Engine just shuts down

[James J.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

Phil & Chuck, points ignition. No electronics
Paul, while idling in my driveway and able to check, never a loss of primary voltage to the coil and with timing light connected, no loss of spark, so I don't believe it could be a loose connector.
I just checked my CSV as you suggested but it passed the suck test.

[Anthony P.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

I might think about checking the ground wire under the points plate, if the advance pulls the plate it could agitate a broken/brittle wire and loose the point ground. just a thought.

[James J.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

Tony, thanks for the suggestion. I should have mentioned that when I started having this problem, I was running a Pertronix II ignition. I have since changed back to the original points system to remove that possibility.

Jim

[Frank D.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

I would double check those bulkhead connectors as previously suggested. They cause the "big red wire" symptom often in our 50+ year old cars....my '63 had an issue with corrosion and a bent pin in the connectors which caused intermittent problems.

[William F.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

Where do you get new twin lock connectors and how do you remove old 1 and install a single new one?

[George J.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

Two checks after it has died and will crank but won't start. Pull a spark plug, as has been said before, and hold it close to something metal while cranking. If it doesn't spark you know it's electrical. If it does spark, undo one of the spider lines at the nozzle block, but a plastic Ziploc over it and crank. Have someone help. My guess is, if you have spark, no fuel will come out. It will be either no spark, or no fuel. My bet is the fuel pump on the engine. Weird things happen when they start to go.

George

[Dennis O.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

Where do you get new twin lock connectors and how do you remove old 1 and install a single new one?

I got them from an outfit called "Delmar Wiring". They are on the web. They have a minimum order of 25, which I ordered because I needed a couple, so as you can imagine, I have a few spares. I have 2 sizes; 14-16 gauge and 18-20. The 12 gauge ones don't seem to be available, but I think the 14-16's could be made to work. I am selling my extras for $2.00 each, postage included. Send me a check or a couple of bucks with your address, and I'll send you some. I purchased a universal pin removal tool from Amazon that works to remove the connectors from the plastic housing; you will need a little careful work with a Dremel and a small pair of pliers to remove the connector from the wire. You should also have a special crimper tool that crimps the metal wire and the insulation at the same time. Luckily for me, my neighbor is a retired electronics engineer and had the proper crimper. I think I could convince him to lend it out with the proper deposit (it cost over $100 new).

There are some "nay-sayers" around who will tell you that the eleventh commandment of "Corvetteism" is "Thou shalt not attempt to repair bulkhead connections", but it turned out fine for me. I posted a thread about this on the C1-C2 section of "the Corvette Forum" complete with pictures, if you're interested. The only problem would be if the plastic housing has been overheated enough to cause it to start melting which can make removal of the connector pin difficult if not impossible.

PM me if interested.

[James J.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

Finally got to the point of running for only 30 seconds on high idle before shutting down. Never lost spark and mechanical fuel pump was supplying plenty of fuel. I finally gave up trying to find the problem myself and called Jerry Bramlett. He suggested that if I could slowly spray starting ether into the air meter as it was dying and the engine picked back up and ran, it was a problem with the FI unit. It ran on the ether, so off the FI unit went to Jerry. Turns out that the needle/seat valve had loosened to the point that very little fuel was getting into the fuel bowl before the float shut off the flow. Repairs have been made and the unit is on it's way back.
Thank you to everyone for suggestions of what to look for. This has certainly been an education.

Jim Jasper

[John S.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

James,
Thanks for the update as all of us L84 guys need to know/learn this stuff. Just to be clear, you are saying that the seat started unscrewing to the point that the needle was always partly closed even when the fuel bowl was not full? Thanks again.

[James J.]

Re: Engine just shuts down

John,
Yes, that was the explanation that I got from Jerry. It had unscrewed about 1 1/4 turns and the gear pump was only about 1/2 submerged when the float shut the needle valve. With that small amount of fuel in the bowl, the pump started sucking air pretty quick.

Jim Jasper