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Many years ago, I had the exact same experience. It turned out to be a =
faulty ignition key switch. When jouncing around the weight of the key =
(and associated other keys) would seem to move the switch ever so =
slightly. I did an autopsy on the switch=E2=80=A6.turned out to be =
extremely robust plastic/bakelite but very flimsy metal innards. I =
replaced the switch with a GM switch (this was many many years =
ago=E2=80=A6.before concourse was even a thought in my head) and drove =
the car for another 50-60k miles=E2=80=A6.=20
=20
Best Wishes=20
-skip-
=20
=20
From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of =
Michael Oritt
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 1:46 PM
To: Austin Healey
Subject: [Healeys] Car dies suddenly
=20
Yesterday morning I went out for a drive and after about five miles the =
car suddenly died. There was no rough running, sputtering or missing =
leading up to it=E2=80=94the car simply died. I coasted to the side of =
the road and after about 30 seconds since the key was still on I pushed =
the start button. To my surprise the car started immediately, revved =
freely and idled smoothly. A bit perplexed I decided to drive on to see =
what would happen now that I was paying close attention. The car =
accelerated smoothly and ran fine for about 1/2 mile and then it died =
again in the same manner as earlier. I shut off the key, popped the hood =
and examined the ignition system. Everything seemed fine=E2=80=94all =
spark plug leads were firmly in place as was the lead from the coil to =
the distributor. The power wires to the coil were tight and the =
harness/connector to the distributor (see below) seemed fine.
After scratching my head for a couple of minutes I got in the car, =
turned on the ignition and pushed the start button. Again, the car =
started right up and ran normally. With fingers crossed I headed for my =
shop/garage, about ten miles away and got there without any further =
event. Though the problem did not seem to be fuel related I decided to =
verify that this was not a fuel delivery issue. I have a double-headed =
SU fuel pump wired to a switch mounted just behind the driver=E2=80=99s =
seat which allows me to switch between pumps as well as turn the fuel =
pump off. While I was running the car at highway speeds it ran perfectly =
on either pump and when I selected the =E2=80=9Coff=E2=80=9D position it =
slowly lost power as I expected it to=E2=80=94but in no way like it had =
suddenly twice died 15 or so minutes earlier. This indicated I was not =
dealing with a fuel issue but rather something related either to the =
ignition system or to the primary wires that run to it.=20
This morning I dove a bit deeper to try and diagnose the problem. The =
car has a Mallory Unilite ignition system tied to an MSD coil which has =
been in place and performed faultlessly for a number of years. I removed =
the distributor cap and everything appears to be okay, at least =
visually. The interior of the distributor was clean and dry as was the =
cap, leads, carbon contact, optical reader, etc. Mallory specifies the =
use of a ballast resistor in the lead from the power source to the coil =
and with the engine fast-idling I tested 12.5 VDC to the resistor and =
about 5.5-6 VDC out of it and at the positive coil terminal.=20
I have a large low-oil pressure light that is mounted in the dash in =
place of the original overdrive switch. It is wired from the ignition =
switch through a 10 psi normally-closed switch mounted in the oil =
pressure gauge sender line and then to the light. I point this out =
because both times when the engine shut down yesterday the light =
immediately came on, from which I conclude that the ignition switch =
itself is not the source of the problem. And though I did not remove the =
ignition key switch the wires to and from it seem tight and intact.
So my question is: What do I do? I hate to throw parts at it without =
finding something that appears to be defective but I don=E2=80=99t know =
where to start any further tests, etc. I also don=E2=80=99t want to =
simply wait for the issue to happen again. BTW over the weekend I drove =
about 150 miles with no issues whatever. Beyond installing four new =
plugs last week I have not performed any work related to the ignition =
system. All suggestions/questions welcome=E2=80=A6.
