#1
IP: 173.33.177.208
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Ignition shutdown problem
Hey everyone,
My buddy's engine will run about 1.5 hours, starts and runs perfectly.. gets 'hot' and then shuts down on him. Won't restart until it's had a rest. Then starts and runs great all over again. A4 (late model) Equipped with: - mechanical fuel pump - fuel water separator - Electronic Ignition (from Moyer) - Flamethrower coil We sat tied to the dock this eve and ran it for about that long until it started to get all uneven and temper mental..and then eventually died. It would not restart. - tested/rattled the ignition switch (push button type), no change but observed the backlights would light on the instruments when 'on', and off when off. - pulled lead off the first plug, NO spark while he cranked. replaced. - pulled coil lead off distributor, BIG blue sparks when cranking. replaced. - re-tested first lead, NO spark. Same with second lead. replaced. - re-tested coil lead, BIG blue sparks. So it seems the "spark" is going IN to the distributor but not coming out when the system is in fail-mode. I pulled the cap and rotor.. the rotor is ground down to a frickin nub. Cap looks worn too. So we definitely want to replace those... and there's definitely going to be an improvement after. But is this enough to allow the engine to run fine for 1.5 hours at like 2000 rpm's and then finally fail? So some questions in addition; what do y'all think about the ignitor? Do these things ever turn rogue when they get hot? or intermittently fail like this? And how do you feel about the coil? did my test above reasonably indicate a properly functioning coil? I run the 'legacy' distributor and I would simply toss/replace the condenser, points, cap and rotor and I would know for certain after setting up that everything in there is new and in pristine working order. How do you do confirm this with one of those damn EI things? Or is just silly and electronic ignitors never fail and likely the worn cap and rotor will restore all lost reliability to this ignition system and it will run happily ever after amen? Thanks for reading, and for any suggestions or insight you may have. Happy Sailing all. I gotta say you're a great bunch and this community has helped me in the past. I feel so happy to have bought a boat equipped with an A4 because of ..well you all!! Sincerely, Jeff
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1972 Grampian 30 Toronto, Ontario Canada What's a Grampian? http://www.grampianowners.com |
#2
IP: 174.58.82.173
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Jeff, you might search the forum.
There has been long discussion about the coil and EI. Several guys here are very experienced with this. Personally I have the points and never had a failure. It does sound like a coil failure though. Several guys have reported engines that run for a while and then stall, only to restart after cooling for a bit. The guys will ask about the resistance thru the coil. Is there a resistor. Probably you will want to replace the coil. The maximum suggested primary amperage is 4 amps. The coil will over heat and fail at a higher current. |
#3
IP: 173.33.177.208
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Quote:
Have you had any experience with similar yourself? Also very interested to know of anyone's experience with an EI failure, if anyone has ever been down that road too. Jeff
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1972 Grampian 30 Toronto, Ontario Canada What's a Grampian? http://www.grampianowners.com |
#4
IP: 24.152.131.153
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Your excellent description strongly suggests multiple issues. Let's address them all instead of looking for a single all inclusive cause.
The full Monty: http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5748 Cliff Notes version: http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5845 I bet your buddy's problems will magically disappear.
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others Last edited by ndutton; 07-22-2014 at 12:31 AM. |
#5
IP: 161.213.49.150
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Might as well replace the spark plug wires while you're at it just in case. What do the spark plugs look like? Do one or two of them look more grungy than the others indicating misfiring?
TRUE GRIT Edit: How much corrosion is there in the towers where the where the spark plug wires push into the distributor cap (bet there's a lot) and also in the clips where the wires connect to the spark plugs? Edit again: I guess you did replace the spark plug wires? Last edited by JOHN COOKSON; 07-22-2014 at 02:28 PM. |
#6
IP: 66.46.20.3
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Thanks to all who read and responded.
My shopping list will be: - cap + rotor - moyer coil - wire set Hope everyone has a great summer season! Happy Sailing, Jeff
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1972 Grampian 30 Toronto, Ontario Canada What's a Grampian? http://www.grampianowners.com |
#7
IP: 24.152.131.153
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Please report back when all is done. Good news is welcomed here.
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others |
#8
IP: 66.46.20.3
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For sure - I will do!
Also, so far not one of those who responded has commented on my question in the initial post re: the electronic ignition - should anyone have thoughts about this I would still be interested to know it!!
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1972 Grampian 30 Toronto, Ontario Canada What's a Grampian? http://www.grampianowners.com |
#9
IP: 71.118.13.238
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EI switching
Jeff, I have run an EI on my A-4 now for just over 30 years. In those 30 years I have never had an issue even before the "resistor" dwell~& heat stuff due to higher voltages in newer systems! I did replace my original EI that I adapted to the distributor myself. When a new model with an indicator lite became available I bought it.
