 2 hours at the dock just idling , the port engine started missing and stalled. It would not restart. Did not loose voltage on the outputs from the ballast resistor . Ron disconnected the coil wire from the distributor and held it to a ground. I cranked it over and we got good spark. Hooked it back up and pulled a plug wire off #8 plug and held it to ground, nothing. Pulled the cap and checked the ohm resistance from the spring loaded carbon pencil to the top of the cap. Using my fluke, we pushed the carbon pencil into the cap, while keeping a eye on the reading. On compressing the spring. the fluke would change from a solid reading to an open line. I pulled on of my used caps out of the drawer and Ron installed it.
Hit the key and she started right up. We decided to take it out for short run. The port engine ran great, Mister starboard was a little sluggish. We headed back home and got almost all the way there and the starboard quit. It started right back up but stalled when put in gear. Got back to the dock and started to look at the starboard engine. Ran the check on the distributor cap and found the same problem. I remember replacing both these caps last fall they were SIERRA caps and rotors. Now to find some good caps hopefully made in the US.

Found caps made in USA made by WELLS and purchased at Auto Zone #AL 960

[bill]

Found this YouTube video.
Its worth a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tviHsB5LZzo
bill