Hey Guys!

Kevin here. I have a 1973 440 Magnum Charger with a 69 Charger block. This summer I have had several issues with starting etc, details posted after current issue.

My engine has normally been a very smooth running engine and when idling the hood hardly moves. Recently when I start it up it idles really roughly (like it is only running on 6 or 7 cylinders) and as it warms up it does not get much better. I also do not have the usual power I am used to having. The engine seems to "lope" when it idles. Also when I slow down to stop at lights or due to another driver slowing down etc, the idle seems low and very rough... and if I do not put it into neutral (where the idle is higher) it stalls.

I checked my distributer and found 2 spark plug wires were a bit loose (at least the boots on the distributer were) so I pushed them in. I also noted that the wire from the ignition coil was not as tight as it could be (it could be a bit longer) so I pushed it on as well. No change.

I then checked to see if the spark plugs had the right wires and this is the order they were in on the distributer 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 going counter clockwise.

Do I need to retime it? is it possible that the rotor was put in backwards? Sorry, I have not done a lot of "under the hood work" in the past decade, been too busy with work and being a single father.

I had a lot of work done this summer and I think that something may have been bumped or misplaced by a mechanic. Issues started this spring with my starter needing to be replaced. Then I had a fire on my wiring harness and had to get a new one from Year One (which meant my car sat for 3 weeks while I waited for the part). I then replaced my battery as well. After heading out for vacation I still had a stalling and then restarting problem (engine would start guaranteed when cold but maybe yes maybe no after that... and if no then 5-10 min later it would start). So I took my car to a trusted mechanic where I was vacationing. Most of my ignition parts were still original so I could understand there being issues. We wound up replacing the ballast resister, ignition control module, solenoid, all the spark plugs and I had a tuneup.

Still had a problem. Car ran smoothly though. We then replaced the ignition rotor, ignition pickup and ignition coil wire. Car might have been rougher then, do not recall for sure. Took it back in since there was still an intermittent starting issue (it was better but still had some times where was dead and battery was not charging). Found out my ignition switch was fried where it plugged into another set of wires so that was changed and I had my key changed at the same time (previous owner had broken it off in the lock). Now it started every turn. When I picked up the car at the end of the work day on that Friday, I had to hurry off since they had been sent a faulty voltage regulator and I needed to get one (easy to install anyways) that night. Engine did seem rough.

I had to head home on the Monday and the engine was rough until the temperature was high, even then not as smooth as I remembered it (but when driving does not seem as rough) so made my way home. Engine idled high enough on its own that I did not stall. (had a 400 mile drive so engine got hot and stayed hot).

What might have been installed wrong? What should I test first?

Thanks for reading
KK

PS when they changed the ignition coil wire the new one is shorter than my old one. My solenoid is on the firewall not on the engine as would be the case for a 73, and so I think the wire they got from their supplier was intended for the solenoid on the engine.

sounds to me like you could have an air leak.spray some brake clean around the in take and carb base and see if it kills the motor or picks up idle.OH,one more thing,I HEAR YA ON THAT SINGLE FATHER THING

Eng off, take out both idle mixture screws & shoot a 2 second blast of starting fluid into each port w the thin red nozzle then replace the screws & count the # of turns to lightly seated b 4 removal to easily return them to their exact orig position. If no ch then new plugs/wires EDIT reread & saw the plugs are new & assuming he checked/ohmed the wires. check/inspect the pickup gap

Hi there!

Thanks for the thoughts! Does an air leak seem coincidental since my rough idle started after the distributer had a rotor and pickup coil put in? Hence my thought that something may have been jostled?

thanks
KK

Hi there!

I do not know if he tested the spark plug wires. He may have only inspected them. I have not changed them in a long time, maybe even 10 years. He said they looked ok.

The idle reminds me of the time when I had some work done on an exhaust leak and a spark plug wire was not seated properly (ie was partially knocked off). At that time I just pushed it back on and all was well.

I tested my idle last night by firing up the car and sitting in park. Engine was still warm enough to not go into a morning cold fast idle. Idled fine (but a bit rough) in park. When I revved it you could hear/feel the roughness. I put my foot on the break and put it in drive (simulating sitting at lights). Immediately idle dropped, engine seemed fairly rough and within 15 seconds I stalled.

On your starting fluid idea -- by port do you mean into each of the 4 barrels of my carb? and by "no ch" do you mean no change?

thanks!
KK

I had a similar problem on a small block that started and continually got worse. It turned out to be the ballast resistor for the coil. Check your primary voltage at the coil with key on and idling. You should have 6-8 volts.

Mine was only getting 2 or so and I was loosing spark.....

Hi there!

Thanks I will check that this am.

Just got back from running my daughter to the Orthodontist. On the way there we had the fast idle (when engine is not warm) bust still ran really rough, on the way back rough and kept stalling as I backed out of parking stall...

Maybe to better explain how it is running -- back in the early 90's I test drove a 400 3 spd Charger (which I did not buy -- instead used the money to buy my other Charger my 74 440 SE which is currently not running). It ran just as rough and the seller said that it would "level out" as it warmed up. Saw the same thing with a 400 2 barrell Charger I also test drove around the same time. Main difference is that even as I warm up my car or just warm it up for 1-2 min and then go, driving does not "level it out".

thanks!
KK

I would change those plug wires pronto, regardless. 10 years is a long time, and you can't judge if they are good by looking at them.

Hey There!

I was thinking of doing that this afternoon as well as checking the voltage on the Balast resistor.

Thanks
KK