Hello from the newbie,

Guys,I have a 77 super cab and every once in awhile it
just stops running,like someone reaches over and shuts
the ignition switch off.It does this when cold or hot,at highway speeds or sitting at an idle,it does start right back
up after it stops running.
Things that I have changed:
Coil,Pickup coil in distributor,cap and rotor,electronic box
or brain (not sure what its called) under hood,changed the
alternator out when I first got the truck just a few months
ago because it was not charging,
Changed fuel filter at carb and under truck,changed fuel
pump.
Forgot to mention, I also changed out the ignition switch also.
I did check to make sure its getting gas when it did die
after ideling in the parking lot and there was gas flow
in the carb.
Can anyone Help me with this before I change everything
out and have a new truck, or go Bald trying!!!!
Thanks for any help,Allen

 

probably a bad wire somewhere, you might check all the wires to the coil, alternator, and distributer for old brittle corroded wires.....the wires inside the distributer are very prone to failure and ive seen it happen to alot of engines......just remember, just because a wire looks good on the outside doesnt mean its not corroded or just old and brittle on the inside......good luck....

 

this may not be your problem but my trucks did the same thing. it was the wires going to the coil. something about the plastic clip that holds them on the coil was making it lose connection at various times. i took the wires out of the clip and pushed them onto the coil and have never had the problem again. hope ya get it fixed. Eddie II

 

Thanks Guys for the help,
I changed out the pickup coil in the distributor and it has a new
wire harness into the distributor and did look over all wires leading
to and from the distributor and alternator and from what I see and
can tell they are in good order.
Eddie II, I took your advise and took the wires out of the plastic
clip that goes to the coil and clipped them onto the coil without it,
looks to me they make better contact this way and will check it out and see if it makes a difference!
Thanks Guy's for your input and will keep you posted on the out come!
Allen

 

p51mustang, please let us know what you find. we all have problems and if someone figures one out then it helps everyone else. i have seen many posts that get started and never finished. answers are why we all get on this site, besides all the cool trucks!!! thanks, Eddie II

 

my 78 did that it turned out to be a bad starter solinoid, or it might have been the ground between it and firewall, not sure i put in a new one because they are cheap. try tapping on it while its running. hope you find the answer.

 

Well so far so good,it has not stopped running since I removed
the plastic part from the coil,
Thanks again Allen

 

My truck did this same thing but mine is a 78. Like yours mine would start right back. But after awhile it wouldn't start at all.(no spark) I found my problem to be in the gray four to three wire electrical connector just out side the firewall on the driver side. on my truck it's the only four wire connector there. it has four wires going in one side and three out the other. on the four wire side mine has a orange/black wire and a red wire that tie into the same socket on the connector. In that socket is where my problem was. Like you I replaced just about everything else that could cause the problem. then when I would think I had it fixed six months later it would do it again. So if it happens to start doing it again check that connector. Since you may have your's fixed you may not see this. But when I had the problem I searched the forum and I don't think I found anyone that found the problem where I did. So I thought I would post this for you or anyone else that's searching for a cure. I know I replaced alot of parts unnecessarily before i found the problem.
Good luck all! Ken,

 

p51mustang, i'm glad to hear your truck is doing better. i hope that was the problem. if the truck ever quits again get out and jiggle those wires a little and try it again. mine still quits sometimes but it is rare. it has been years since i found this problem and a couple times the truck has died. i just pulled the wires off the coil and stuck them back on and went right on. i guess if i would buy a new clip from somewhere i would never have the problem again but like i said it has only happened a couple of times over the last few years.
ken s, thanks for the info. when my coil wire trick stops working i'll look at that plug. Eddie II

 

Hey, Thanks again guy's
I will check that connector out for sure.
My truck would act up for like one day and then I would change something and it would go for a week or so and then start acting
up again.Soo, I might not be out of the woods yet! It was cold
here in Payson,AZ (believe it or not)(but its a dry cold,HaHa)
and now the Temps are up,just wonder if the cold has something
to do with that clip maybe expanding and contracting,makeing
the coil wires loose contact? Who know's?
I will keep you posted if it acts up again.
Thanks for all your help!
Allen