Car died with no warning

vferrizz · Jul 29, 2009

Up until recently the car was running just fine. Last week I was doing a short, shakedown run to see if I was ready for a state inspection. I was accellerating up a hill and the car just died....no warning...just died. I got the car home via a tow strap and my friends Silverado. It turns over and is getting fuel but will not fire. I replaced the plug wires and coil (they needed it anyway) and no change. I verified that I have voltage to the MSD box and the coil from the ignition switch . Distributor rotor looks OK with no cracks and the same goes for the cap. My next idea is see if my MSD box white trigger wire is firing. If that is OK, any ideas on what to try next? Here is my set up:

Mallory Unilite distributor
New MSD blaster 2 oil
MSD 6 series box

billntenn1972 · Jul 30, 2009

It's probably your ignition module under the rotor button, I had the very same thing happen. Sometimes they go bad when they warm up and start working again when they cool off and sometimes they just quit. Sometimes they can be tested but I would just replace. Be sure to buy a good quality one and use the supplied heat transfer grease that comes with it

Dean · Jul 30, 2009

What kind of car?
Did you make sure that the rotor is even moving?

Den's396 · Jul 30, 2009

Try your hot wire from the starter, the exact same thing happened to me on my 66 about 4 years ago.It melted on the back of the block.

vferrizz · Jul 31, 2009

Thanks for th replies. I have never owned a car with anything other than a factory distrubutor so I will have to learn more about the Mallory one that I have. I assume since there is no vacuum hook up that it must have a mechanical advance?

Dave · Aug 1, 2009

I'll bet money this is what you need.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MAA-6100M/

I run a mechanical advance Unilite, I love them. the draw back is that the module does go out, in 20 years, I've only lost one.

The difference between the 100.00 dollar one, and the 40.00 dollar unit, is one is hand assembled, and the other is robotically assembled. either is just as good.

vferrizz · Aug 2, 2009

Thanks. I just ordered the new modulator and a new rotor. We'll see.

zeke67 · Aug 3, 2009

Make sure the carbon button in the cap is not broken off (center contact to the rotor).

Dave · Aug 3, 2009

zeke67 said:
Make sure the carbon button in the cap is not broken off (center contact to the rotor).

Yup, check that, but that alone will not stop the engine.:noway:

I had a misfire, couldn't find it till I turned the cap over, and found the button missing.

Still ran pretty decent though.

Car died with no warning

vferrizz

billntenn1972

Dean

Den's396

vferrizz

Dave

vferrizz

zeke67

Dave

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