Testing the EI is nothing more than looking for spark! The EI is nothing more than an electronic switch just like the points are a mechanical switch. If the switch fails no spark. You can test an EI when cranking with a volt meter on the negative side of the coil, look for on~off pulsating or a fluctuation in the voltage reading that means it is switching so the problem may lie elsewhere in the ignition. And you must also be sure the EI is getting a good source of power when checking the EI. Old distributors and their cams are just wore out and getting the proper dwell no longer has much to do with the clearance setting of the points . The timing also varies as the points wear and an EI never needs to be moved once set. Hope this helps. Dave Neptune |
#10
IP: 24.152.131.153
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Quote:
No, we haven't seen a verifiable indication of this. And how do you feel about the coil? did my test above reasonably indicate a properly functioning coil? No. Damaged coils will fool you into thinking they heal themselves when they cool down only to fail again when they heat up. I run the 'legacy' distributor and I would simply toss/replace the condenser, points, cap and rotor and I would know for certain after setting up that everything in there is new and in pristine working order. No. The accepted practice is to save the points and condenser mounted on the original distributor plate as a backup in case it's ever needed. How do you do confirm this (proper operation) with one of those damn EI things? What Dave said. If you have spark, the EI is working.
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others Last edited by ndutton; 07-24-2014 at 07:38 AM. |
#11
IP: 173.33.177.208
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So, just to close the loop.
coil, cap, rotor, wires, all replaced. Runs great. We ran at the dock for about 1h 20min and we felt satisfied we have restored reliability. Thanks to everyone. Jeff ps- One interesting point, the Moyer rotor I bought seemed incompatible with the EI magnetic ring. The rotor wouldn't press on far enough for it's 'key' to sit firmly into the groove on the distributor shaft. I happened to have 2 other new ones onboard my boat so I swapped it for another one which seemed to have a slightly deeper 'key' portion (the little nub inside the head of the rotor). It fit firmly into place, and did not allow the rotor to turn independently of the distributor shaft - the Moyer one would spin freely. I thought it was perhaps telling of the condition of the old rotor (from my original post). Maybe someone tried to replace it and found the new one didn't fit right so they left the old one in place. Does this indicate a possible problem with how the EI was installed? can that magnetic ring be adjusted for height? maybe the way it was installed it's just set a fraction too high? I think 1/16" may make the difference.
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1972 Grampian 30 Toronto, Ontario Canada What's a Grampian? http://www.grampianowners.com |
#12
IP: 72.71.243.112
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I had a problem with the magnetic ring not sliding far enough on the
rotor shaft. Spoke with Don Moyer he suggested using a hair dryer to heat the magnetic ring sufficiently to enable it to slide down the shaft to the proper distance without breaking. Be sure to accurately measure the distance recommended in his installation instructions. Regards |
#13
IP: 24.180.102.191
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I agree, I think it is more likely that the ring isn't down far enough rather than the rotor being bad. I have the electronic ignition and I bought a new rotor from Moyer.
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1971 Ericson 32, Atomic 4 1976 Catalina 22 Ludington, MI - Lake Michigan |
#14
IP: 173.33.177.208
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Thx for the thoughts - this is my friend's boat and I didn't install the EI.
IF the ring could move down the shaft slightly further it would solve the issue for sure - I do not think it's a bad rotor either - probably the spec on some is slightly different than others which allowed one of my spares to fit. I will look over his instructions next time I'm onboard to see the measurement. Jeff
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1972 Grampian 30 Toronto, Ontario Canada What's a Grampian? http://www.grampianowners.com |
#15
IP: 72.71.243.112
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Quote:
have seen and broken mag sensor. Again, as recommended by Don Moyer, I heated the magnetic sensor and was able to push it down to the recommended position. I don't know why they don't update the instructions to mention this to avoid others having the same issue and potentially broken/ cracked mag sensors. Last edited by ArtJ; 08-05-2014 at 07:47 PM. |
#16
IP: 24.152.131.153
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Are you referring to different distributors like Prestolite vs. Delco or are you saying within a particular brand there are different shaft diameters?
Hadn't heard this before and if true I'd like to see some further evidence. I just measured a Delco I have on the bench. Shaft diameter right below the slot for the rotor = 0.559"
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others |
#17
IP: 174.58.82.173
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By the sounds of it, Art may be referring to tolerance differences, rather then the nominal shaft diameter. The old quality control issue.
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#18
IP: 24.152.131.153
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I hoped by providing a measurement I would encourage others. Let's see.
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others Last edited by ndutton; 08-05-2014 at 10:58 PM. |
#19
IP: 174.58.82.173
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Neil, I measured a distributor that I have hanging around. Delco also.
