New to the forum and to the 200!

[choppermike]

I just got a 65 mustang with a 200 ci six. It is stock and has a Mallory Unilite dist. 3 speed standard. I have put a few hundred miles on it with no problems but just lately when its under a load like accelerating up a hill or accelerating to pass, It stalls like its starving for fuel or loosing spark. Not sure which . just wondering if anyone has had a similar problem. Put new plug wires and plugs on today. The plugs were gapped at .035. Just wondering with the electronic ignition shouldn't I set them at maybe .045? any input will help.
Thanks, Mike

 

[addo]

Your symptoms fit nicely to the description of a weak spark. I seem to recall having read about the light "cell" in Mallories failing on occasion. Is there any way you can test this? Certainly a plug gap closer to 50 thou won't hurt anything, if you've also got an aftermarket high power coil. (Maybe check the coil isn't blown, too.)

 

[BIGREDRASA]

I'd change the fuel filter, and check fuel pump pressure and flow before tearing into that dizzy.

 

[choppermike]

Thanks for the help. I am going to hit the easy stuff tomorrow. Going to check fuel filter and pick up. I seem to have what looks like the stock coil so I may look in to that also. I wonder if the coil might not be putting out at certain times. I know its just trial and error. Does anyone have any info on this Mallory unilite dist or familiar with it? I bought this car to drive so if that dist is junk I want to go with something else.
Thanks, Mike

 

[BIGREDRASA]

If it's a stock coil, toss it for a nice HiPo unit, such as Accel. Are you running a ballast resistor? (Pink wire connected to the Ignition switch.) You might need to replace the resistor wire with a nice 14 gauge wire. Any one of these will give you a weak/erratic spark in modified ignition systems.

 

[jamyers]

Put it in 2nd or 3rd gear, and floor it from low rpms on up.

If it's missing at higher rpm's, I'd look at the fuel filter / pump.

If it's missing under load at lower rpm (or regardless of rpm), then ignition.

 

[mustangsilly]

Coils don't fail very often. Check for fuel in the float bowl, pump pressure, a line restriction, poor quality gas, even vapor lock. Was it a hot day when this problem occured?

 

[BIGREDRASA]

Coils don't fail very often. Check for fuel in the float bowl, pump pressure, a line restriction, poor quality gas, even vapor lock. Was it a hot day when this problem occured?

Actually, in '74 I had a '69 Torino Squire 351 W 4V. Great power, but would die without warning in hot weather. It would restart fine after an hour or so. I finally poured cold water over the coil to cool it, and immediately started up. Changed the coil. End of story. I've had at least one other Ford coil fail on me. Checked it out by substituting a good coil.

 

[wallaka]

Coils don't fail very often. Check for fuel in the float bowl, pump pressure, a line restriction, poor quality gas, even vapor lock. Was it a hot day when this problem occured?

It happened to me, in the winter no less.

 

[choppermike]

Thanks guys for your help. It seems my problem was my fuel pump I changed it and now she purrs like a kitten!

 

[BIGREDRASA]

Good show!

 

[cfmustang]

Warning: Please do not bypass the ballast resistor when using a Mallory Unilite dizzy. While this is good advice with a DSII or DUI, you'll cook the Unilite module at a full 12V.

In fact, if you don't have some sort of ballast resistor, they make and sell one for this purpose.