1973 Charger shut off without warning while driving

[WH23G3G]

I recently got my 73 Charger back from the repair shop. I've been driving just around my neighborhood and once to the barber shop. I've probably driven it 20 miles since I've gotten back from the repair shop. Well it seemed to be running pretty good so I decided to drive it a little further in the morning. I stopped and visited some other classic car owners and one did a mixture adjustment on my carb because I said it seemed to be ilding a little low when coming to a stop. So I drove it around a little more and it seemed the same. Then a few hours later I decided to drive home. It did good almost all the way home. There is a major roar or vibration coming from the rear once you hit 50+ but who knows what that could be. But speed limit on the roads were 40-45 so it wasn't a problem. I got 2.5 miles from home at 5:30pm Friday traffic and the car just shut off, with no warning. So I quickly started it back up just in time for the light to change and it putted across the intersection and I pulled into a gas station. It backfired out of the exhaust when going through the intersection. I got out and checked to make sure no ignition wires came off. Then it took a bit to get started again feathering the gas pedal and then I left and putted down about a mile and had to pull into my barber shop. It wouldn't barely move. There was a mechanic there that tried to do some adjustments on the carb again to help me get it started. He couldn't then he said I have to go. I was stuck. While he was fooling with the adjustments and me trying to start it, it backfired out the exhaust so loud it literally sounded like a civil war musket. I came back later that night and a friend did the mixture again, it started right up and I made it home no problems. I still think the engine is getting too hot eventhough it doesn't register hot on the gauge.

[cudaken]

WH23G3G, you have a aftermarket intake and a Carter / Eddy carb right? 

First thought is the guy that messes with the carb did not know what he was doing. But after it sat and with more adjustment (was the Charger running at the time) it ran fine. My first thought is you are boiling the gas in the carb. I have had problems with gas boiling in the carb, but I was run a 750 Holley at the time. So my problem was the Road Runner Stumbled over 3000 RPM's when floored. When cool it wound pull to 7000 RPM's. (Far from a stock BB)

With yours being a Carter / Eddy Carb it may manifest the problem in a different fashion. First thing I would do is install a thicker Carb Gasket. I used a 72 Ford 390 gasket last time for O Riley. It is about a 1/8 inch thick.

Cuda Ken

[WH23G3G]

I have an Edelbrock 600 #1400 and a Weiand oem intake. How is the fuel boiling? How hot should it feel under the hood? Gauge was in the middle but taking the air cleaner off actually burnt my finger slightly. What does a thicker gasket do to help? Hey I was tightening my shackle nuts because they we're loose and I noticed my muffler on the driver 's side looked like it blew up. It was all dented and twisted. I haven't run over anything. Could the loud backfire have blown it?

[74Rallye]

Backfire can turn a muffler inside out. I had an old Mustang that did it all the time due to a burnt exhaust valve.

Getting a carb too hot can happen without getting the engine over heated. It can happen from heat transfer from the intake. A thicker gasket will act like an insulator. Edelbrocks are more sensitive to this due to the bowl design. I have an Eddy 800 on my 440 and the fuel will cook out of the carb when I park it.

[Dino]

Backfire can turn a muffler inside out. I had an old Mustang that did it all the time due to a burnt exhaust valve.

Getting a carb too hot can happen without getting the engine over heated. It can happen from heat transfer from the intake. A thicker gasket will act like an insulator. Edelbrocks are more sensitive to this due to the bowl design. I have an Eddy 800 on my 440 and the fuel will cook out of the carb when I park it.

I can attest to that.  My 1407 would boil the fuel out in an instant.  Only a thick spacer helped.  When I got the thermoquad, I used a 1/4" gasket first to see what it would do and I never had fuel boiling issues since.  Burning your finger on the air cleaner tells me that the carb is way too hot.

[WH23G3G]

I talked to my Mopar mechanic and he said he's never had any boiling issues or vapor lock on any of the Mopars he's done. He said the shut off could be ignition issues. He said there is no issues with the timing. He's not an amateur like the last clown that installed my carb, this guy knows Mopars. What should I tell him to check? I will try to drive it to the shop.

[cudaken]

I talked to my Mopar mechanic and he said he's never had any boiling issues or vapor lock on any of the Mopars he's done. He said the shut off could be ignition issues. He said there is no issues with the timing. He's not an amateur like the last clown that installed my carb, this guy knows Mopars. What should I tell him to check? I will try to drive it to the shop.

WH23G3G, how old is your Mopar mechanic, 20?  Just kidding as far as you know. The carb over heating problem has been around for 4 decades if not more!

74Rallye did bring up a good point. Guess it was 15 years ago my 68 Road Runner had a over heating issue. Exhaust was 2.5 inch and was done a round 1985. To me the exhaust note never seemed to change and still sounded free flowing so I ruled that out. One day the kid from down the street like to watch the oil burn off the exhaust / headers?    Clayton said "Ken, did you know your mufflers are this big (held up his hands to show)".

I was shocked!  Replaced the exhaust and Road Runner ran cool again.  I felt like a dumb ass.

Ken 

[WH23G3G]

No this guy owns a few Mopars and is well known in the area not like the last clown that took me for $1000. This is the shop I should have taken my Charger to begin with but it's a few extra miles from home but in the long run would've saved me a lot of money. So what should I be running as far as gaskets/spacers to aid in the boiling if I'm using that 1400 Edelbrock carb with a Weiand Action Plus 8008 Square Bore manifold? I'm going to try and drive it over there next week. I want to drive it around and see about the vibration at 50+mph that was happening, which I think could've been my leaf spring U-bolts. It took a lot more tightening to get them up to 45lbs-ft of torque which is what the manual said. What about the blown mufflers? I got the exhaust kit from Year One which came from Accurate LTD. Does anyone make reproduction Mopar mufflers? I actually want it to have the factory sound.