Trouble at idle

[Pritchard]

I have a stock '74 2.0 L with electronic ignition.

Here's the situation: I have just replaced the vacuum advance unit on my distributor. I have set the timing and adjusted the idle to about 950 RPM. Kinda out of the blue, after coming to a stop, the engine will try to die. It coughs and sputters then dies. I have advanced the timing just a hair and this keeps the engine from dying, it still stumbles and sputters, but it doesn't die. Also, every now and then, the engine will cough and backfire when under med-hard throttle.

Any ideas on what the problem could be?

Thanks for your help.

Pritchard

[JP Noonan]

Maybe the vac lines to the dizzy are switched?

[Pritchard]

I have them hooked up according to DD's hose layout. Just to make sure, the hose w/ a vacuum at idle goes to the nipple on the vac.-adv. unit that is pointing at the dizzy. And the other hose goes to the nipple that points away from the dizzy. I think that this is correct. If not, please advise.

Thanks for the input.

Pritchard

[John Rogers]

The vac lines seem to correct, the line with vac at idle goes to the retard side of the advance mechanism so it will pull the advance down to help cut emissions. You did not mention what type of electronic system you had, but total advance should be the same as with a stock system. The cough/backfire is a symptom of the timming being off a little. You migght want to check how the advance comes on by hooking the timing light up and reving the engine slowly to 3500 RPM to see if the advance is actually advancing smoothly? Good luck.

[QUATTRO]

ARE YOU RUNNING STOCK DIST. OR ONE WITH POINTS WHATS YOUR DWELL???????????
SHOULD BE BETWEEN 44-52 MY .03 CENTS

THANKS FOR LETTING ME TALK MICHAEL

[Germain]

Pritchard,

You said your running an electronic ignition, what do you mean? Is it the Crane? If so, check the directions again. Make sure you align the optical pick up correctly. The problem your having sounds like what happened to mine. I needed to move my pickup some and that fixed the problem.

[Pritchard]

Actally, I'm running the Pertronix ignitor. I have solved the problem. I had the gap too large.

[jmcleod]

after you have run your pertronix for awhile, would you post how it's running/performing? i took out a pertronix and want another opinion before i put it back in.