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Re: Car stopped puzzle

To: "Healeys" <healeys@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Car stopped puzzle
From: "BJ8Healeys" <sbyers@ec.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 20:27:08 -0400
I haven't had a bad rotor since I switched to a Mallory Dual-Point distributor
years ago.  But before that, my BJ8 stopped dead on me at a stoplight about 25
miles from home, 11 pm.  I had driven from a car show about 250 miles away.
The engine would crank merrily but not start.  Couldn't find the problem in
the dark, so a kind soul leaving work at McDonalds gave me a ride home and my
son and I went back the next day and towed it home (fortunately, there was a
police station next to the McDonalds, so I left the car there).  It took a
while to find the problem, since the rotor looked fine at first glance.  But I
did find it cracked and the problem was fixed as soon as I replaced it.

I never had a bad distributor cap.....

Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC  USA
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Greg Lemon
  To: Editorgary@aol.com
  Cc: healeys@autox.team.net
  Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 8:23 PM
  Subject: Re: Car stopped puzzle


  Since it sounds like you have lost spark completely it is probably not
  distributor cap arcing.  I am sursprised how many said bad rotor, I used to
  drive Lucas ignition cars for my daily drivers, about 12 years or so, all
  sort of iginition components quit on me, the most common being distributor
  cap arcing problems, but never a bad rotor in my hobby or daily driving.

  My guess is a the small wire inside the distributor, coil wire, or
  capacitator.

  Good Luck!

  Greg Lemon
  54 BN1

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: <Editorgary@aol.com>
  To: <ynotink@qwest.net>; <Editorgary@aol.com>
  Cc: <healeys@autox.team.net>
  Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 11:00 AM
  Subject: Re: Car stopped puzzle


  > In a message dated 5/5/04 6:13:45 PM, ynotink@qwest.net writes:
  >
  > << The black and white ground wire terminated near the fuse box is
  > intriguing. I thought that wire ran from the coil to the power cut-off
  > switch in the boot. >>
  >
  > The black-white wire does connect the coil to the cut-off switch; it
  doesn't
  > terminate at the fuse box -- it has a visible link (male/female/male)
from
  the
  > engine wire harness to the chassis wire harness (along with about five
  other
  > wires) at that point -- and then goes back to the cut-out switch.
  Therefore,
  > theoretically, if you suspected that it was grounding out along the
  chassis
  > (something that can happen as the wires fray at one of the wire harness
  clips,
  > for example) you could bypass it by simply unfastening it at the linkage
  point.
  > Beats cutting it at the coil.
  >
  > Haven't checked the other possibilities yet, but since it's been a good
  while
  > since the car has had a tune-up (i.e. replacement of points, condenser
and
  > rotor), I figured I'd start with that, as well as putting on my
  replacement
  > cap/wires and see if that made a difference.
  > Ignition switch is operating just fine -- when I switch it on/off, the
gas
  > gauge reacts -- a good test to see if power is coming through the
  ignition.
  > Will keep you informed.
  > Cheers
  > Gary





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