dmvanmaren

64 Galaxie 500 XL
Engine '77 351 Modified from a Truck.
Has New Plugs, Wires, and Distributor Cap.
Carb is getting fuel.
Plugs are getting fire.
When I turn the key, the engine starts to fire, but when key is released it wont stay running. It just dies. Does any one have any ideas why it wont stay running?

Butchart

check your firing order....it must go anticlockwise. You may have your plug wires in wrong rotation on the distributor cap. You could also be out one cog on the distributor shaft gear.

ford4v429

Id put a test light on your coil hot lead- make sure ignition switch giving power in 'run' position- theres often a resistor bypass in the start circuit to give hotter spark while cranking. if powers still there, you might try a temporary hotwire to bypass the resistor just to see if it will stay running- but if you run it too long, points or coil may fail.

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Confidence: that feeling you have just before you realize the mess you've gotten yourself into...

390wagon

along the same line as the last response make sure there is power in the run position, I've seen a few of that era ford ignitions go bad. while starting you have power but when you release the key the power disappears because of worn contacts in the ignition switch, when mine went i had power in the run position but not the start position, general consensus is because i have a million keys on my key ring, fords seem sensitive regarding the weight on the key.

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68 Ford Country Sedan Wagon-390 FE, C6, 9 Inch
87 Chevy Caprice Classic Wagon-307, 2004R, 10 Bolt, what can i say, i grew up with that car

Butchart

Hey dmvanmaren: Got your motor running yet? Would appreciate if you could let us old fordfarts know what the problem was, maybe we could learn something.

dmvanmaren

Sorry for not replying sooner.
Problem solved. When the electical shop re-wired the car, they left too much tension on the Harness at the Ballast Resistor. So due to Tension and vibration the connection dropped. After chasing back from the ignition I was finally able to find the problem.

Ranger04

Glad to see that it was sorted out.

Butchart

Glad you got it running again. As usual its always the simple things that give most trouble.