It's a good place to start.
Help! 76 died while driving last night
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
From: Leroy Township Ohio
Help! 76 died while driving last night
I was out for a leisurely drive with the wife and all of a sudden, it died while cruising. It is not the fuel. Already checked that. It died electronically! This happened one other time and was the orange/red fused link by the firewall / wiper motor. Already checked the line on either side and still have continuity. changed fuse. Car turns over but no juice to this line when car ignition is turned on. Once again, electronically dead. I have heard about "fuseable links" but do not know where they are to check. Needless to say the wife was not happy to wait for a tow and I did not get "lucky" last night. More important, my real baby is dead (wife won't read this or "I" am dead 
). Ha!! Any ideas friends??
Reddog76
). Ha!! Any ideas friends??Reddog76
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
From: Leroy Township Ohio
This is a fairly new pertronix flame thrower distributor (about a year old). But I can't rule it out. Any way to test it? WHat about the mysterious fuseable links I have heard about?
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 154
Likes: 3
From: Indiana
That's a little low but should work. Is your batt also at 11.5v? A good battery should be 12.4 to 12.6. When running (if alt is good) should be 13 to 14 6.
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Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 613
Likes: 3
From: Fleetwood PA
Just throwin this out there
Check and make sure one of the wires running to the starter didn't get up against the header and melt(or just come loose). I think one of these is to the ignition, and one comes from the Ignition switch itself. If the car turns over though....might not be this. Double check the grounds too.
Check and make sure one of the wires running to the starter didn't get up against the header and melt(or just come loose). I think one of these is to the ignition, and one comes from the Ignition switch itself. If the car turns over though....might not be this. Double check the grounds too.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
my 74 has one fusible link from the starter to the junction and then another from the junction to the fuse block. I am not sure if the car will turn over if you have a blown fusible link.
Do you have any electrical inside the car? If yes, I don't think your issue is a fusible link.
Do you have any electrical inside the car? If yes, I don't think your issue is a fusible link.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,453
Likes: 976
From: RI, Now Franklin/Nashville TN
You mentioned that you had Petronix distributor that is a year old-I would look there first! Someone mentioned the ignition module already (good place to start) and the coil. I have had both fail-Once in 1983 when the car was 5 years old (ignition module) and about 5 years ago a Hypertech coil for the HEI going down the highway cruising at 70 MPH-just died-coil failure. Changed the coil with a an autozone one on the side of the highway after friend showed up with it. Fired right up! Once I knew it was not a fuel issue, I went right for the ignition module and coil as likely suspects. First choice was the coil since it was easier to get to on the highway side.
Last edited by jb78L-82; Jun 27, 2010 at 07:03 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Unplug the TACH lead from the distributor cap and put a 12v testlight from that terminal in the cap to ground. Crank it. If the light flashes, the module is fine. No flash, it's either the module or the pickup coil.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
Do you have fire at the plugs?
This is a neat tool to have. Old school would be to jam a screw driver in the wire and see if it will spark against a ground.
This is a neat tool to have. Old school would be to jam a screw driver in the wire and see if it will spark against a ground.
Last edited by johnt365; Jun 27, 2010 at 11:50 PM.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 445
Likes: 2
From: Thomastown Mississippi
Same thing happened to me and it was the coil. If it's not your coil, it's probably your ignition module. One other thing to check is the little graphite piece that sits in the center of the distributor cap. Make sure it's not burnt or worn down.
