Will not run at low speed

C

carolinamudwalker

Member
Returning to the east coast from the Smoky Mountains I had a distributor cap come apart. After replacing it The car would run fine at speed but would back fire, spit & sputter at every stop light and then quit. Poring water over the carb and giving it a few minutes it would start and run fine until the next time I had to slow down. This went on until I pulled into the drive way at 9:00 PM. The car was running hotter than normal,about 190 deg. The 5 day trip out and in the mountains it ran like a Swiss watch. What happened?? Bob New Bern N.C.
 
I'm wondering why the cap broke. If for some reason the rotor contacted it and caused it to break, then I'd look for bad bushing and if the cam slipped and turned throwing off the timing. Maybe the rotor and 'new' cap are bad also.
 
My mistake, the rotor came apart and there was a lot of brass chips in the body. I am thinking a timing problem but why would it run ok at 45 to 50 mph?
 
because your already up to speed.. also check the points , gap and the lower plate wire..
maybe pieces got down in the dist and
or dist play in the shaft
 
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What caused the rotor to come apart? Sounds like its time to rebuild that distributor. Bushings and shaft sound worn allowing the rotor to contact the body. Maybe at high speed it "centers" its self and at idle it flops around?
 
That is suspicious about the rotor coming apart, yet it did not happen again. I don't think you mentioned that you replaced the body which could have been damaged if the rotor got caught for a moment when it was disintegrating.

My only overheating problem was caused by timing and a loose fan belt and it was causing the engine to overheat and pouring a bottle of water on the carb helped because the gasohol was boiing in the bowl and the sediment filter.

I think this is timing related all the way for my two cents. If you are running older points/condenser, then overheating is causing that condenser to break down, too.

I haven't had a condenser go bad in five years since I got the timing/hence the engine temps in check.

JackD
 
My first thought is fuel boiling at slower speeds where you have less air movement.
Have you tried buying only the good gas to see if that helps?
Insulating the fuel line and making a heat shield for the carb can also help.
 
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