electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
#1947780
11/08/15 11:24 PM
11/08/15 11:24 PM
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Provan
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I'll try to make this short. 75 Dodge truck 440 motor stock electronic distributor orange box. last few days truck would die after driving for a while, would not start, no spark. sit for a while then it would start right up and run fine. did this a few times, so today I brought an extra control box, ballast resistor, and coil. drove around until it did it again. no start no spark. changed The Orange Box nothing, change the ballast nothing, change the coil started but was backfiring and would not stay running. finally gave up had to be towed. now after sitting for a couple hours I can't believe it but it started right up and ran fine. idles perfect. Ideas please???
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947797
11/08/15 11:52 PM
11/08/15 11:52 PM
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yes I'm going to check all the connections tomorrow. was getting plenty of gas to the carburetor. a friend of mine suggested the pickup in the distributor possibly, it is an older distributor.
76 DODGE VAN PRO STREET
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947809
11/09/15 12:03 AM
11/09/15 12:03 AM
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,386 St. Charles, MO
wingman
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I had an issue exactly like that--ran good cold for a while until it got warmed up, then would die. Let it sit and cool off and it would start right up. Repeat.
Turned out the coil was going bad and was affected by the heat coming off the intake.
You sure the one you put in was good? Did this problem start out of the blue, or has it been getting worse over time?
1969 Dodge Coronet Super Bee 383 A4 1970 Plymouth Road Runner 440 FC7 (sold)
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947812
11/09/15 12:05 AM
11/09/15 12:05 AM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
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sure sounds like classic ECU or coil acting up. do a quick visual on the pickup/reluctor (anything loose). next time it does it (1) pull coil wire (dist end) & hold it 1/4" from intake (ground) (2) pull yellow wire with tracer off of starter relay to disable the starter (3) turn the ign key to "on" (4) you seperate the dist pickup zigzag connector and drag the male terminal on the body half of the connector with your right hand along the intake surface which will make/break contact just from the dragging due to the surface irregularities in the intake metal surface (5) at the same time with the coil wire in your left hand see if it makes sparks to the intake surface. Work FAST as you need to do all of this while the pickup is still hot. holler back EDIT No need to pull yellow wire off of SR (was thinking of a (similar) issue)
Last edited by RapidRobert; 11/09/15 12:07 AM.
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947830
11/09/15 12:25 AM
11/09/15 12:25 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,445 So Cal
Sinitro
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master
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Check the bulkhead connectors.. These get oxidized, loose over the years and then U have bad connections.. Pop the connectors off, burnish the contacts, crimp down slightly the female tab connectors, apply dia-electric grease, reinstall... Just my $0.02...
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947849
11/09/15 12:42 AM
11/09/15 12:42 AM
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check coil hook up, I know it was backfiring and popping through carburetor, but I never change the coil back to the other one and like I said it ran perfect tonight idle was nice so I'm thinking coil is hooked up correct.
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947850
11/09/15 12:44 AM
11/09/15 12:44 AM
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bulkhead connectors are all good wiring harness was replaced with an NOS one a few. years ago.
76 DODGE VAN PRO STREET
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947856
11/09/15 12:51 AM
11/09/15 12:51 AM
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bulkhead connectors are all good wiring harness was replaced with an NOS one a few. years ago. That means zero, assuming a new, or newish item especially if NOS is "good" usually ends up biting you in the derriere. Too many times NOS meant didn't meet spec for the factory so it got put into the parts pipeline.
They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1947983
11/09/15 11:19 AM
11/09/15 11:19 AM
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All connections checked, all cleaned and look good.just tried another coil, ran for a while then died. Tried a good orange box off a running car, nothing. I'm thinking distributor? Only thing I have not changed.
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1948027
11/09/15 12:55 PM
11/09/15 12:55 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
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I'm thinking distributor? Only thing I have not changed. My test will confirm or elim the dist WO pulling it
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1948063
11/09/15 02:25 PM
11/09/15 02:25 PM
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Rapid, I did your test and spark from coil wire to intake as I dragged male end of connector. So it has spark with your test. Got running again,idled smooth for few minutes, then started backfiring as it was idling. Then died.
76 DODGE VAN PRO STREET
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1948073
11/09/15 02:41 PM
11/09/15 02:41 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
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get the dampener slit a bit further CCW than the left edge of the timing tab (so you are ~ 20 deg or so BTDC) then with a 1&1/4" socket/short extension/breaker bar turn the dampener carefully back CW till the tooth is dead even with the magnet then replace the dist and turn the housing till the magnet is dead even with the tooth which will put you back to your orig position for an easy fire up. Or pull the center clip/reluctor and replace the top plate/pickup assy. I'm assuming you did it when hot. You might ohm the pickup when cold and when hot & acting up just for a baseline. If you swap complete dists grab a helper & plug each dist in (the zigzag connector) & spin each ones' lower shaft by hand (key on) & see if you get sparks from one, out the coil wire but not the other. The suspected offender will be cold which will skew the test but I always get a kick out checking em that way.
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1948082
11/09/15 03:01 PM
11/09/15 03:01 PM
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Thanks, I'm going to pick up another distributor he says is good. Sounds like your saying it might be the pickup in the dist. Maybe that explains running good then backfiring a bit, then running good again.
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1948087
11/09/15 03:10 PM
11/09/15 03:10 PM
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Ok any way it could be the ign switch? Got it running, and turned on headlights and it died. Volt gague showed it charging, but I wiggled the key and the needle bounced up and down then stalled. It is the original switch
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: Provan]
#1948094
11/09/15 03:23 PM
11/09/15 03:23 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
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to bypass the ign sw jump fire from the starter relay large batt stud to the blue/yellow wire on the ECU pentastar connector and to the upstream (blue wire) end of the ballast & fire it up & see if it stays straight
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
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Re: electrical problem very puzzled, 440 motor
[Re: sgcuda]
#1948106
11/09/15 03:43 PM
11/09/15 03:43 PM
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DaytonaTurbo
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Check the air gap and resistance on the pickup in the distributor. Was common fail point way back when... Had this happen to me. Same symptoms as you're having. Reset the gap as per factory specs and away I went.
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