Engine stalling randomly
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,286
Here is the Corvette dist'r bushing set:
http://www.amazon.com/1962-1974-Corv.../dp/B001FLL9IK
As I recall they fit a 12.5mm shaft aka 0.491" - I suppose they started with 1/2" shaft and ground to suit. Your shaft size may differ. Dismantle, clean, inspect, measure, and replace as needed.
http://www.amazon.com/1962-1974-Corv.../dp/B001FLL9IK
As I recall they fit a 12.5mm shaft aka 0.491" - I suppose they started with 1/2" shaft and ground to suit. Your shaft size may differ. Dismantle, clean, inspect, measure, and replace as needed.
CH3NO2 LEARN IT BURN IT
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 5,635
From: Land of Taxes
Ahhh now were getting somewhere. The erratic jumping of the timing marks indicates somethings up with the timing, ignition system or a vacuum/compression leak not the balancer. Did you try a known good coil? Have you performed an Ohm test on the coil? Try another ballast resistor. Whats the running volts on the coil and both sides of the ballast when it starts to act up? Both could be breaking down when it gets hot new or not.
A vacuum leak, burnt valve, bent push rod, bad rocker, bad compression all will cause this symptom as well though all the time not just when hot. Look for a leak...bad intake gasket etc...does it back fire at WOT either through the carb or out the exhaust? Thats likely cam or valve train. Just for sheets try another known good carb.
You may have a bad camshaft, bad timing chain, or a bad distributor or again a burnt valve.
What color are your plugs?
One step at a time.
1.Does your dist cap have the door to adjust the points? If so look inside when its running lousy. Does the breaker plate rapidity move back in forth when the car starts to act up? That means the dist upper bushings gone, its not getting oil from sludge inside the housing. This causes the dwell to be dynamic which is throwing the timing off. I had one spin (briefly) with the shaft until it spun the wires off the points. Instant stop.
2.Grab the rotor do you have side to side play in the dist shaft? or is the breaker plate lose? Bad dist.
3.Pull the cap off the dist. Does it look like the rotors tip is contacting the tower contacts under the cap? Bad dist.
4.With the cap still off rotate the engine back in forth by hand with the plugs out if needed watching the rotor. Does the crank shaft move many degrees before the dist rotor starts moving (more than 10* in one direction or 1/4" of lateral slack measured with the timing cover off) isn't good? This meas a bad timing chain and or gears.
4.Pull the distributor and examine the gear that meshes with the cam. Check to see if the gear is loose on the shaft. Not sure it has one?
5.A leak down test will spot bad valve and ring seal. Google wet vs dry compression and leak down procedures.
These are the steps laid out as best as I can come up with outta my head for sight unseen on line troubleshooting. But if you take a systematic approach to this problem writing down each step as you go making only one change at a time it will be less frustrating for you and easier to keep track of everything.
Keep your steel fuel lines and the factory fuel filter there's nothing wrong with it as long as its all in good working order. Rubber lines are a fire hazard.
A vacuum leak, burnt valve, bent push rod, bad rocker, bad compression all will cause this symptom as well though all the time not just when hot. Look for a leak...bad intake gasket etc...does it back fire at WOT either through the carb or out the exhaust? Thats likely cam or valve train. Just for sheets try another known good carb.
You may have a bad camshaft, bad timing chain, or a bad distributor or again a burnt valve.
What color are your plugs?
One step at a time.
1.Does your dist cap have the door to adjust the points? If so look inside when its running lousy. Does the breaker plate rapidity move back in forth when the car starts to act up? That means the dist upper bushings gone, its not getting oil from sludge inside the housing. This causes the dwell to be dynamic which is throwing the timing off. I had one spin (briefly) with the shaft until it spun the wires off the points. Instant stop.
2.Grab the rotor do you have side to side play in the dist shaft? or is the breaker plate lose? Bad dist.
3.Pull the cap off the dist. Does it look like the rotors tip is contacting the tower contacts under the cap? Bad dist.
4.With the cap still off rotate the engine back in forth by hand with the plugs out if needed watching the rotor. Does the crank shaft move many degrees before the dist rotor starts moving (more than 10* in one direction or 1/4" of lateral slack measured with the timing cover off) isn't good? This meas a bad timing chain and or gears.
4.Pull the distributor and examine the gear that meshes with the cam. Check to see if the gear is loose on the shaft. Not sure it has one?
5.A leak down test will spot bad valve and ring seal. Google wet vs dry compression and leak down procedures.
These are the steps laid out as best as I can come up with outta my head for sight unseen on line troubleshooting. But if you take a systematic approach to this problem writing down each step as you go making only one change at a time it will be less frustrating for you and easier to keep track of everything.
Keep your steel fuel lines and the factory fuel filter there's nothing wrong with it as long as its all in good working order. Rubber lines are a fire hazard.
CH3NO2 LEARN IT BURN IT
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 5,635
From: Land of Taxes
You can rebuild the dist or have it rebuilt. The shaft and bushings can be spun on a lathe. If the housings shot that's another case. If you find you actually do have a bad dist put out an APB someones got one somewhere. Call the well known distributor manufactures they may have a cross ref application that will fit with little modifications?
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 68
From: San Jose , Ca
Ahhh now were getting somewhere. The erratic jumping of the timing marks indicates somethings up with the timing, ignition system or a vacuum/compression leak not the balancer. Did you try a known good coil? Have you performed an Ohm test on the coil? Try another ballast resistor. Whats the running volts on the coil and both sides of the ballast when it starts to act up? Both could be breaking down when it gets hot new or not.
