Running problems after exploring roadside ditch.

[Radish150]

So it was about 3am and raining like heck, muddy, muddy back road, doing 40 or so. Slick spot, clay, ditch.... ouch . Three hours later after enduring the laughs of the locals who were definitly laughing AT me and not WITH me, those who did not see fit to fly off into the ditch that night, a helpfull big rig came along and pulled me out.

Problem started when I started it after being pulled out, running on what sounded like 3 or 4 cylinders. I have spark at the coil, but nothing out to the spark plug wires. I had to order a cap, rotor, points, condenser, wires cuz the only they had here were plugs (which did not help). Any guesses what happened? I´m assuming that my cap was hot and got splashed which cracked it and will fire up happily when my parts come manana, but any chance that it´s something worse than ignition parts? It was waist deep in mud and I flogged it for a while with my pipe underwater.... just tell me everything will be ok...

 

[35inchoverdrive]

From the details you provided, it sounds to me like you just got some water under the distributor cap. Have you driven it since it has had a chance to dry out. I can't really tell from the post, but is your cap cracked, or you thought it might be cracked?

 

[Magnum44]

Everything will be OK. A little WD40 will get rid of the water in the cap. From what you described I can't imagine it being anything more.

 

[Radish150]

Overdrive, yup... I was observing the cap in the dark while running (the engine, not me ) and thought a crack I could see stray sparks arcing inside the cap so yeah, appears that it was hot and when I splashed it with cold water it cracked? Anyway, pretty sure it´s just a bad cap now, parts on the way, thanks.

Wd40 huh? Ill remember that next time I wash the engine compartment, nice gun btw Magnum44... Personally I gotta hankering for a Sub compact .45 lately, but that´s beside the point.

If you don´t hear from me for a week that means everything went fine...

tanx

 

[robtackett]

mine started running a lil rough and I pulled the cap off and water had gotten in there and the points on the cap had started to corrode. I lil sand paper and some wd40 and it worked better then ever

 

[FF LC FREAK]

Wd40 huh? Ill remember that next time I wash the engine compartment,

tanx

WD40 = Water Displacement formula 40. Developed during the 1950s for the aerospace industry. Apparently, it took them 40 tries to get it right.

 

[KOOTENAY KRUZER]

About 20 years ago both Garrett and Pratt & Whitney decided it still wasn't right, WD40 mixes with the water rather than displaces it, most of the time it doesn't seem to matter but both manufacturers said don't use it any more on their turboprop and turbojet engines, use CRC-36 instead. A mechanic once told me (before this change from Garrett and P&W) that his experience was that WD40 would help start a rusty thread loosen up but if it was a long one and it got tight again spray it with water instead of more WD40 and it would loosen up for the whole length of the thread. Just a note of interest, most of the time it works quite well anyway.

 

[fj hunter]

wd 40 also ...

acts to condense H2O moluclues when it evaporates (of course depending on the temperature).

so micro shears are set up along the evaporation trail due to H2O being left on the surface.

after 25 plus years in the semi-conductor industry, we chase WD-40 with Isopropal Alcohol. so it will not migrate to every non-living piece of machinery in a 5 county radius.

in a closed cap application, it might arc a few nano degrees sooner, but once it clears, it should be fine to operate. a simple wipping out of the cap should surfice to eliminate those stray issues.

What a wonderful product. a surfactant extraordinaire.

 

[Magnum44]

Wd40 huh? Ill remember that next time I wash the engine compartment, nice gun btw Magnum44... Personally I gotta hankering for a Sub compact .45 lately, but that´s beside the point.

Yes, WD40 will displace the water (Water Displacement on the 40th try). Great stuff to carry around when fording streams. The gun, one of my favorites. Model 29 (blued) Dirty Harry or 629 (stainless). One of my favorite CCW guns is a Kahr K-40. Kahr also makes a .45 thats very compact. Very stoutly built, compact, double action only and no external safeties to mess with, just point and shoot. My .40 is as small or smaller than a 9mm but with way more punch. Good luck with your rig.

 

[Radish150]

Yah, a Glock .40 was my previous gun, gave it up when I came down here, now I can´t legally own anything larger than a 38. Reminds me of the Tom Waits lyric... "small change got rained on, with his own 38"

Dang ignition parts not here yet...

 

[Magnum44]

Radish, what part of the world do you live?

 

[Radish150]

Magnum, Peru, Iquitos to be exact, don´t ask .

Well, thats all it was, cheap Taiwanese dist cap (Japanese this time thanks), rapid temerature change from being splashed with water after a good flogging = cracked cap. Gave me a good excuse to get new wires and change the plugs.

Now, that nutty idea about hybrid suspension... hey, could work right? Currently exploring every dead hulk I see. I jist got a feeling about this...haha.

Finally got my damn wipers working too, and it´s raining !!!

Cheers.