=20
Best--Michael Oritt, BN1
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vlink=3Dpurple><div class=3DWordSection1><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>Many years ago, I had the exact same experience.=C2=A0=C2=A0 It =
turned out to be a faulty ignition key switch.=C2=A0=C2=A0 When jouncing =
around the weight of the key (and associated other keys) would seem to =
move the switch ever so slightly.=C2=A0=C2=A0 I did an autopsy on the =
switch=E2=80=A6.turned out to be extremely robust plastic/bakelite but =
very flimsy metal innards.=C2=A0=C2=A0 I replaced the switch with a GM =
switch (this was many many years ago=E2=80=A6.before concourse was even =
a thought in my head) and drove the car for another 50-60k =
miles=E2=80=A6. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>Best Wishes <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'>-skip-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497=
D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><b><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span>=
</b><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> =
Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces@autox.team.net] <b>On Behalf Of =
</b>Michael Oritt<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 19, 2019 1:46 =
PM<br><b>To:</b> Austin Healey<br><b>Subject:</b> [Healeys] Car dies =
suddenly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#33333=
3;background:#FAFAFA'>Yesterday morning I went out for a drive and after =
about five miles the car suddenly died. There was no rough running, =
sputtering or missing leading up to it=E2=80=94the car simply died. I =
coasted to the side of the road and after about 30 seconds since the key =
was still on I pushed the start button. To my surprise the car started =
immediately, revved freely and idled smoothly. A bit perplexed I decided =
to drive on to see what would happen now that I was paying close =
attention. The car accelerated smoothly and ran fine for about 1/2 mile =
and then it died again in the same manner as earlier. I shut off the =
key, popped the hood and examined the ignition system. Everything seemed =
fine=E2=80=94all spark plug leads were firmly in place as was the lead =
from the coil to the distributor. The power wires to the coil were tight =
and the harness/connector to the distributor (see below) seemed =
fine.</span><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#33333=
3'><br><br><br><span style=3D'background:#FAFAFA'>After scratching my =
head for a couple of minutes I got in the car, turned on the ignition =
and pushed the start button. Again, the car started right up and ran =
normally. With fingers crossed I headed for my shop/garage, about ten =
miles away and got there without any further event. Though the problem =
did not seem to be fuel related I decided to verify that this was not a =
fuel delivery issue. I have a double-headed SU fuel pump wired to a =
switch mounted just behind the driver=E2=80=99s seat which allows me to =
switch between pumps as well as turn the fuel pump off. While I was =
running the car at highway speeds it ran perfectly on either pump and =
when I selected the =E2=80=9Coff=E2=80=9D position it slowly lost power =
as I expected it to=E2=80=94but in no way like it had suddenly twice =
died 15 or so minutes earlier. This indicated I was not dealing with a =
fuel issue but rather something related either to the ignition system or =
to the primary wires that run to it. </span><br><br><br><span =
style=3D'background:#FAFAFA'>This morning I dove a bit deeper to try and =
diagnose the problem. The car has a Mallory Unilite ignition system tied =
to an MSD coil which has been in place and performed faultlessly for a =
number of years. I removed the distributor cap and everything appears to =
be okay, at least visually. The interior of the distributor was clean =
and dry as was the cap, leads, carbon contact, optical reader, etc. =
Mallory specifies the use of a ballast resistor in the lead from the =
power source to the coil and with the engine fast-idling I tested 12.5 =
VDC to the resistor and about 5.5-6 VDC out of it and at the positive =
coil terminal. </span><br><br><br><span =
style=3D'background:#FAFAFA'>I have a large low-oil pressure light that =
is mounted in the dash in place of the original overdrive switch. It is =
wired from the ignition switch through a 10 psi normally-closed switch =
mounted in the oil pressure gauge sender line and then to the light. I =
point this out because both times when the engine shut down yesterday =
the light immediately came on, from which I conclude that the ignition =
switch itself is not the source of the problem. And though I did not =
remove the ignition key switch the wires to and from it seem tight and =
intact.</span><br><br><br><span style=3D'background:#FAFAFA'>So my =
question is: What do I do? I hate to throw parts at it without finding =
something that appears to be defective but I don=E2=80=99t know where to =
start any further tests, etc. I also don=E2=80=99t want to simply wait =
for the issue to happen again. BTW over the weekend I drove about 150 =
miles with no issues whatever. Beyond installing four new plugs last =
week I have not performed any work related to the ignition system. All =
suggestions/questions welcome=E2=80=A6.</span></span><span =
style=3D'color:#3333FF'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'color:#3333FF'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#33333=
3;background:#FAFAFA'>Best--Michael Oritt, BN1</span><span =
style=3D'color:#3333FF'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></body></=
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