Engine won't idle - UPDATE

key on you should have at least 8 volts between the + side of the coil and ground (not coil -).

If the timing light is flashing during all your testing you got spark.
 
For a test you can hook the S? terminal (one closest to the big wire that goes to the starter, NOT the one on the battery side) direct to battery +. The danger here will be there is no fuse so if there is a short after you put out the fire you will know where the problem is. Up side is it bypasses the key switch and resistor wire. This would be how to hotwire a car...... Make that connection in such a way that you can easily un hook it since that will be the only way to shut off the engine.
 
Alrighty. I went out and fooled around a little more, and came up with a crazy conclusion that probably has nothing to do with anything. My starter had been acting up, and then today, as it was cranking, it stopped cranking, and pulled back, while I was still holding start, and just went whizzzzzzz. So I pulled the starter. I swapped in an old starter I had laying around from an engine that I pulled out of my bud's car, and I reconnected everything, and then when I went to start it, the engine chugged, the battery couldn't crank it over. With the other starter it was fine. Also, with this starter, I got 6 volts to the coil. Could it be that since the coil wire was broken up so badly, all the voltage was staying in the starter, frying it? I could turn the starter gear by rolling over it with my finger. I am currently charging my battery. I'm thinking that this starter was faulty, and just drawing a ton of current, and not allowing it to go anywhere else? When cranking, the battery voltage dropped to 9V. The engine chugged, the lights flashed. I'm not sure if I got spark or not. I will charge the battery until it's full, drop it back in the car, and turn it over. I think it may provide enough voltage to get it started, fire it up, idle it, dwell it, set the RPM, and handle it. Anything else you all can think of? Also, the bezel on my ignition switch rotates about an inch back and forth, is there a way to tighten this down? I will test everything again tomorrow once I get the battery charged. Maybe in a few hours after I charge the battery, if I can get a buddy over with a flashlight, I'll try to fire it up. Thanks for the help convert. I'll get back to you all!
 
The starter does not know or care anything about the coil but if the starter is dragin the 'system' down that will weaken the spark. While cranking the voltage at the coil + to chassis ground should be the same as 'system' voltage. The easiest place to check the system voltage is at the battery. Electronic ignitions could drop out and not trigger below 9 volts but a points system will work till there is just not enough voltage to jump the plug gap. While you are doing all this messing around you should have your timing light hooked up and tape the trigger down so you can see it flash, at least that way you know if there is spark. If there is no flash then its time to hook up the dwell meter also.
 
Can do. I'll get on it tomorrow. It's gettin' late, and we got a bbq about to start up. A points system will fire @ 6 volts? But yeah, I will hook up the timing light once I get the engine to crank over again. Battery's on the charger for awhile.
 
So you guys were right on the coil wire. I hooked it up, changed that starter, and after charging the battery, it fired right the hell up. It ran like crap, though. After letting it idle like crap, I decided to give it some gas. The oil pressure was good. It made a his, went to die, picked it self up, then VROOOM. Then stumble, vroooom, stumble stumble stumble, VROOM, always hissing around the stumbling. Then it quit stumbling all together, and ran like a top. I tuned it down, drove it around the block, came back, and parked it. It was a great ride. Then I pulled her in, looked at the temp, it was right on, the engine was nice and warm, everything was pretty spot on. I went to fire it back up. Stumble stumble stumble hiss. Then it squeaked, the oil light came on, and a puff of smoke came out from under the hood. I started it back up, and it ran good again. I let it idle, and it started to stumble, then it would pick up. Every time I give it gas, it'll stumble, but if I hold it, it will catch itself and idle good. Every time it stumbles, the timing light stops flashing. Vacuum leak? I'm happy that I got it this far. Also, the dwell is perfect, and stays in one place constantly, until I shut it off or it stalls, and then the needle shoots up, and then back down to zero. I have full voltage at the coil. The battery is charged up perfectly. Alternator was happy to be puttin' out power. What am I lookin' for now? I also hear a sort of ticking, or like two things rubbing against each other. What was that puff of smoke about when the oil light came on and it went POOF? I hope I don't have to cart it off somewhere, but at least now I can drive it up onto the dolly. =D Thanks again for all your help, I'm getting closer every day. =D (When it idled perfectly, my GOD did it have great power. I haven't felt it go like that for a long time.)
 
I was going to say fuel till you said the timing light quit at the same time. It is possible that if you got the plug fouled out that it wont spark even on the light but that seems like kinda a strech. Which plug were you on when it quit? The dwell is steady when is having issues? How about if you have your meter on the tach setting when it stumbles? Does the needle just track with the engine speed or does it drop out? Do you have a digital (number display) or analog (needle) meter? Where is the hiss coming from?
 
Bad coil? Hmmm. I changed my coil and not too long after all these issues started. I THINK I have another coil around here somewhere. The hiss is coming from the carburetor area. The dwell stays the same, even during the failure. How do I test the coil? I will put it on tach tomorrow and fire it up then. Thanks.
 
I dunno...I was just suggesting things. Have you read your plugs to see if any are fouled or near fouling? If you have had a weak ignition, it is likely.

If you have a road draft tube instead of a PCV, a backfire will sometimes cause smoke to come out. A backfire will make smoke out of the carb too.

The hissing does sound like a vacuum leak. Use the ol' WD40 trick to find out.
 
Thinking about it, if the dwell was steady that pretty much rules out primary ignition so you need to be looking at secondary which starts with the coil and goes all the way to the plugs. Still could be a fuel issue, check the plugs like addo suggested. Does your oil smell like gas?
 
My oil did smell like gas, so I thought that the fuel pump was leaking through the diaphragm. I changed pumps, and the oil, fired it up, and the smell went away. I will check again in awhile, after lunch. I will check for a vacuum leak with some WD40. Will probably have to wait until tomorrow. Still think it could be the coil, as well, though? I will pull the plugs and give you an update on that too. If I can get it to idle long enough for me to check for a vacuum leak, I'll do that too. =D I will do that, try a different coil, and check the plugs, then report back.
 
No vacuum leak that I could find. Everything was solid. Oil doesn't smell like gas. I swapped coils. It fired right up, ran great for about 10 seconds, and then spit a bunch of gas out of the carburetor. Timing issue maybe? She fires right up nicely, so I'm gaining on it. I will re-drop the distributor tomorrow when I have some time. I'm so close I can feel it! Any other options on what I can do? That other coil was bad. Funny how 40 year old parts keep going back on my mustang after new parts were put on during the rebuild. =D Went back to old carb, dizzy, fuel pump, coil.... hehehe that's so great. Gotta love FoMoCo parts! Thanks for your help so far, get back to me with thoughts.
 
Welp... it poped some more gas out the carb, and then I turned it over once more, and it fired up and idled. Only problem now is that I hear that hissing, and as soon as I step on the gas, the engine dies.
 
Well, I am still sticking with timing.

If it's not that, then you have a more serious problem. Possibly valve timing or a burnt valve.
 
how about the accelator pump... if you look down the carb and move the linkage do you see gas shoot down the ventures?? Pull the fule line off the carb and put it in a bottle and crank it over and see if you get any fuel?
tim
 
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