Saving the "Rat" - Restoring a 69T

[oldie44]

It must have been 40 years ago that I had a similar problem. Car would run fine and then just stop with no spark. Cooled off and ran fine.
We changed the coil and problem was solved. Apparently, the coil would develop an open circuit as it got warm which would close when it cooled off.
I don't know how you could test your coil to duplicate this failure mode, so I think you should try another coil.

[kkinzli]

Originally Posted by oldie44

It must have been 40 years ago that I had a similar problem. Car would run fine and then just stop with no spark. Cooled off and ran fine.
We changed the coil and problem was solved. Apparently, the coil would develop an open circuit as it got warm which would close when it cooled off.
I don't know how you could test your coil to duplicate this failure mode, so I think you should try another coil.

Thanks for the advice Ken. Turns out my coil was heating up like crazy and quitting. I replaced it with a used Bosch coil I had laying around and it appears that everything is fine now. Once I had the old coil out it made some really loud sloshing sounds when I shook it. I am guessing this indicates coolant oil leakage and air pockets, which will retain heat, and cause the coil to short out.

[Flojo]

a coil I can apsolutely recommend, that is also well known to the forum, is the MSD HV 8222.
It is not expensive and its main asset is, that it is epoxy filled (though not heavy) and is not known to fail.
it actually got famous in offroad and rallye sport due to its make and heavy duty endurance.

it is recommended in combination of a CDI system, but I guess it'll do the job as well for your car.

I made mine look a little like the black Bosch coil.
it has a longer body but comes in black as well.
Just stripped the MSD-sticker on it and added the Bosch-sticker

old picture after install (still AC hose in bay)... running strong till this day!

[kkinzli]

Thank Flojo! I will go ahead and get that coil and put it in the glovebox as a spare.

[kkinzli]

Hi all! Finally a Rat improvement to tell you about. The kids were over at my parents house today so I finally got some car time. I was able to install a new Sparco R100 as the passenger seat and upgraded all of the seatbelts to three point harnesses with inertia reels. The R100 is actually really comfortable and for $300 shipped to my door I could not say no. The Sparco also allows the kids to get in on both sides as it reclines forward with a little lever the kids can actually pull. That makes getting in and out a whole lot easier than when I had the bucket seat as a passenger seat. the Corbeau bucket seat is up for grabs for cheap if anyone wants it.

I have been wanting to do this upgrade for a long time and just haven't gotten around to it. Installing the rear inertia reels was not too difficult. The hardest part was drilling through the package shelf. I think it turned out great and am very comforted to know that the kids no longer have 51 year old lap belts in the back.

[kkinzli]

Hi all! It has been quite some time since I had any news related to the Rat. Just simply driving and enjoying it as much as possible during COVID. Started driving it to work this week and am experiencing a bit of ignition cutout between 4k and 5k RPM. I am going to start by checking the points, rotor, cap, and timing and see where that takes me. Might be plugs or plug wires although the plug wires are only a few years old. Could also be that the carbs need a rebuild since it has been 11 years since the last rebuild. Wow does time fly! Crazy that the Rat saga has already gone on for 12 years.

[kkinzli]

Hi all! Looks like it as been three years since my last post. Man does time fly! I currently have a rear turn signal issue that I thought the collective wisdom on here could help me sort out. My left turn signal has only worked intermittently for the entire time I have owned the car. Currently when I turn on the left turn signal both right and left turn signals blink. When I turn on the right turn signal I get a solid light out of only the right turn signal. I have checked the blinker relay and it is fine. My current suspicion is that something is going on with the stalk switch and I am getting voltage to places it should not be going in certain settings. Since the blinker lights and brake lights share the same ground I know that the ground is not my issues. My rear brake lights are solid and work perfectly with the same ground as the blinkers.

Any suggestions or ideas for repairing/troubleshooting this?

[wachuko]

I was going to say "ground"... had the same issue (one side fine and other acting up) and it was poor ground contact... but you seemed to have ruled that out.

[kkinzli]

I can certainly check the grounds again. I might rig up a different ground wire and see if that changes anything.

[kkinzli]

I was wondering if there is a possibility that this might be the emergency flasher switch? Currently when I have the headlights on both turn signal lights are illuminated on the dash.