Engine cuts out and stalls while driving.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
I don't need to prove anything. I built a 700hp engine in my garage that runs off of 91 octane, then I tuned it by myself. What has Turtle done? His username is a joke about how slow his car is, and for a while his avatar was a pic of his rusted out stock engine.
So if you want to take his engine advice over mine, that's your prerogative.
To reiterate the theory of what went wrong: The resistance of the air is almost infinite (before it ionizes) while the resistance of the copper core melted to the grounded header is comparatively almost nothing so when the spark plug wire is shorted out, the voltage cannot build up in the coil.
Last edited by enkeivette; Feb 9, 2010 at 05:05 AM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
To reiterate the theory of what went wrong: The resistance of the air is almost infinite (before it ionizes) while the resistance of the copper core melted to the grounded header is comparatively almost nothing so when the spark plug wire is shorted out, the voltage cannot build up in the coil.
I'm visualizing in your case (where 1 wire grounded out the entire secondary ignition) to be something like a bad cap where the center coil lead takes the easiest path to ground.Once the carbon trace has formed on the inside of the cap the cap is done. IMO some of these small diameter caps in combination with very high output coils are susceptible to this.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,506
Likes: 139
From: Butler Pa
To reiterate the theory of what went wrong: The resistance of the air is almost infinite (before it ionizes) while the resistance of the copper core melted to the grounded header is comparatively almost nothing so when the spark plug wire is shorted out, the voltage cannot build up in the coil.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
It would take one or two seconds to prove your theory- take the already burnt wire, and with the engine at idle force it to touch ground. If the engine dies, I'd say that you were right.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,056
Likes: 8
From: Redruth Cornwall
Knowing very little and probably showing my ignorance...but...just an idea.
wasnt an old school check to see if you had a spark to take off a plug cap and ground it out to see if it sparked? Ive done this a number of times and gone a little too far and shorted the lead right out but it has never caused an engine to die, just miss a bit.
wasnt an old school check to see if you had a spark to take off a plug cap and ground it out to see if it sparked? Ive done this a number of times and gone a little too far and shorted the lead right out but it has never caused an engine to die, just miss a bit.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
I'm not taking sides in this as I simply don't know one way or the other who's right. I have my opinions and theories, but like assh*les, so does everybody.
It would take one or two seconds to prove your theory- take the already burnt wire, and with the engine at idle force it to touch ground. If the engine dies, I'd say that you were right.
It would take one or two seconds to prove your theory- take the already burnt wire, and with the engine at idle force it to touch ground. If the engine dies, I'd say that you were right.
Bashcraft, if you're talking about the rotor tip where is hits the posts. To me that looks like it actually grazes and makes contact. If not, then this is even more confusing. Maybe the gap there is so much smaller that it jumps before the plug.
Sorry that I don't have more answers for you guys. I don't have a degree in electrical science. Anyone else with an MSD HEI should be able to replicate this just as easily as I did if you guys are really that curious. It's easy to sit on your *** and type, but if the tech answer is that important to you, you know what to do. Besides, all I could do is prove that it actually happened with a video. Which I don't feel the need to do. I don't have any better way of testing this to show what the cause is, even if I were to replicate it.
Last edited by enkeivette; Feb 9, 2010 at 03:30 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,506
Likes: 139
From: Butler Pa
To be honest, what you're describing does not happen if everything else is right. You have, or had a problem somewhere else that was inadvertantly corrected, and may or may not reappear.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
Maybe Turtle guessed it right up front, maybe the MSD unit has some shut off protection feature.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Here's a link to the digital module. I want to upgrade to one of these. I have the analog module right now. This thing does have some smarts built in.
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedF...structions.pdf
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedF...structions.pdf
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 5
From: South Dakota
So, if the wire is melted to the header...the spark does not ignite the fuel.....when the fuel does ignite on the wrong stroke when the valves are open......the expanding fuel/air mixture could blow back to the intake....and rob other cylinders of fuel/air temperarily causing a hesitation.
I know this differes from any other argument in here, and I'm certainly not an electrical expert, but.....can't we all just get along?
I know this differes from any other argument in here, and I'm certainly not an electrical expert, but.....can't we all just get along?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,412
Likes: 3
So, if the wire is melted to the header...the spark does not ignite the fuel.....when the fuel does ignite on the wrong stroke when the valves are open......the expanding fuel/air mixture could blow back to the intake....and rob other cylinders of fuel/air temperarily causing a hesitation.
I know this differes from any other argument in here, and I'm certainly not an electrical expert, but.....can't we all just get along?
I know this differes from any other argument in here, and I'm certainly not an electrical expert, but.....can't we all just get along?
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
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Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 624
Likes: 1
From: Melbourne, Fla. 6 months- New Middletown, Ohio 6 months
Your initial post was dated 02-05-2010. Now you say that the car has been running fine for months since you fixed the problem. Was this just a little test for everybody or am I missing something here.
No big deal either way to me, just curious!!!
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 166
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas NV
Check power wire voltage
This sounds like a problem that I had.
You may only be getting 9 volts due to a resistance wire and your distributor probably needs 12 volts.
Check the voltage on your distributor power source. You may need to get a different 12 volt (ignition key) source.
You may only be getting 9 volts due to a resistance wire and your distributor probably needs 12 volts.
Check the voltage on your distributor power source. You may need to get a different 12 volt (ignition key) source.