My Galaxie is being a stinker, when I rebuilt the carb it was happy enough then one time I was just letting it idle and I blipped the throttle and it died and would only restart after being allowed to cool off. Now it starts and runs/sputters/dies/no restart. One thing I have noticed is that I hear a loud click after the engine turns over a couple times. Could it be the starter relay begins starting but gives up the ghost? The coil gets hot, too. Could the coil be sending me a message about a short somewhere? I checked to see if fuel is coming to the carb and it does, squirters work, I grounded the coil lead and it sparked, so did a pulled plug. New plugs and battery. I’m going to look for vacuum leaks but it doesn’t feel like that is the problem. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Ford uses a section of resistor wire (large pink from ignition switch) rather than a ballast resistor.
Sounds like you might be out of time, about 180 degrees (a tooth off) pull distributor, get it back on TDC number one cylinder, try it again Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That sounds loike an ignition issue. If your running electronicignition I would suspect a bad ignition module. Check for spark after it dies to narrow your search to fuel or ignition problems.
The "coil gets hot". I'd start there. It's probably already gone bad, so replace it and find out why. The guys suggesting the resistor wire give you a good place to start. Do you have a multi-meter? Start by checking the voltage to the coil.
I agree if the "coil gets hot" there is a reason. I would start at the starter solenoid, if it is a 4 post one. A 4 post one is designed to put 12 volts to the ignition circuit when the ignition switch is in start position. Check the voltage from that post to ground with the key off and if you have 12 volts, it is putting voltage to the coil at all times, which could be why it is hot and probably fried. Next is the points/condenser or module, which if bad is not allowing the built up secondary voltage in the coil winding to dissipate through the plugs. Remote cranking the engine with a grounded plug out to see if it is firing will reveal the direction to take.
You need to go through the "list". Fire... Fuel... Time... Fire... Start with the most basic first. The grounds. Wherever the fire goes to ground check it and check all wires. Make sure you have enough grounds. Check all connections, all of them, from the battery, from the switch. Fords are bad about the wires breaking at the coil. Make sure the wire is not broken at the elbow connectors at the coil. The wires can be broken there with the insulation intact. This causes an intermittent connection. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. It's maddening! So check all connections. Running cold and quitting when warm is a classic sign that you have a poor connection somewhere or some electrical component is failing. It makes the connection cold. When the metal heats...you loose connection. This is classic rusty, dirty connections or broken wires loosing contact.... Of course check your distributor. All connections there and the point gap and condenser. You may need to disassemble and clean the distributor or try another known good unit. Fuel... Is this a 4bbl? I have found that Fords seem to be real finicky when running a 2100 2bbl. It's like they have a very narrow window that they'll run in. If it's a little off, it may not hit a lick at a snake.... It sounds electrical but this could be only part of the problem. In rebuilding a carburetor....sometimes it takes going through it several times. Of course check carburetor base for vacuum leaks. Check filters and fuel pump. Is the gas dirty? Time... Check the time. Find #1 and go from there. Let the engine tell you where it's at not you assuming where it's at. Sometimes going through all this you fix the problem and never know for sure what the culprit was. Sometimes it's a combination of multiple minor system failures that cause a problem.
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