stalling issues

[1970Fm317]

Im having a serious problem with my car stalling when it is at an idle. it is random.. today i had it running for a couple minutes. maybe 10-15 just idling. turned it off. started it back up and it stalled within a minute. got it running again tightened some wires up went to test drive stalled instantly when i put it into gear. please anyone with a similar problem or a solution help!

 

[moparleo]

OK How about some detail. What engine, any mods ? Any recent changes that may have triggered this problem ? Photos of engine compartment.

 

[1970Fm317]

its got small block 340. basically stock no serious mods transmissions got a little work done to it not serious. cruising gears. its got the stock ignition system. the blue box and regulator is the only thing i didnt change yet. the box isnt bubbled or burnt on the back but it is the stock box. i think orange is the next best? i replaced the balance resistor coil and changed the distributor but that wasnt the problem so we put the original one that came with the car back on. it was a random wiring problem. we drove it for 3-4 months without problems. then we were preparing it for carisle and it started stalling all of the sudden losing the spark in the engine at random moments

 

[1970Fm317]

and if it makes a difference its got 2.76 gears in it and the stock starter

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Pick up coil in the dist ?

 

[1970Fm317]

like it says.. that only works half the time and we put a nice used dist from one of my dads old engines and still had the same problem. tomorrow i will be upgrading to an orange box

 

[burdar]

The new orange boxes are junk. THere have been a lot of orange box failures lately. Go buy a cheap box from a parts store. It will probably outlast the orange unit.

Also, make sure to check all bulkhead connections. Make sure there are no wires that look burnt. When you reconnect the harnesses to the bulkhead, use some dialectic grease to keep moisture out of the connections.

 

[moparleo]

Also give it the wiggle test. Seriously, while it is running try to wiggle the harness and any wires accessable, sometimes we have shorts under the insulation or connections.

 

[1970Fm317]

today i did what you guys suggested and nothing worked.. i ended up taking parts off my brothers 1973 challenger. the parts included a working dist and a chrome box instead of an orange. still the same problem. since winter is coming up we are throwing around ideas.. leo i did have some loose wires.. one i have a question on.. there is one wire that goes into the wiring harness that when i wiggle it or unplug it, it stalls completely.. it has a rigged connection that i crimped down but i cant seem to follow it when it goes under the dash. it goes from the underhood harness to the underdash harness and under the dash i lose it completely.. any ideas?

 

[1970Fm317]

also burdar, i used my brothers brand new chrome box.. brand new.. working perfect.. the car wouldnt start.. i ended up putting mine back on and it started up again but stalled also... im at a lose for what to do. my brother thinks that i should completely rip out the dash and harness and redo them.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

the wire color or position in the plug or where it originates would help determine what wire it is .

 

[1970Fm317]

well..... the car is completely rigged... most wires are not oem color and are in a wiring harness.. also when we were changing the timing to the new dist the timing light had an delay because spark plug 1 wasnt firing correctly.

 

[moparleo]

I have to agree with your brother. If the wiring is "rigged" you are doomed to fail. These cars had problems when the wiring was untouched. Normally found to be grounding issues. A new engine harness runs under $150.00. A new dash harness can run over $400.00 depending on year and gauge type. Or get your car to a reputable automotive electrical repair shop, and pay for their time. Keep a small fire extinguisher in your car. A good idea even if your car is fine, never know. Safety first.

 

[1970Fm317]

thank you for your help guys. i will just wait until winter

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Do you know what color the wire is . Have you checked the ammeter connections ,they can be intermittent . The best solution is connect both wires together on one post of the ammeter so the ammeter doesn't work . The next obvious problem is the large red wire at the bulkhead , it carries a lot of current & with any corrosion will make a lot of heat & melt the plug . The other bad part is the plug at the bottom of the column , it will often corrode or become loose there .

 

[1970Fm317]

i figured out the problem and fixed it. it was the ignition switch took a day to fix

 

[moparleo]

Are you talking about the wiring in the column ?