And when you said that... do you mean in the carb or fuel tank?
Thanks a ton...
to all of you.
She'll be running again tomorrow... ::knocking on wood::
Mud

 

New fuel pump.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Bone jarring slam can do bad things to moving parts
Leaking diaphram

 

Every Ford I've ever had, has done that. It's the electronic spark box. I always carry a spare or two, they quit at the drop of a hat. An MSD changeover solves the problem, but they have problems of their own.

 

I had the same type of problem several years back. I would do fine until it warmed up and I was going uphill. It would just flat run out of gas. Everybody was screaming "Vapor Lock." I tried the line insulation, rerouting and everything else I could think of. In desperation I finally replaced the fuel pump. I haven't had a problem since.

 

Have you checked for spark when it is not starting? Bad coils work when they're cold and quit when they get hot and cool off and work again. Worth a check.

 

I agree. When it dies, check for fuel - if there is fuel spray in carb, check for spark. There are several electrical components, coil, module, dist pickup that can work cold and stop when warm. We need to know if it has spark when it dies...

Marty

 

... and I've even replaced the electronic spark box (ignition module) but to no avail.
I am getting spark after it dies but it seems like a pretty weak one.
My next guess is going to be the "ignition coil". what do you guys think now?
Mud

 

What colour is the spark ?

 

It was sort of in the blue spectrum.

 

If it is blue it is usually ok. A yellow spark indicates a weak spark, but coils can do some weird things. They are not that expensive, so I think I would try a new one anyway. If there is nothing wrong with the old coil you can keep it as a spare. You are probably going to need it someday any way. I have been through three coils on mine.

 

It was not a "vapor Lock" problem like I thought. I replaced the "ignition coil" and she's back to normal, for now. We can officialy close this thread. Thank you all for your participation. You have given me a ton of diagnosing ideas for future purposes.
Mud

 

Now you see what a bunch of weird symptoms a coil can create. I had the same problem 200 miles from nowhere. Now I always carry a spare, and believe me I have needed it a couple of times. -Gary

 

So, what makes a coil go bad? is it heat or is it fragile to hard impact? or...

 

I would think Heat is its biggest nemesis.

Have you ever tried touching a coil after say a 30 mile non-stop drive in the summer?

With all these parts that get hot from use have to go through this Expansion-Contraction cycle thousands of times. I'm surprised the older parts lasted as long as they did.
I know some parts of today have a short life compared to parts of yesteryear.

When I was actively going to the wreckers I would stop by the 60's vehicles looking for quality ignition & charging parts and "stock up".... only to keep looking (and Moving them every time I have moved) at them in my parts bins because the ones on the Mustang just won't fail.

 

I am not really sure. I think the coil on these systems, that are otherwise bullet proof, is just the achilles heel of the system. A lot of the racers used the stock dizzy because it was as good or better than the aftermarket so-called racing, or high performance, dizzys.

The coil does a lot of hard work on these trucks. It sits right up front with the radiator heat blowing right accross it. The engine movement is probably the highest right in front and the vibration is excessive in that location. Most of the later vehicles mount the coil on the fenderwell. (Maybe they corrected a design problem)

After 20 years of dependable service my first coil was destroyed by a flying flex fan blade. (Don't ever use one of them things) I replaced the damaged coil with a new one. I went through two more over the next two years and this last one has been holding up for about seven years. But I still carry a spare just in case. I carry a spare reluctor, module, rotor, cap, fuel pump, etc.. Due to the fact that my travels take me to some pretty remote areas.

I hear all of the guys recommending to "change the module" everytime some one has a problem on this forum. In 29 years of driving this truck I have never had a module problem. I did replace the module a couple of years back with a MSD Variable timing model, but I carry the old module as a spare. -Gary