Puzzled and Pissed

[Faster Eddie]

Okay,

So yesterday hop in and fires up like normal, get going a couple miles and it sputters and is gutless. Can't get it over 50, give it a little (lot) more gas and it coughs up a couple good bangs! Turn around and go home.

Let it all cool down. Edelbrock carb is getting gas. Distributor has not budged. Trans fluid smells good, looks good.

Try again today after making sure mechanical fuel pump is working. Can't find a vacuum leak. Brand new clean fuel filter.

It revs up fine, but put in gear and drive and it's a joke. Bogs down, no power, eventually speeds up but not like normal and feels labored.

What do you guys think? What else should I check?

 

[Bulletman]

Check timing

 

[broncosbybart]

Or fuel filters.

 

[blubuckaroo]

If it was running good before, you need to consider what might have changed.
Could be something like a plugged filter, bad fuel pump, or maybe just a bad ignition capacitor. It's always better to consider recent work before going crazy.

 

[Bronco Junkie]

Rebuild carb?

 

[triracer67]

Check the spark and fuel. What are you running for coil, dizzy? Is it getting 12v power? Really sounds more like spark, pull a plug and check intensity.

 

[Faster Eddie]

Only recent work was swapped in my new BC Broncos heavy duty rad. Ran like a champ all day long after that.

Running HEI Dizzy.

 

[NGABronco]

Check all the vacuum ports on the carb & manifold, lines and caps. I've had caps go bad??%)%)%)

 

[bwyman]

I would check The voltage to the distributor. If it is an HEi it requires 12v to run properly not resisted voltage . The other problem could be the HEI module.

 

[phred]

Another idea is to check the plug wires. I've seen a single wire in a set just die. It will carry enough voltage to idle but not under load. Pull the wires one at a time while the engine is running. If you find one that does not change the idle you have found the bad wire.

 

[Scoop]

The symptoms sound very similar to a problem I recently had with my 84 Bronco 300. I'm running a Duraspark II set up and it turned out to be the coil. I'm not that familiar with HEI - does that have the coil on top of the dizzy?

 

[bronconut73]

Did you get the dizzy wet while swapping rads?

 

[broncodriver99]

More gas,

 

[Faster Eddie]

Dizzy has been good since being put on a year ago. Ill start at the plug wires and work back from there.

 

[SteveL]

How many miles on it? I'm thinking timing chain.. sounds like a timing issue. Seems like youve checked the usual suspects.

 

[Faster Eddie]

Ok, here's the deal, had a spare HEI dizzy from another mystery illness.

After checking all fuel system components, every spark plug, swapping out the coil, checked initial timing. Everything was where it should be.

Popped the cap off the dizzy, pulled the rotor, BOTH VAC ADVANCE WEIGHTS WERE BROKEN AND LYING IN PIECES inside the dizzy.

Swapped in my other weights, and she's back to AWESOME.

Anyone else every see that one?

 

[DirtDonk]

Seen lots of jammed up advance mechanisms, and that's what I was going to point too as well as the others. But no, can't say I've EVER seen or heard of the weights actually breaking!

Strange...

Paul

 

[NGABronco]

Hey, glad ya' got it fixed!!! Also glad to know I'm not the only person that has "one of a kind" breaks!!!;D;D;D

 

[Faster Eddie]

I just knew something "broke" because it was fine one day and jacked up the next.

Thx for the help everyone!