Help, My '77 f150 460 dies when it has been driven for about 5 minutes. I have changed the electric modula, coil, dist. Cap and rotor. Not sure where else to look. Oh, also put in a new distrubtor
Any help on tracking down the problem would be greatly appriectated. As this is getting old real fast.

 

How about putting a fuel pressure gauge on it to see if your carb is not getting a constant supply of fuel. If it starts back up; that's a sign of a bad fuel pump.

 

Thought it might be vapor lock, As we did have the fuel pump replaced. I unhook the gas line going into the carb after it has stalled out, and found no gas as all. Switch to the electric fuel pump and a ton of gas pour out of the line. Which back to manual fuel pump and it was now emitting gas. Could my new fuel pump be bad? Or is it a vapor lock problem? I replaced the thermastic from a 190 degree to a 160 degree and tried to drive it too work. Again it stalled out, but would restart. Any suggestion on how to test the fuel pump? There isn't much else I can do and I have replaced everything electrical. Colleen

 

Corn,
Slow down; this could be as simple as the fuel filter. Start there. I can't count all the people who have cured their mysterious stalling problem by changing the fuel filter. Buy two and keep an extra in the truck.
Another way to check is to pull a spark plug cable and check for spark immediately after a stall. If you've got spark then go after the fuel.
My Way is the Highway,
KingFisher

 

When the engine dies, put a spark tester on and see if you are getting fire.

 

I had the same problem on a 1977. I pulled the electric fuel pump out of line and have not had a problem since, going on 3 months.

 

Be sure to check that $1.95 fuel filter!! I thought I had bad problems once too, until I looked at the fuel filter and found more dirt in it than I have on my driveway...I could barely blow through it. Replaced the gem and good ole Harrison had all his thunder and glory back...

 

Thanks for all the input, it is really frustrating with it dying every 10 minutes. I will go and replace the 3 fuel filters and give that a try. FYI I have two gas tanks, and two fuel pumps. One manual and one electric. The electric is not hook up in line with the manual. There really isn't anything left to replace expect the fuel filters and perhaps re-routing the gas lines. Will let you all know if that was the culprit. Wish me luck! If not, does any one want to buy a '77 supercab F150 with a 460 engine? Just kidding!

 

O.k. Problem is not solve, still dying. Question, does anyone know how hot the electric module should be. Mine is very hot to the touch, seem to be as hot as the coil is. I have placed spacers between the firewall and the module itself, but it still seems to get very hot. Is that normal? I don't know where to turn now, As I have replaced all the fuel filters and even redid the fuel lines so that they would not get too hot next to the exhaust. I don't know what else too do.

 

I have a Holly carb. I have tried adjusting the butterfly float on it thinking it was choking itself off. Didn't help. Could the new Dist. that I put in have a bad stator? What would cause the Electric module and the coil to get so hot? Is that my problem. Should I look at the ignition? I am running out of guesses, and my husband is treating to sell the truck. I need some help guys.

 

I'm no ignition expert, but a module hot to the touch doesn't sound good. Every summer there's a bunch of posts about dying suddenly, most responses are shot module. I have not had this happen to me (new MSD) but I have heard stories....I can understand hot summer temps...but yours is generating it's own heat? I'd try swapping parts (cheap from the junkyard) to see if you get a change...what have you changed out / rewired?

 

I have changed out 2 brand new electric mdule and a new coil. I have changed out the distributor but the wiring harness didn't match the one I took out so I am not sure if perhaps I have it wired wrong. The wires did not match up on the new distributor so I had to guess. Did I get the wrong distributor? Maybe that's my problem

 

I don't claim to be a Duraspark expert but seem to remember that some used the resistance wire (like a points system) and some didn't. Might explain the box getting hot. How about getting a MSD 6A ign box? You won't have to worry about the resistance wire. I have seen one distributor fail. The output of the distributor is a sine wave. I think it's about 3 volts. The distributor is pretty simple. The only part that can fail is the magnetic pickup coil. Did you try hooking up a timing light to verify that loosing spark is the cause of the engine shutting down?

 

When it dies out, how does it die? It it dies out like you cut off key thats spark related. If it dies out with a cough and gergle and hiss thats fuel. I had one that was spark and the duraspark wiring to/from dist-brain wiring was bad order. CN railroader Machinist x-IC GOD BLESS

 

I think I may have found the problem. See what you all think. The new distributor, I have check the conduity(sp)with an ohm meter. And I found that the ground is good (gives me a beep) when I check the other two wires, I found that one didn't give me a beep and one did. Then with the car running I moved the plug around and BINGO! the car did its famous shut down. DEAD as a door ****. Then I restarted the car and moved the plug again. It did it, again. DEAD. So I am assumming that the wiring to the stator on the distibutor is faulity! Any seconds on that? Also notice that the wiring down to the coil and the electric module was fire hot. Not good I figure. So I think I need to go and replace the Distributor again for the second time in a month. NOT sure if Auto Zone is giving out good products.