I bought a box!

[killgore]

Is 86, cable is still attached.

[killgore]

Real quick update on the ride. I bumped the distributor cap and it worked right again. So I guess I am happy. I just don't understand what was wrong. I think the timing is still a bit off, but oh well.

Holds OD really well at 95-100ish.

[DerekTheGreat]

LoL. Well sometimes the cap isn't fully seated, only has those two flimsy metal tabs to keep it down. Your rotor could be sucking penis too, might be time to replace that stuff if you haven't yet.

[killgore]

I replaced both. So I guess it wouldve been just a bit loose? I don't know. Happy it is working again. Maybe she felt neglected.

All that being said, there is a surge of power at about 1700 rpm that holds to about 2600-2700. I don't know if that is the curve or if the timing is just a bit retarded.

[killgore]

Hey guys. So on my trip from wichita back home (about an hour 20 drive), the car died all of a sudden out of nowhere. I thought maybe it was out of gas. So i walked around the town for about 20 minutes to go get a gas can and fill it up, and put in the gas. It reluctantly started back up. I figured that maybe I was out of fuel. So I took it (and the gas can) back to the gas station, and I could only stuff 5 gallons extra down the tank. So it wasn't a gas issue. What would've caused it to die? The tfi unit?

[VicCrownVic]

If no spark, then TFI or just as likely the pickup inside the distributor both can die the way you described how your car died out of nowhere.
Last summer my car would die without warning and would not start until I let it cool down for a few minutes. I swapped TFI modules a few times and the problem remained until I found a low mileage '89 Town Car at the junkyard that I yanked the dizzy from. The new-to-me dizzy fixed the problem, so in my case I'm fairly certain it was the pickup.

[sly]

+1 TFI/PIP issue most likely if letting it cool off it works again. If you get intermittent issues, but it always starts back up, pull the dizzy after you mark positions of the dizzy in respect to the intake and the rotor to the dizzy and then see if the dizzy spins well or is rough turning (replace if it's rough). Might be time to replace the entire dizzy.

[knucklehead0202]

Are HO distributors any different from LOPO? I have 2 genuine motorsports and an RFD that's brand new. No problems currently but at least if I ever have problems I'm sorted out.

[killgore]

Alright. Well a TFI is cheap enough ill try it .

[VicCrownVic]

Are HO distributors any different from LOPO? I have 2 genuine motorsports and an RFD that's brand new. No problems currently but at least if I ever have problems I'm sorted out.

No difference. From what I've read though, if the gear is not the correct material it will destroy itself or your camshaft. There are steel gears and iron gears, iirc, and I believe one is used with roller cams and the other with flat tappet. I'm not sure which is which, but I'm sure someone else will jump in to clear that up.

[knucklehead0202]

Yep, roller cams take a steel gear whereas regular ones take an iron gear. That much I know, I'd just heard some folks talking about a distributor swap when going HO and couldn't understand why. All HO's from '85-on were roller cam, when did the LOPO's begin? Doesn't really matter I guess, I have 3 HO distributors and got them cheap! Woo!

[DerekTheGreat]

LoPo would be 1986.

[sly]

there was some crossover in 85, but 86+ is for sure.

[DerekTheGreat]

there was some crossover in 85, but 86+ is for sure.

My 85 LTD was a late build and while I had to have the top half of that ripped apart I was bummed to learn it was flat-tappet as well. I heard the same thing so was hopeful.

[sly]

yeah... from what I've heard, it was really hit or miss... and mostly miss.