Choppy idle - - - only when pissed off...

[The Goose]

Okay guys I know what I gotta do but what do you think. I had my shiny new distributor die and stuffed the old one back in just to “move the car around” LoL! Well now better than a year later after idling for 25 min in the drivethru it got real choppy and lopey. Drove back to work sat all day. Started right up (always does) and ran ok again. Blew out the cobwebs at 70 on the freeway for 20/30 miles and then two laned it back to the house. Now runs great? I’m doing points and condensor w my NOS stuff I got on here this weekend but what do you guys think is going on? Now the question...

1. Do I throw them in the old distributor which up till now worked great or throw them in the new one that never really worked.

B. I want to buy a new coil I am completely out of spares and I don’t want to buy a 50 year old one but would like one of good quality. Who would you go to because even napa sucks nowadays.

3. Why on earth would it heal itself and run so good just by running it on the freeway? The plugs are okay so ???

70 mile round trip w lunch run not one drip. 1969 318 w Holley 600 automatic. Points and maybe 50 year old coil everything belts etc etc were original when I bought. Zero replacement parts just ran into the ground w 155k on it.

 

[Davea Lux]

As long as the old distributor has tight bushings and the mechanical advance works, I would be inclined to use that one. Was the new distributor by any chance a Cardone rebuilt? A new coil, even if it is 50 years old does not age until it has power connected to it, so I would not worry about the condition of an older OEM coil.

Dave

 

[The Goose]

As long as the old distributor has tight bushings and the mechanical advance works, I would be inclined to use that one. Was the new distributor by any chance a Cardone rebuilt? A new coil, even if it is 50 years old does not age until it has power connected to it, so I would not worry about the condition of an older OEM coil.

Dave

Good to know. I figured the coil juice might breakdown. No idea it was brand new from Checker and lasted 3 or 4 weeks. I put the old dist in and bought NOS points kit here on the site. But it’s run fine so I never messed with it. I keep a spare dist in the trunk set up because I feel it’s easier to replace the dist than mess with points on the side of the road. Yes I did put a good NOS tune up set in the crappy spare new dist. I bought 3 sets.

 

[Davea Lux]

Good to know. I figured the coil juice might breakdown. No idea it was brand new from Checker and lasted 3 or 4 weeks. I put the old dist in and bought NOS points kit here on the site. But it’s run fine so I never messed with it. I keep a spare dist in the trunk set up because I feel it’s easier to replace the dist than mess with points on the side of the road. Yes I did put a good NOS tune up set in the crappy spare new dist. I bought 3 sets.

View attachment 385646

View attachment 385647

That is a new unit, made in China.

Dave

 

[The Goose]

That is a new unit, made in China.

Dave

Okay I’ll run the old one Lol!!!

 

[Davea Lux]

View attachment 385648

Okay I’ll run the old one Lol!!!

Check the box, some also were made in South Korea.

Dave

 

[The Goose]

Check the box, some also were made in South Korea.

Dave

Even better. I’ve been to S Korea with the 25th ID. I did eat cat - it was like the meat? In a jack in the box super taco but in burrito form. Yaki mando I believe. Didn’t eat no dogs. They got too much personality...

 

[67Monaco]

What's the volts look like at idle after 25 minutes? And is the fusible link getting hot while you're just sitting there idling? Just two thoughts I might have if I was experiencing the same thing.

 

[Davea Lux]

Even better. I’ve been to S Korea with the 25th ID. I did eat cat - it was like the meat? In a jack in the box super taco but in burrito form. Yaki mando I believe. Didn’t eat no dogs. They got too much personality...

Mmmmmm roof rabbit taco.

Dave

 

[The Goose]

I put it in park so the ammeter was positive, if left in drive w the brakes applied it’ll dance a bit. I had the old alternator rebuilt and it’s done pretty good. Normally idling doesn’t phase it. Shoot I must’ve been stuck in line for 25 minutes. Shoulda shut er down but I was listening to my 1969 air check CD of 93KHJ w the Real Don Steel LoL!!! My fault.

Now is this a case where that bypass wire deal might help. Alt to the relay I mean.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

May not be the ignition...
I have had a couple of trucks over the years that would start to misfire do to fouling when the wife drove it in town for months . I rarely drove them, usually when we were leaving town. I would always say " this thing is running like ****" wife did not notice some times do to slow change.
We would go to the coast and when we got home they ran great for several weeks thereafter.
One worn out sbc would oil foul over time. But run flawlessly once blown out and the starter would just wing that old motor! They start great when you can spin them that fast!

 

[The Goose]

Mmmmmm roof rabbit taco.

Dave

Hey it was 20 to 40° outside, 6 weeks in the field w no warm food. That hot deep fried cat was the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. Our M109 broke down and they left us and then forgot about us for two days. No cell phones back then we had land lines - no radios. A Stars n Stripes reporter passed the word we were stuck by some tiny village. Everyone thought someone else towed us in. I held out for a whole day before I ate that deep fried cat burrito. Then I bought 3 more...

