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Engine stalls during braking and/or right turns

2K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Gregg73 
#1 ·
I hope this problem is not as unique as it sounds. I have a 1974 Pontiac 400 2bbl that stalls during moderate to heavy braking and during moderate to heavy right turns.
When it stalls it sounds like the engine has lost spark.
The EGR is disabled.
The carb was just re-built and the stall is not due to a high float level and fuel slosh. I have checked this by looking at the plugs after a stall.
Disconnecting the vacuum advance does not help.
Disconnecting the power brake booster does not help.
I should mention that this engine is in a 1970 Catalina and it appears that a generator and regulator are still being used on this newer engine.
Please be patient with my responses as I cannot access this site from work.
 
#4 ·
my vote is with the fuel slosh in the carb. I don't think there is any way to tell by looking at the plugs after a stall. It doesn't take a major flood to kill an engine with the throttle-blades closed, or near closed.

well that's my guess.
ODB
 
#5 ·
Actually, I've had that problem when the float level is too low.

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Rick Dorion
69 RS Conv,355,M20,4.10's and I don't worry about stone chips.
 
#7 ·
Could you be grounding out the electrical system....I now this sounds strange but if the battery isn't secured it could move around and ground against the body and shut the electrical system down..Good Luck

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Restored 76 LE Trans Am 455 4 speed..# matching
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Restored 68 Camaro R/S 327 4 speed
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Restored 55 chevy Belair
Blown, Fuel Injected
http://community.webshots.com/user/badcaiman
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#9 ·
Thanks for the replies and your patience. Here is what I've done and what I did tonight:
I have tried setting the float both low and high. Both had no effect.
I tried hooking up my timing light while driving, but I could not tell if the light or the engine stopped first (I couldn't close the hood all the way so I never really took the car above 25).
TONIGHT I ROTATED THE COIL. This Pontiac engine has the coil laying on it's side. I rotated the coil 45° to the left -- car wouldn't start. Rotated the coil 45° to the right -- PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!
Aparently coils don't like sitting on their side for 30 years.
Well, I learned something about Pontiac engines and all it cost was a muffler (there's something about loosing spark at 70mph that causes backfires).

THANK YOU ALL. I am usually a spectator to this site, but I posted the question not only because I had a prob, but because I have seen some very intelligent responses here. THIS SITE RULES!!
 
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