On the electrical side:
Start with the basics, when is the last time you replaced the spark plugs,
plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor button?
1. Try starting the engine about dusk - low light conditions. Then get a
spray bottle full of water, and spray around the distributor, and each
plug wire. See if you see any sparks or arcing. If so, it's time to
replace the wires.
2. A cracked distributor cap, or one that has gotten moisture in it will
conduct the spark to ground and not to a plug. This can be intermittant
because as the moisture drys out, it will quit conducting to ground and
you'll start firing on that (those) cylinders again.
3. A bad rotor button will usually just fail, shorting the high voltage to
ground via the shaft it's sitting on. This us usually NOT and intermittant
failure. It's as if someone turned off the ignition switch.
4. Check all the electrical connections, clean the battery terminals, the
grounds on the fender well, etc. Check the ground under the car by the
differential. You want all the grounds to be clean, bright, and tight.
5. The coil or the associated wiring could have problems. Coils like to fail
when hot. So if you were driving the car for a while, and it dies but will
restart after sitting for a while, check for spark (above).
6. Check to see that the clip for the low voltage side on the coil has clean
connections and the they are tight.
7. Lastly, look at replacing the ignition module. You can get an aftermarket
one for about $30.
Good luck and let us know what you find out.
John
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair1948@cox.net
Va. Beach, Va
Phone: (757) 495-8229
48 TR1800 48 #4 Midget 65 Morgan 4/4 Series V (B1106)
75 Bricklin SV1 (#0887) 77 Spitfire 71 Saab Sonett III
65 Rambler Classic
Morgan: www.team.net/www/morgan
Bricklin: www.bricklin.org
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