Engine Compartment Cooling (1 Viewer)

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Before you touch the carburetor, you need to make sure the ignition system is 100%. That looks like an aftermarket distributor. You need to pull the cap and look inside to see if it has points or is electronic. Points will look totally different than electronic. You can google it if you don't know. If there are points in there, you need to make sure they are properly cleaned, gapped and lubricated. Troubleshooting distributors is way beyond what I can tell you here. Lots of youtube vids on that subject.

Then look inside the cap to see if the rotor is burned up and carbon arc'd and how the terminals under the plug wires look. If you see a lot of black crusty stuff on the little metal posts under the plug wires, you need to clean all that off. Then look at the button that sticks down under the coil wire terminal. If that button doesn't poke in and out, or it is all burnt up, that is a major problem. You can clean the end of the rotor off as well, you can either use a small file or just a sharp corner of something metal and scrape off any burned up carbon looking residue.

Those plug wires look a little old. You can check their status by using an ohmmeter and measuring their resistance.

Those nuts on the coil are rusty. Take them off and clean the terminals. Any rust or corrosion will inhibit voltage to the coil. That faded red wire with the heat shielding looks like the connector on the end is suspect. If the wire inside that terminal is green, it won't be carrying proper current.

Once you get that checked out, you can verify the quality of the spark. There are testers that have an air gap in them. Those are best to see the quality. The spark needs to be sharp and blue. If it is orange or yellow, it is weak and you need to figure that out.

Once you get those things squared away, you can work on other problems.
 
I created a video showing the problem I have starting the car while hot. I installed a Edelbrock carbeurator spacer which had no effect. After seeing this my neighbor doesnt think its a fuel issue. He thinks maybe the positive cable from the battery, through a battery disconnect switch, back to the starter, might either need to be havier guage...or is too long (more length = more resistance)





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I created a video showing the problem I have starting the car while hot. I installed a Edelbrock carbeurator spacer which had no effect. After seeing this my neighbor doesnt think its a fuel issue. He thinks maybe the positive cable from the battery, through a battery disconnect switch, back to the starter, might either need to be havier guage...or is too long (more length = more resistance)





View attachment 3898080

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Get a positive cable for a 6volt system or even better, go to a welding supply, buy welding cable and make your own.
 
What's it connected to in the engine compartment?
 
I was looking at your starter connections from an earlier post. You got a wiring nightmare. What's the older red wire going to? And the other red wire? I suspect the power switch on the dash isn't helping. Do you use a key to start it?
 
I just bought some 2/0 cables from batterycablesusa.com $45 delivered. 27" red to starter 14" black to engine. My 72 cranks over much better than it ever did with 4 or 2 gauge. I used the old black from the frame to the engine there the new black is grounded. I spray all the terminals with the NAPA battery corrosion fluid. I just some new connectors to add to the positive wires at the battery.
 
It would be interesting to shoot the wire with one of those infrared temp gauges, if undersized it will heat up some. (also ake sure tiing is not to far adavnced but if juping helps, clearly heavier wires are in order.
 
I was looking at your starter connections from an earlier post. You got a wiring nightmare. What's the older red wire going to? And the other red wire? I suspect the power switch on the dash isn't helping. Do you use a key to start it?
Yes I use a key to start it. If you're talking about the thin red wire labeled "1", that goes from the ignition switch to the starter. The other unlabeled, thin red wire I THINK goes to the stereo...its up behind the dash and I havent traced that all out yet.
 
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This wire?

I think you have to simplify your wiring. There are too many wires going to the large terminal on the starter. It looks like an aftermarket harness with some weird add ons. Those things might or might not be adding yo your issue. I wonder if the insulation on the starter is retaining heat or blocking heat. What's the timing set at?
How old is the starter?
 
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This wire?

I think you have to simplify your wiring. There are too many wires going to the large terminal on the starter. It looks like an aftermarket harness with some weird add ons. Those things might or might not be adding yo your issue. I wonder if the insulation on the starter is retaining heat or blocking heat. What's the timing set at?
How old is the starter?
I replaced the starter last yer so its practically brand new (I didnt drive it for 9 months). I dont understand wiring hardly at all, and wondered why it needs a positive (+) from the ignition switch, AND the battery, AND the alternator...I just replaced the starter wiring as-is since I dont know any better.

I put the heat shielding on the starter thinking the heat was affecting it (I'm pretty sure I read something about that)...but I may as well remove it now since I'm still having the problem (and maybe its keeping heat it).

My neigbor set the timing when we replaced the distributor and the cam shaft (another long story) so I cant answer that - but can find out - do you mean what the sequence is?
 
Lose that cut off, run straight to starter from batt. if you want to have an emerg elec cut off put it on the wire from starter to ampmeter.
Check timing, I bet its way adv, back it up a bit and see if that helps. I would suspect the starter needs replacing after a few starts with low power or bad cables or whatever it puts a hurt on starter, I would take the blanky off starter.
 
The wire from alt recharges system, the wire you say goes to ign should go to the ameter first then ign. The start wire running inside, looping around, going thru a switch, lose that crap. FWIW very few of those PICO type switches have contacts that are worth a s***, I burned 2 up finally found a Moroso, no plastic, that has worked , I use it to link dual batts.
 
That chimped connector on the starter doesn't look good to me. Its partly open - corrosion could easily form in there. Easy way is to pull it off and inspect the wire for green crud in the strands. Use a crimper to put on a new one and then heat shrink over the joint.
 
Just an update for the group...I think I figured out the brake pedal/clutch issue...I replaced the springs and havent had the problem again (yet). I assume the tension on the existing springs (which were old and kind of limp) was reduced as the metal heated up. I replaced with newer ones and its alot better!

Now to remove the kill switch and shorten the + cable....more to come.
 

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