Shaft diameter is .561 inches. I have not even seen the EI. I had thought that the ring was placed over the cam. Is that not the case? Where does it fit? |
#20
IP: 24.152.131.153
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Y'know, you're right. It's the cam measurement that matters when it comes to EI magnet collar fit. That's what Art is talking about, right? The question remains, do the measurements of the same component on the same model distributors vary and if so, by how much? We expect variation due to wear on the cam peaks.
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others Last edited by ndutton; 08-06-2014 at 12:14 AM. |
#21
IP: 72.71.243.112
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There is indeed shaft tolerance differences in Delco distributors.
I am not about to take the distributor apart to measure again. Don Moyer is aware of this and several other posts on this site talk about this. Several people have cracked the Sensors trying to get them on the shaft of Delco distributors. I don't know about the Prestolite shafts. I have two engines. One has the issue, the other doesn't. Interestingly, the one with the issue is from the latest version of engine with the sheet metal front and other cost reductions. |
#22
IP: 24.152.131.153
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I'm sorry Art, I'm really struggling with this and trying to grasp how Delco could could have such a wide tolerance range. Are there different Delco model distributors used over the production run of late model A-4s? I certainly don't know but it could explain the differences you're describing.
Of course not everyone digs into such things, peel the onion back as it were but one of the great things of this forum is the willingness of many members to get involved and provide information of their particular engine. That's why the polls are so interesting. So yeah, I'm interested in learning how wide the tolerance range actually is. It's not that I think anything can be done about it but still this has raised my curiosity. Maybe I'm the only one (been there once or twice) but as before, here is the dimension of the 4 lobe cam on one of my Delco distributors across the opposing flats: 0.624". The Delco distributor model number is 1112 446 4F 7. I hope others chime in for comparison. Don't make a special project out of it but maybe the next time the cap is off a simple measurement can be taken. I'd like to find out what we really have.
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others |
#23
IP: 72.71.243.112
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Neil
Why not discuss it with Don Moyer. I know that Shawn who is on this site very often broke a Mag Sensor due to this issue. |
#24
IP: 24.152.131.153
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I don't bother Don with my obsessions. He has enough on his plate already. If I had an engine problem that had me and the forum membership stumped then a call to Don would be in order but for something like this? Nope.
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Neil 1977 Catalina 30 San Pedro, California prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22 Had my hands in a few others Last edited by ndutton; 08-06-2014 at 08:39 AM. |
#25
IP: 206.125.176.3
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I just had the cover off my distributor a few weeks ago. It would not be a problem to measure cam diameter, I just have to remember to take the relevant measuring items with me and take 5 minutes to do it.
Since we are discussing it, my particular issue was that when I used the supplied 1146A magnetic sensor, my rotor would not seat far enough down on the distributor shaft to lock its key to the shaft groove. I had to break the collar on the sensor to allow me to push the sensor farther down and allow the rotor to seat into the groove properly. Since the fit of the sensor is tight enough, this has not been an issue, except for the part where I knew I had to break a brand new part it to get it to work. Since we are getting into details, and this is way more fun than real work, I see a couple of variables that could contribute to my issue: -my Pertronix unit did not come from MMI -cross referencing of different parts does not always mean they are identical. Maybe if I had a different rotor from the extensive list, (and/or purchased all my ignition parts from MMI ) its key would seat correctly and still fit on top of the mag. collar in its intended location. For the purposes of discussion, I am pretty sure my cap/rotor pair are Echlin brand from my local NAPA, and are probably cross referenced from Delco part numbers. -"the P.O. factor"..I have no idea if any/some/all of the parts are original or not. I see this as a factor for most of us..very few of us have owned our boats/motor since new from Universal. Just as an aside to comment further on the P.O./isolation factor related to our wonderful little engines...when Spencer got his C-30 & A-4 last summer, I was amazed how quiet his motor seems compared to mine at idle. I have a very apparent sound that sounds like valve spring slap that I thought was perfectly normal, as I'd not heard many other A-4's run in person until meeting some folks from this forum. Spencer and I spend lots of time with our heads in each other's boats, and even though I checked valves & adjusted them a couple years ago and noticed no visual anomalies, mine makes a noise his does not that sounds like a broken valve spring. - I do know that the P.O. of my boat, liked to leave saltwater in the cylinders and had to ream out at least the #4 exhaust valve to .316", as I found the tools on the boat to perform this work. And just maybe, Spencer's engine is not normal and mine is. My point is, if you only know your engine and how it behaves, you may not know what you don't know, until you've worked on a few others.
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-Shawn "Holiday" - '89 Alura 35 #109 "Twice Around" - '77 C-30, #511 with original A-4 & MMI manifold - SOLD! (no longer a two boat owner!!) Last edited by sastanley; 08-06-2014 at 09:28 AM. |
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electronic ignition, shutdown |
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