C3Dave

Was out running some some errands in the 79 yesterday. As I was getting close to home, I could hear a little miss develop in the motor. She had just enough left in her to get about halfway up the driveway.

I pulled the distributor cap off this afternoon, and here is what I found




Can't say I've ever seen this happen before. I had replaced the cap and rotor about 6 months ago. I went and dropped in a whole new distributor, and supercoil, as the wires and plugs to the module were all brittle inside the old dist.

Just curious as to what may have caused this.

rham

It is usually caused by having a high resistance button with a high output coil. You need a low resistance button (along with a new cap and rotor!).

Randy

C3Dave

Everything was stock on the motor, including the coil. The cap and rotor I put on it 6 months ago were Accel. Like I said in above, I went ahead and replaced the whole dist. with a new one, only this time I did put a hotter coil on it. All is fine now and she's running great.

Steve2147

Used to see this lots. That and/or a hole burnt through the centre of the rotor shorting it and stalling the engine.

High resistance in one or more plug wires. Even if they are not that old someone may have yanked on them and broke the carbon core.

Steve g

C3Dave

Thanks Steve ......I will be inspecting and replacing plug wires tomorrow.

427Hotrod

Yep..used to be real common when they were new. CK for a bad plug wire or something like that.


JIM

brrujo

Years spent as a commision mechanic. This problem made me a lot of money! Started with a hole burnt in the rotor.