barely runs now
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 59
Likes: 1
barely runs now
Hello,
Any advice greatly appreciated. Was running great but now misfires and will try to start (fire) here and there but won't idle. I have good spark, and fuel in the float. Starter fluid makes no difference, just fires a cylinder here and there. Yesterday, cranked too much and and pumped the pedal periodically and it backfired and scarred all the neighbors. Coil and high voltage lead cable works on another vehicle, and points adjusted hence good spark. Dist cap and rotor clean and in good condition, no cracks. It was running just fine and this problem started with a slight misfire and got worse fast. I got stranded in traffic several times but got home because it would run a little and then stop. Now fires a cylinder here and there like it wants to start. Anybody have any ideas on what else to check? Voltage regulator? Thanks for your time.
Any advice greatly appreciated. Was running great but now misfires and will try to start (fire) here and there but won't idle. I have good spark, and fuel in the float. Starter fluid makes no difference, just fires a cylinder here and there. Yesterday, cranked too much and and pumped the pedal periodically and it backfired and scarred all the neighbors. Coil and high voltage lead cable works on another vehicle, and points adjusted hence good spark. Dist cap and rotor clean and in good condition, no cracks. It was running just fine and this problem started with a slight misfire and got worse fast. I got stranded in traffic several times but got home because it would run a little and then stop. Now fires a cylinder here and there like it wants to start. Anybody have any ideas on what else to check? Voltage regulator? Thanks for your time.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,592
Likes: 10
From: **** hole San Jose ca.
Chinese condenser has been the # 1 fault go to the ford dealer and buy a points & condenser kit.
A bad condenser, Engine sound like it'll start as long a you cranking the engine over but once to let go of the key it dies out.
Also remove dizzy cap check points gaps loose wires or any thing loose, broken ground wire in dizzy. Loose coil wire.
Orich
A bad condenser, Engine sound like it'll start as long a you cranking the engine over but once to let go of the key it dies out.
Also remove dizzy cap check points gaps loose wires or any thing loose, broken ground wire in dizzy. Loose coil wire.
Orich
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 59
Likes: 1
Thank you, I'll check that. The distributor is rebuilt and has no play in the shaft, the points and condenser were new and came with the rebuilt distributor and were defiantly Chinese crap. I didn't know you can get good OEM points at the dealer? What about the original quality distributor cap and rotor? Thanks again for chiming in. Can I take a reading on the condenser with a multimeter? I dont see farads.
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 59
Likes: 1
Engine size would definitely help, very ashamed of leaving out that info because I'm proud its the 390, first model year!
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 7
From: Gainesville, GA
Check the timing. I had the roll pin for the gear on the distributor shaft break and throw the timing off a bunch.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Unless you have a real capacitor tester there's no way to tell. Just measuring the mfd or capacitance won't help any and they don't apply enough juice. Need to apply about 300 VDC to check for breakdown. Anyhoo it's guaranteed the new foreign condenser is bad. Not saying this is the problem here, but. Just swap it out with one from an old distributor or out of your junkbox.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
Condenser...C9AZ12300A (DC13A)
Still available from Ford.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,350
Likes: 7
From: Garland, Tx
Unless you have a real capacitor tester there's no way to tell. Just measuring the mfd or capacitance won't help any and they don't apply enough juice. Need to apply about 300 VDC to check for breakdown. Anyhoo it's guaranteed the new foreign condenser is bad. Not saying this is the problem here, but. Just swap it out with one from an old distributor or out of your junkbox.
Just running with you. I'm an electrical idiot and have to look up those big words.
As the King has posted, I might suggest both ford points and condenser
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 59
Likes: 1
Great you guys, thanks for the part numbers, I had no idea they were still available, I'll give it a try.
yes, I did think about timing chain and elec ignition. I had a real nice crane cams electronic unit and the little led light stopped blinking about a year ago when it had no spark. Turns out it was timing chain and that ridiculous plastic gear. I put in a double roller, but I had already junked a perfectly good electronic ignition unit! I couldn't see that the rotor in the distributor wasn't turning because the cap was always on when I was checking for the spark. Also put in new coil. I give the condenser a change out and see. Thanks again!
yes, I did think about timing chain and elec ignition. I had a real nice crane cams electronic unit and the little led light stopped blinking about a year ago when it had no spark. Turns out it was timing chain and that ridiculous plastic gear. I put in a double roller, but I had already junked a perfectly good electronic ignition unit! I couldn't see that the rotor in the distributor wasn't turning because the cap was always on when I was checking for the spark. Also put in new coil. I give the condenser a change out and see. Thanks again!
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 59
Likes: 1
Thanks you guys! It was the CONDENSER!!! CONDENSER CONDENSER. There was the older Chinese condenser still in my junk box. I had replaced it with the new one that came with the rebuilt distributor. (that's another story) It looked the same so it switched out the new one and put in the older one and it fired right up! But, how long till that one goes? Thanks again for the reference and the ideas. I never would've found the problem because the one I had was brand new from the factory, lab tested and torture tested to be suitable for the marketplace? Aaaaahahahahhhahhah!! Thanks again JAFFAFA, orich, and 67 hoopster and you other guys. Can't wait to get a real Ford set as mentioned above!