59AB engine dies while driving at highway speeds

Yes EPW, sometimes these problems give engine component rebuilders lots of extra components to rebuild that are not even defective in the first place. It's usually a lot more expensive than necessary when you trouble shoot a problem like the one in this post and components are just indiscriminately pulled and sent to a rebuilder. Sometimes folks get lucky and have the culprit component rebuilt early on and the problem is solved, BUT more than likely this is not the case, and some folks spend lots of money needlessly getting otherwise good working components rebuilt. I've been there and done that as well in the past but try my best now to prevent doing this because at this point in my life I happen to have more time than money :).
 
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Update and what I have found out so far as of Thursday morning April 19th.

Yesterday evening I installed the 1.5 ohm resistor that Bubba as graciously sent me. I then started the engine and ran it in the driveway until the engine was up to around 180-190 degrees. At this point I had the throttle rod pulled out and I felt the coil and it was cool. I then got in the cab and started to work the throttle. At witch point while on the throttle the engine died. It started right back up and I repeated the process and the engine died. The thrid time it did not start right back up. I waited a few minutes and then it restarted (same symptoms as my road test last Saturday).

While revving the engine I noticed that sometimes the Amp gauge would act up. With the throttle open it would normally charge around the first mark (stock gauge) but sometimes while revving the engine the gauge would go wild and spike up to 40 amps and crash down to zero. It was getting late so I put it away for the night.

This morning I called Bubba to discuss this further. We decided that I should unhook the generator and run the truck again to see if the problem clears up. Perhaps I have a generator that is acting up. We want to eliminate some small things before I send the distrubutor, coil and resistor to him. I will trouble shoot more this evening and put the multimeter to it also. I believe we have solved the HOT coil problem but still working on why the engine dies.

Seth
 
Thank's for the update Seth. Hope to get my 59AB fired up in the next few weeks, hopefully not too many bug's to work out:eek:
 
Seth,

Have you checked for a short in the wire from the ignition to the coil? I got my '40 coupe a year ago, and that drove me nuts for a week or so. It would kill, and sometimes refuse to start at all. I finally discovered that I had voltage to the coil at times, others not. It must have been just a small break in the wire that was possibly affected by vibration, etc. Just a possibility. Good luck, these things can make you crazy.

Joe
 
Seth,

If you do not get a spark when it fails, I would sub in a point distributor to see if the problem is with the electronic ignition or upstream from the coil.

Your generator problem could be a poor ground connection on the regulator or the generator. Tie the grounds on the regulator and generator together and check to see that the ground to the body and the engine are tied to the battery.
 
I would also get rid of that electronic setup.
That flathead couldn,t turn fast enought to blow out the spark.
Get a 1968 Chevy 12 volt coil and resister.
 
Ok, last night I fired the truck up and took some more voltage readings. I have 12 volts everywhere. The coil is staying cool now. Bubba and I think the module could have been damaged. The distributor, coil and resistor are all on the way to Bubba for some further tests. I have solved the HOT coil issue with the 1.5 ohm resistor. Bubba should know about the module next week. Stay tuned.

The electronic set up should run just fine, set up properly and no damage done to the module. My system is 12 volts and this engine starts better than any flathead I have been around. I have a pertronix in my 1931 model A and 1967 mustang, both running trouble free for over 10 years.

We are getting this thing figured out soon.
Seth
 
The change is voltage with generator could be spicking your electrons.
Has this setup ever work for more then 500 miles.
I would go back to points and use a older stock coil like a IC12 or IC with a resister
ICR with ohms of 1.82
Most of the problem on here is people leave to key on play the radio when not running.Points have never let me down.
Even with electronic ign don,t leave key on.
So many people go around felling there coil.
This is my setup IC13 with ICR-13 1.82
This was the only coil i had that fit the 49 ford Holded thats why i used it.
picture.php
 
George, we just completed the restoraion so I have less than 10 miles on the truck. In the mean time with the electronic set up on it's way to Bubbas, I could sub in a points system and see what happens.
 
Seth if it starts faster than my old Fords with stock 6 volt ignition it would have to start before you pushed the button. Plus I can fix mine in minutes not days and if it stops on the road I can get it running. G.M.
 



"Oh, the joys and $ of converting to 12 volts and electronic ignition!
Keep things original and simple
John"

I made a post at the beginning of this thread with the above quote and sort of got jumped on. I am not smart enough to do this 1.82 ohms stuff. But, I am with G M, keep it simple.
John
 
G.M. said:
Seth if it starts faster than my old Fords with stock 6 volt ignition it would have to start before you pushed the button. Plus I can fix mine in minutes not days and if it stops on the road I can get it running. G.M.
Click to expand...

G.M, It once started when a strong breeze blew through the cab and across the starter button. I can put a points system in right now if I want to as I have one on the bench. Points systems are a dime a dozen like you said. I'm just trying some new things like you so often post about in your experiments with fuel problems. I hope to meet up some day and I will take you on in a starting competition. Loser buys lunch :). Get your stop watch handy.
 
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Ok guys i hate to see a post go away with out some closure and a answer.
Heres what we found when i got all of Seths parts in for a run and test on the bench.
Actually i had three of these in from different customers all the same week. The electronic controllers are rated at xx amount of amps and when overload either one, blows up and quits OR some have a current limiter built in to protect them.
On the units with current limiting the excessive current is shunted to ground and even though the system didnt shut down the heat build up is terrible!!! and may cause a problem as well...
Thats what we had here , it appears that the 1.5 ohm was two low and the controller had too much current flowing through it . The fix was to apply a 1.5 ohm resistor dropping the current flow even lower to allow the entire system to work. By the time we got it back the controller was also hurt and needed replacment..
Heres a similar post on the hamb with the same problem only different parts from another customer...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=692933
 
Bubba,

I just got your PM and also looked at the link to the HAMB page. That is very interesting. That graph really puts a visual on what I was experiencing. Guys, check out Bubbas link to the HAMB page, very interesting.

Bubba, thanks for posting this follow up, much appreciated.

Seth
 
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