A vacuum leak, burnt valve, bent push rod, bad rocker, bad compression all will cause this symptom as well though all the time not just when hot. Look for a leak...bad intake gasket etc...does it back fire at WOT either through the carb or out the exhaust? Thats likely cam or valve train. Just for sheets try another known good carb.
You may have a bad camshaft, bad timing chain, or a bad distributor or again a burnt valve.
What color are your plugs?
One step at a time.
1.Does your dist cap have the door to adjust the points? If so look inside when its running lousy. Does the breaker plate rapidity move back in forth when the car starts to act up? That means the dist upper bushings gone, its not getting oil from sludge inside the housing. This causes the dwell to be dynamic which is throwing the timing off. I had one spin (briefly) with the shaft until it spun the wires off the points. Instant stop.
2.Grab the rotor do you have side to side play in the dist shaft? or is the breaker plate lose? Bad dist.
3.Pull the cap off the dist. Does it look like the rotors tip is contacting the tower contacts under the cap? Bad dist.
4.With the cap still off rotate the engine back in forth by hand with the plugs out if needed watching the rotor. Does the crank shaft move many degrees before the dist rotor starts moving (more than 10* in one direction or 1/4" of lateral slack measured with the timing cover off) isn't good? This meas a bad timing chain and or gears.
4.Pull the distributor and examine the gear that meshes with the cam. Check to see if the gear is loose on the shaft. Not sure it has one?
5.A leak down test will spot bad valve and ring seal. Google wet vs dry compression and leak down procedures.
These are the steps laid out as best as I can come up with outta my head for sight unseen on line troubleshooting. But if you take a systematic approach to this problem writing down each step as you go making only one change at a time it will be less frustrating for you and easier to keep track of everything.
Keep your steel fuel lines and the factory fuel filter there's nothing wrong with it as long as its all in good working order. Rubber lines are a fire hazard.
A vacuum leak, burnt valve, bent push rod, bad rocker, bad compression all will cause this symptom as well though all the time not just when hot. Look for a leak...bad intake gasket etc...does it back fire at WOT either through the carb or out the exhaust? Thats likely cam or valve train. Just for sheets try another known good carb.
You may have a bad camshaft, bad timing chain, or a bad distributor or again a burnt valve.
What color are your plugs?
One step at a time.
1.Does your dist cap have the door to adjust the points? If so look inside when its running lousy. Does the breaker plate rapidity move back in forth when the car starts to act up? That means the dist upper bushings gone, its not getting oil from sludge inside the housing. This causes the dwell to be dynamic which is throwing the timing off. I had one spin (briefly) with the shaft until it spun the wires off the points. Instant stop.
2.Grab the rotor do you have side to side play in the dist shaft? or is the breaker plate lose? Bad dist.
3.Pull the cap off the dist. Does it look like the rotors tip is contacting the tower contacts under the cap? Bad dist.
4.With the cap still off rotate the engine back in forth by hand with the plugs out if needed watching the rotor. Does the crank shaft move many degrees before the dist rotor starts moving (more than 10* in one direction or 1/4" of lateral slack measured with the timing cover off) isn't good? This meas a bad timing chain and or gears.
4.Pull the distributor and examine the gear that meshes with the cam. Check to see if the gear is loose on the shaft. Not sure it has one?
5.A leak down test will spot bad valve and ring seal. Google wet vs dry compression and leak down procedures.
These are the steps laid out as best as I can come up with outta my head for sight unseen on line troubleshooting. But if you take a systematic approach to this problem writing down each step as you go making only one change at a time it will be less frustrating for you and easier to keep track of everything.
Keep your steel fuel lines and the factory fuel filter there's nothing wrong with it as long as its all in good working order. Rubber lines are a fire hazard.
One thing i did also notice when re-installing the fuel pump - i stuck my finger in thinking there was a fuel pump eccentric shaft, come to find out there isn't, which saved me a lot of install time. But that's beside the point.
i gave the timing chain a tug and noticed some play in the chain. About as much as a 1/8-1/4 in either direction. I don't think that is normal and a huge undertaking to put in a new one.
I just made an appt with another well established mechanic on Wednesday to see if he can help narrow down any of these issues. Fact is I wish I had more time, but i am under the gun to get this car road worthy before mid-june.
thanks again for all the help, Im going to relay this info to the mechanic and report back here with his finding. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,286
That's NOT a lot of slop for a timing chain.
I have 1 or 2 distributors from the 394 era engine- 60 super 88, etc.
I am SURE that collectors of pre-65 stuff know what fits what and have spares.
I can't recall what exact year and engine you are working on.... but a good cleaning and greasing and replacing of obvious bad parts cannot hurt the distributor!
I have 1 or 2 distributors from the 394 era engine- 60 super 88, etc.
I am SURE that collectors of pre-65 stuff know what fits what and have spares.
I can't recall what exact year and engine you are working on.... but a good cleaning and greasing and replacing of obvious bad parts cannot hurt the distributor!
Registered User
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 1
random stalling
Hi I've recently inherited a 65 starfire oldsmobile and its been stalling out on me when coasting. sometimes at red lights also it seems that i have to constantly flutter the gas pedal lightly. is there anything i can do so it doesn't stall out and i can idle without worrying?
Running On Empty
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 26,015
From: Earth
Hi I've recently inherited a 65 starfire oldsmobile and its been stalling out on me when coasting. sometimes at red lights also it seems that i have to constantly flutter the gas pedal lightly. is there anything i can do so it doesn't stall out and i can idle without worrying?
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