I have an E-Fire in my 59 ab and I'm getting a lot of misfires ,backfire, jerking action. Some times it smoths out and run normal, then it starts acting up again. I have seen a number of posting on FB about the same problems with E-Fire. Anyone here having the same issues ? Solutions ??
There seem to be mixed reviews on this unit on "The Ford Barn" as well. Too many such as yours for my liking. There was a posting over there that was critical of the design and build by an experienced builder (inadequate bearings). This is a shame, given their carburetors. Also, are you running 6 or 12 volts? 6 volt electronic ignitions systems seem to be generally problematic.
The E-fire for the 59AB needs a second bushing to stabilize the shaft, I find the stock dizzy with a Pertronix is a great way to go. The E-fire for the 8BA is another story, I find them a very acceptable choice over stock as they do have an advance mechanism built in.
And probably a generator, which are known to give electronic ignition systems fits. Sorry, but I think I see a change in your future. The crab distributors are reliable and look good. If you are still running 6 volts and a generator, I'd skip the Pertronix. Just make sure to get quality points and condenser. There are recommendations on "The Ford Barn" if you do a search.
I have had some trouble shooting with my e-fire distributor. It is a 12v three bolt unit. The engine ran for about 20 seconds then lost spark. I ordered a new module and still no spark. After lots of reading I discovered the main issue is the anodised body of the distributor. I ran an earth lead directly to the ignition module base plate, and now the engine runs well. Some other things to consider are electronic spark plug leads, make sure the module is as close to the rotor button as possible without rubbing, and that you run the correct coil. I am running a bosch GT40r.
Terry K, test your charging system. I have a 6V E-Fire distributor and I had all of the same issues. Checked coil, plug wire resistance, all of that shit. Turns out my generator was fried, and the E-Fire needs at least 6.5 volts at speed to run properly. It would start easy enough and usually idled well if the battery had a full charge, but it would break up under load, and it was very erratic. I swapped to another generator and got about 6.7 volts average, and all of the issues with the distributor disappeared, worked perfectly after that. The E-fire will NOT work for shit without a fully functioning charging system. It's not like the old points distributors that you could drive around for a while with just a charged up battery.
If you do check your charging, please report back what you find. I pulled my hair out for a long time trying to figure out what was wrong with my car, sometimes it felt like a carb issue, sometimes weak spark or fouled plugs, sometimes it would barely run and other times it ran fine except at higher RPMs. Got a ton of advice (much of which was to just replace it) but nothing was working. I never would have guessed it was a charging system problem but it was. The guy in the UK who makes them walked me through it. It's a fantastic unit if it has enough voltage to run, and the manufacturer is really very helpful with troubleshooting. If it's not a voltage issue, I'd email that guy, he's nice and responds quickly.
I should also mention I run an old style generator with a cutout and it works fine with the distributor, it was only a lack of voltage.
What the heck is a Stromberg E-fire??? I apologize for being old, and not up on the latest abbreviations. I read the title, and since the Stromberg model E carb is commonly referred to on this forum as a 97 and often used by forum members; I gathered that an engine had caught on fire because of a defective Stromberg carb. Thought maybe I could help. From reading the thread, it appears that an "e-fire" is an electronic distributor??? If so, maybe I can still help. We have had hundreds of customers over the years call with "carburetor problems". Dialogue determines the customer downgraded to electronics WITHOUT upgrading to an alternator. Seems the generator works fine with the points and condenser, AND with electronics at higher RPM, but supplies a less than stable voltage and idle, which causes a mis-fire at idle. Upgrading to the original points and condenser OR upgrading to an alternator with the electronics is the answer I give these folks, and many have called back to thank me. Oh, and their "carburetor problem" vanished! For those old geezers like me that grew up in rural America with REA electrical service, remember that old black and white TV, and the picture dipping about 3 inches from the top of the screen each time the refrigerator compressor kicked on? And then went back to normal until the next time. Voltage! Good luck. Jon
I have read about the anodized coating being the problem on the body to ground and under the adjustment screw. I am going to add a ground wire next. Good info out there. My supplier Millworks told me about the voltage issues. Mine was 6-7 volts.
If it only has 6 volts, it won't run the distributor properly. Has to have at least 6.5 all the time while it's running. That half of a volt will make it miss. Also if it's fluctuating between 6 and 7 that seems like a charging problem.
I ran a ground wire from the module to the block. Sure seems to have solved the problem. With the bad fall weather I have not been able to put many miles on it. But what I have driven, all seems good. Thanks again.
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