 

[The Goose]

May not be the ignition...
I have had a couple of trucks over the years that would start to misfire do to fouling when the wife drove it in town for months . I rarely drove them, usually when we were leaving town. I would always say " this thing is running like ****" wife did not notice some times do to slow change.
We would go to the coast and when we got home they ran great for several weeks thereafter.
One worn out sbc would oil foul over time. But run flawlessly once blown out and the starter would just wing that old motor! They start great when you can spin them that fast!

This happened right after a spirited 45-55mph drive for 45 min thru the canyon w two stop signs. Right off that and into drivethru hell. It just got pissed. It felt like bad points. Weird. It never gets pissed off from idling. Up till now it’s been like a farm tractor. It could idle 3 or 4 days in the driveway without getting hot until it ran out of gas. Probably just old age.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

Well a guy from Ukraine told me one time that you can wire in a tree frog to substitute for a condenser if your in a pinch. But they don't last very long and you will have to catch another frog.

Better than being stuck on the side of the road for two days.

 

[Davea Lux]

Well a guy from Ukraine told me one time that you can wire in a tree frog to substitute for a condenser if your in a pinch. But they don't last very long and you will have to catch another frog.

Better than being stuck on the side of the road for two days.

People come up with some interesting field solutions. I had a friend years ago who was a drunk. His wife would see the car parked the bar and pull the coil wire so he would not get into trouble trying to drive home. He would pick dandelions and braid the stems together (not sure how he did that drunk) and use them for a coil wire. It worked well enough to get him home.

Dave

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

That's priceless.Sounds like somebody I would know or even be related to.

 

[CBODY67]

Along in the middle '80s, I suspected that the ignition coils on a few of our cars might have been "aged" and weren't sparking to spec, so I bought one. From OEM-spec brands. Got one for the '72 Pontiac Catalina Brougham 400 2bbl from ACDelco! ALL were generic, no brand stamps, and usually had a "CHINE" sticker on the bottom. The cars ran NO better with them than the old ones, which I put back on, usually. End of my concerns with ignition coils getting old and weak!

The landscape of ignition coils might be different now.

As for the 318, if the points will gap and dwell in spec (at the same time), then check the idle mixture/speed adjustment on the carb. Checking for vac leaks, too, including the vacuum advance can. I suspect the plugs are the correct heat range, too? All elec connections for the coil and wiring loom are clean and good?

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[The Goose]

Along in the middle '80s, I suspected that the ignition coils on a few of our cars might have been "aged" and weren't sparking to spec, so I bought one. From OEM-spec brands. Got one for the '72 Pontiac Catalina Brougham 400 2bbl from ACDelco! ALL were generic, no brand stamps, and usually had a "CHINE" sticker on the bottom. The cars ran NO better with them than the old ones, which I put back on, usually. End of my concerns with ignition coils getting old and weak!

The landscape of ignition coils might be different now.

As for the 318, if the points will gap and dwell in spec (at the same time), then check the idle mixture/speed adjustment on the carb. Checking for vac leaks, too, including the vacuum advance can. I suspect the plugs are the correct heat range, too? All elec connections for the coil and wiring loom are clean and good?

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

New (3 years old) Holley 600, no vacuum leaks, choke wired open, no gas leaks, I’ve tried hotter and colder plugs this one burns a little oil so stock range is what I’m running. Runs like a champ except for loading up like that after 25 min of idling. It was about 85 so the car never got hot but I’m sure it was hot under the hood. I’m doing plugs points and condenser and I’ll report back. Only other thing I did was the CD player but it doesn’t seem to be hurting the alt (rebuilt at local shop) battery & cables are new. I replaced the old kenwood tape player w the Kenwood CD player. Seems like a wash power wise...

 

[CBODY67]

Check the pcv passages in the base plate to ensure it/they are open. Once in the baseplate, I believe it splits and goes to each primary throttle plate. I discovered that they'd get "reduced in size" over time on the OEM-spec 4160 I had on my Camaro. After a while, the idle adjustment got unresponsive, more anr more. Finally upgraded to an OEM-spec 4175 and gained over 2mpg average with that one change. BTAIM

What do the plugs look like after it's idled for that long? Possibly some degraded valve seals?

Thanks,
CBODY67

 

[The Goose]

Check the pcv passages in the base plate to ensure it/they are open. Once in the baseplate, I believe it splits and goes to each primary throttle plate. I discovered that they'd get "reduced in size" over time on the OEM-spec 4160 I had on my Camaro. After a while, the idle adjustment got unresponsive, more anr more. Finally upgraded to an OEM-spec 4175 and gained over 2mpg average with that one change. BTAIM

What do the plugs look like after it's idled for that long? Possibly some degraded valve seals?

Thanks,
CBODY67

Up till now it could idle until it ran out of gas. This is something new. It also didn’t do this before I pulled the 50 year old plugs out 3 years ago. They looked like they had potatoes growing on them but it still ran. The new plugs performance gain was lost in the mix. I did new carb, new distributor, new plugs, new wires, new air filter and oil change all at same time. It definitely needs seals, rings, valve job etc etc etc. plan is to yank it once the rainy season starts and it’s parked anyways.