440 runs rough after wire grounds

[440Chauncey]

I have a 68 chrysler with a 440. It ran perfectly before I messed with the ac clutch by reconnecting it. Once I reconnected it the whole wire was sparking and burning. So I immediately disconnected it. Then I tried to turn the engine over and it barley ran. Now the first thing I figured was the orange ecu. I swapped the ballast resistor and coil and even the ecu. Now the car runs but idles rough. Around 3000 rpm it seems to run ok. The only things I changed in the past week was my fuel. Could it still be the electrical system or carb problems. It still has the stock holley on it from 68.

 

[65Fury440]

Wild *** guess, try another ECU.

 

[BJS racing]

Does your car have a tach in it?

 

[Big_John]

I have a 68 chrysler with a 440. It ran perfectly before I messed with the ac clutch by reconnecting it. Once I reconnected it the whole wire was sparking and burning. So I immediately disconnected it. Then I tried to turn the engine over and it barley ran. Now the first thing I figured was the orange ecu. I swapped the ballast resistor and coil and even the ecu. Now the car runs but idles rough. Around 3000 rpm it seems to run ok. The only things I changed in the past week was my fuel. Could it still be the electrical system or carb problems. It still has the stock holley on it from 68.

The wiring for the A/C compressor goes directly to the switch and then to the fuse. It should have blown the fuse.

Is this an aftermarket unit?

My suspicion would be that the fuse has been bypassed or replaced with a higher amperage fuse or possibly the power for the A/C has been taken from another source. Either way, it sounds like it fried some wiring farther up the line, possibly the ignition feed.

I would run a jumper wire from the battery to the ballast resistor and give it a try. If the car runs fine, all your ECU etc. is good and you need to start looking at the wiring, including the bulkhead connector, going to the ignition switch.

 

[bluefury361]

Good advice from Big John. But if your still running on the original Holley then I would look hard at the carb, filter and fuel system in general. Those Hollies, with age on them, tend to warp around the fuel bowls and become very unreliable.

 

[Snotty]

I really doubt his problem will be the carb if it was running fine before this experience.

Did you swap the regulator? You put on a new ECU, but aren't you still running the stock regulator? It may have cooked in that incident.