Engine dies out

[vandie12]

I have a 383 4b with electronic ignition. The engine when idling will all of a sudden cut right out and quit. Turn the key and it will start right up run for a while then quit again. It doesn't seem like its a fuel problem cause it will start right up. The engine only has a couple of hundred miles on it, and everything inside and out side of it is new. Any suggestions, it also will stall out when I punch it.

[Ghoste]

Mopar Performance orange box by chance?

[Cooter]

Assuming fuel isn't the problem, check ignition rotor/cap then I'd swap control ECU.

[vandie12]

It does have an orange box........     Are they the bad ones?   

[Cooter]

It does have an orange box........     Are they the bad ones?   

Chrysler electronic ignition is junk IMO. You ask 50 people here and 40 will tell you that and 10 will tout it as the best thing since sliced bread. I prefer MSD.

[68charger440]

I had similar problems.  Mine would run for a couple of minutes and then begin to stumble and then quit altogether. It would start and repeat the same symptoms.   I chased this problem through the carburetor and electrical systems.  In my troubleshooting I fed the coil positive straight from the battery to be sure it was getting a strong 12 volts.  It would then stay running until I disconnected that wire confirming that the positive feed was intermittently acting up.  Of course you need to disconnect that wire or your key will not shut off the motor, so use alligator clips so you can quickly disconnect it and then the key will work again.  Mine was getting low voltage and that low voltage can screw with the non points style ignition systems that require a good 12 volt source.  Just some possibilities to think about.

[68charger440]

I Don't know what car this is on but if your feeding the coil from a ballast resistor then are you still running a points distributor?  If you converted to HEI then you should probably be bypassing the ballast resistor.  Also I would not be too fast to eliminate a fuel problem.  Incorrectly set floats have bit my but a few times as have a whole bunch of other carb tuning issues, and just because things are new doesn't mean they are good and/or setup for your car properly.  This is especially true for carbs.

[Back N Black]

I Don't know what car this is on but if your feeding the coil from a ballast resistor then are you still running a points distributor?  If you converted to HEI then you should probably be bypassing the ballast resistor.  Also I would not be too fast to eliminate a fuel problem.  Incorrectly set floats have bit my but a few times as have a whole bunch of other carb tuning issues, and just because things are new doesn't mean they are good and/or setup for your car properly.  This is especially true for carbs.

The Mopar electronic ignition has the ballast resistor because 12 volts is not required at the coil when vehicle is running.

[68charger440]

I Don't know what car this is on but if your feeding the coil from a ballast resistor then are you still running a points distributor?  If you converted to HEI then you should probably be bypassing the ballast resistor.  Also I would not be too fast to eliminate a fuel problem.  Incorrectly set floats have bit my but a few times as have a whole bunch of other carb tuning issues, and just because things are new doesn't mean they are good and/or setup for your car properly.  This is especially true for carbs.

The Mopar electronic ignition has the ballast resistor because 12 volts is not required at the coil when vehicle is running.

My understanding is that the lower voltage if for protecting the points, it only needs the higher voltage for starting .  My point was that if he has upgraded to a HEI ignition then the lower voltage will not allow the HEI ignition to work properly.  I have seen people mix and match old and new ignition pieces and cause these types of problems.  There is no need for a ballast resister if he doesn't have a points distributor and in fact it will hurt many HEI ignitions if they don't have a steady close to 12v..

[Ghoste]

You're on the right track, the higher voltage was to ensure maximum spark energy during starting but the coil couldn't operate at that voltage for long periods.  It likely helped with point life too but the coil was the biggie.

[68charger440]

You're on the right track, the higher voltage was to ensure maximum spark energy during starting but the coil couldn't operate at that voltage for long periods.  It likely helped with point life too but the coil was the biggie.

Ok, I think I remember that as well, so then in that case it bolsters my point that 12v at the coil is still nescessary, and that if you are not running points then the ballast resistor is just one more unnecessary point of failure.

[Ghoste]

No, the opposite.  It shows that 12v at the coil under constant conditions will cause it to run hot and fail.

[68charger440]

No, the opposite.  It shows that 12v at the coil under constant conditions will cause it to run hot and fail.

Why then do the HEI manufacturers tell you to eliminate the ballast resistor and feed the coil with a constant 12v supply?

[Ghoste]

HEI can take it, in fact was designed to operate that way.  (hence the High Energy Ignition moniker)

[68charger440]

HEI can take it, in fact was designed to operate that way.  (hence the High Energy Ignition moniker)

But in that case it is running a constant 12 v through the coil which you say will burn it out. 
Sorry to be difficult, but over the years I have heard arguments about this topic with some pretty good arguments on both sides, and I even read manuals that seem to contradict themselves a bit.

[Ghoste]

HEI is a coil which can take it.

[68charger440]

Ok... now you have me worried about my own setup.   I have a MSD 8387 pro billet ready to run distributor.  I connected both sides of the ballast resistor wires together eliminating the ballast resistor, and then fed the coil from those wires which are at that point are always 12 volts.  The MSD is then fed from the coil.  Should I go back to feeding the coil from the original ballast resistor setup where it is only 12v when starting?

[Ghoste]

What coil are you using?

[68charger440]

MSD Blaster 3

[Ghoste]

You won't need the ballast with that, you're fine.

[68charger440]

Thx

[4404spdcharger]

I know you said you don't think it's fuel but I had similar symptoms and remembered a thread on fuel pump rods. I pulled mine out and it was 0.25" short, should be 3.25".  Replaced it and presto, no problem anymore. Just a thought and it's not a hard thing to check.