Odd stumble
05-30-2011
#11
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Location: Sheboygan WI
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Well, I poked around and this is what I found. The starter looks new, I now remember the last owner saying he replaced the starter. Connection is tight and clean. So I looked some more. What I found was at the coil. The 2 wires that go in to it with a plug had black tape wrapped around them. They seemed loose so I pushed them in a bit. Also found the capacitor wire was laying right on a spark plug wire. So I moved that. If the coil is loosing power then that would explain loss of spark. Only time will tell I guess.
05-30-2011
#12
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Looked some more. Here is the plug I found all tapped up.
Looked dirty and perhaps a little loose. So I cleaned it up. I'll have to take it apart next week when I have off work and see if I can tighten the clips.
I tossed a zip tie on it, this is how it was tapped, but the tap was coming off. If this is unplugged the engine will not start, so I really think I'm in the right area.
Seeing how my OTC scanner showed nothing, I pulled up another toy. The engine stalled one time, and stumbled one time before I hooked this up. After that it ran great, go figure.
It shows a good clean spark. I took a little video, this is the coil and is showing clean spark. Was hopping it would stall while I had the oscilloscope hooked up and I would see loss of spark. But it ran great for better then 10 minutes. Not even a stumble.
Looked dirty and perhaps a little loose. So I cleaned it up. I'll have to take it apart next week when I have off work and see if I can tighten the clips.
I tossed a zip tie on it, this is how it was tapped, but the tap was coming off. If this is unplugged the engine will not start, so I really think I'm in the right area.
Seeing how my OTC scanner showed nothing, I pulled up another toy. The engine stalled one time, and stumbled one time before I hooked this up. After that it ran great, go figure.
It shows a good clean spark. I took a little video, this is the coil and is showing clean spark. Was hopping it would stall while I had the oscilloscope hooked up and I would see loss of spark. But it ran great for better then 10 minutes. Not even a stumble.
05-30-2011
#14
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I tapped it and poked it but got no stumble. Had it stumbled I would have felt better. I'll see what happens when I go to work tomorrow. My other thought is replace the coil, but I so hate swapnostics. What I might try when I have off work is hook up the oscilloscope and heat up the coil with my heat gun, I can then watch the readings. But what's happening sure points to the coil area.
06-02-2011
#16
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Location: Sheboygan WI
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Replaced the pickup coil. Talk about a major pain.
Had to take the whole distributor apart to replace it.
All this just to replace this.
The engine stalled when I left it idle in the shop. But only once. have not taken it for a drive yet. Hope this fixed it, if not, I'll have to tray the ICM next.
Had to take the whole distributor apart to replace it.
All this just to replace this.
The engine stalled when I left it idle in the shop. But only once. have not taken it for a drive yet. Hope this fixed it, if not, I'll have to tray the ICM next.
06-06-2011
#17
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Keeping the saga up to date here. After a few days of no problems, it stalled again. This time I changed out the ICM. So now, for the most part the whole ignition system has been changed. Only the coil and wires are left. I don't see the coil being the problem because I heated it up and it had no effect, but could still be the problem. Was a bit tight changing it, but not real bad. Using a 5.5mm socket with a swivel a extension and a screwdriver handle made it easy.
06-06-2011
#18
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Location: Sheboygan WI
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Well, might have a little egg on my face here. Stumbled again today, but this time it like totally died and seemed to want to start. This seemed more fuel related seeing it was trying to run. On a whim I switched tanks and a few seconds later the engine fired right up and ran. But I have very little gas in the rear tank. So I switched back to the center tank, a bit later and it started to die again, switched tanks and it ran. I was able to make it home and the truck totally died right there at the shop door. My son helped me push it in the shop. I couldn't hear the center fuel pump running. So guess I'll be lowering the tank to inspect the wires, may have a loose plug, I seem to remember the plug being damaged when I was replacing the center tank. May have worked loose.
06-25-2011
#20
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Location: Sheboygan WI
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Well, after 2 weeks and no problems, today that changed. I struggled to get the truck home. It fought me the whole way but I made it. It totally died in the shop and wouldn't restart. Then I noticed with the engine off and key in run, the tack was jumping around, and I noticed a arching sound from under the hood. I jumped out and tried to find it. It was coming from that area of the coil, rear left side. But stopped before I could find it. I suspect what ever was making that sound is the source of my problem. The the truck restarted and ran fine. I tapped all around and nothing happened. Any thoughts on what I should be checking here?
