frequent and temporary points failure?

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FordPrefect
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 1:16 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider 124

frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby FordPrefect » Tue Apr 17, 2018 10:20 am

Hey all. I tuned up my 77 a few months ago, new points, dizzy cap, condensers, rotor, wires, plugs, etc.

Took my wife for a test drive, and after a few miles, the car started bucking like mad, then died. Everything seemed ok, so I just moved my dual-points conversion jumper to the other set, and she started right up. I double checked some loose connections on the first set of points, but just kept running on set 2.

Now, months later, same thing happened. I moved my jumper, switching to points set 1, and started right up. Drove for a day or so, and now it's the same story. Bucking, died. Swap jumper, drive home.

I checked everything last night and it all looked ok. Dragged a piece of paper through the points, saw they were kinda dirty. All wires look ok, connections solid.

Any ideas?

FordPrefect
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 1:16 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider 124

Re: frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby FordPrefect » Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:54 pm

Welp, now she starts and runs great, then sputters out, misfires, and dies after a few minutes. Changed the ignition coil, but that did nothin'.

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RRoller123
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Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby RRoller123 » Thu Apr 19, 2018 7:22 am

If this is after a few minutes, sounds like possible fuel starvation. Especially with the sputtering. Try running it with the gas cap OFF and report back. May be a vacuum problem from a gas tank not venting properly.
'80 FI Spider 2000
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FordPrefect
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 1:16 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider 124

Re: frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby FordPrefect » Thu Apr 19, 2018 2:38 pm

Super weak spark from two coils...

FordPrefect
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 1:16 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider 124

Re: frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby FordPrefect » Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:24 pm

Started up after leaning it out, dies after a while though, timing mark jumps around some

FordPrefect
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 1:16 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider 124

Re: frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby FordPrefect » Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:47 pm

So, each time I got it running, it would die after warming up some. I was gonna give up for the night, but I wiped the points with a piece of paper, and it ran pretty consistently.

Managed to make it home, now I have to figure out how to install a new xr3000 kit. Any tips?

rridge
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:59 am
Your car is a: 1981 Turbo Spider

Re: frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby rridge » Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:25 am

Check the coil polarity. Plus terminal goes to ignition switch. Minus goes to distributor. The engine will run with the coil wires reversed but not well and not for long.

FordPrefect
Posts: 245
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 1:16 pm
Your car is a: 1977 Fiat Spider 124

Re: frequent and temporary points failure?

Postby FordPrefect » Fri Apr 20, 2018 6:28 pm

Got an XR3000 installed, runs really great now, but has a kinda regular miss. (maybe from the big hole I drilled in the old cap I was using to adjust the phase) Coil has an internal resistor, which isn't needed now. Maybe I should put in a new coil without one...

Gonna go over the plugs and maybe search for a vacuum leak.

The plate the points were on was wet with something, oil or water. I wonder if radiator steam was fouling the points.


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