318 Dies when Truning Left Please Help

If anyone has any ideas or theories why my 318 splits and sputter and dies only when making a hard left hand turn I would sure be interested in listening. I did a search on the topic but I'm asking again. Its a stock 318 with the factor 2 barrel on it in my 48 Dodge. This just started about 5 days ago, runs fine other wise. Rebuilt the carb with new float and it didn't make any differecce.
Running a Pertronix Ignition. I've pulled and yanked on every wire under hood and she never misses a beat. Thanks

 

Any chance something is going on in the tank where it's not picking up fuel? Just a thought.

 

Almost sounds like there isn't enough fuel in the fuel bowl and when you make the hard turn it looses the draw to the jets . Is the float adjusted right or is there a way you can check to see how much fuel is in the fuel bowl ? Just sounds like there is just enough fuel in the carb to keep it running . Maybe the fuel pump isn't pumping enough fuel to the carb .

Retro Jim

 

I'm gonna go with Jim. Sounds like the float is low. Usually if there is gas in the float bowl it doesn't matter for a second if it's not getting fuel from the tank so I wouldn't think it's a tank problem. Float could be hanging up on the side of the bowl a little also. But the float I would think would still have to be low starving it and uncovering the jet or jets. Lippy

 

float sounds like a good call, make sure you've ruled out anything binding on the gasline or even an electrical line, like your draglink, pitman arm, ect... secondary thought though, float is first thing i think of

 

Don't make hard left turns.

 

what if the fuel in the bowl is sloshing out into the carb?

 

Would make a bad dirt track car!

come on ....you guys were thinking it!

 

Yep, all righties.

 

wow what a puzzeler ive had alot of mopars that did alot of strange stuff but this is a new one when it dies does it die instanly or ?

my thinking is its electrical like maybe a worn spot on awire that moves and grounds out while your making the left turn (i dont mean a loose wire) just maybe its a wire thats just a tad too long or something

 

Ran into that on a POS Ford back in the 70's. Spit,sputter,smoke,and
sometimes die on left hand turns. Eventually figured out the brake booster
was full of brake fluid and when you turned left it would slosh some into the
vacuum hose to the intake.

 

It only falls on its face during a hard left turn. Runs fine in a hard right turn and while normal driving. I've tied moving wires (coil wires, and others) while running, can't find anything rubbing.

 

Does it quit immediately when you start the hard turn, or does it take a couple of seconds before it sputters? I had a friend with a similar problem, but his happened on extended long right hand curves, when you had some body roll for 10 seconds or so. His turned out to be a fuel line that was rubbing on the frame. When the body rolled left (right hand turn), it uncovered a hole that had rubbed through the fuel line and the pump ****ed air. During normal straight driving all was OK, but on the long righthand curves it would sputter and cough, then recover after straightening out.

 

Do you have a volt meter or a fuel pressure guage? Either would go a long way isolating what the problem MAY be. Monitor the voltage at the primary of the coil. If you have a good solid voltage ALL the time you've elimated a bunch of wiring. If you have a fuel pressure guage then monitor the input to the carb, Steady pressure eliminates the tank and fuel pump. Now if either of these tests show a problem then you have a good place to start. Does the problem show on a normal left turn or is it on a long sweeper on the highway? Is it limited to one particluar manuver and can you make it happen at will?

I had an intermittent problem similar to yours that took me a year to trace to the ignition switch in the steering column. The switch was coming apart and a left upward pull on the steering wheel would cause the engine to shut down. It took me a while to be able to intentionally cause it to happen, but once I could the rest was easy.

good luck

lg
no neat sig line

 

You mentioned an updated ignition. Did you update the coil too? That's what solved my problem when the 318 in my 67 Plymouth did the same thing. Oil filled coil was sloshing................

 

Seems like if you jack the car up onto jacks stands from the left side and see if she runs you can rule out the carb problem or confirm it. That will simulate fuel in the carb on a turn.

 

I chased a similar problem in a '71 Satellite for weeks before an old timer told me what to look for. It was a hole eroded in the wall between the the float bowl and the venturi. When making the turn, it sloshed enough fuel to drown the motor. It would take a minute to restart, then all was well until I took another turn hard enough to slosh fuel again. It was only in one direction, but I can't remember which. Take a close look.

 

Problem occurs only on hard tight left turns not on long sweeping or slow speed turns. I can't make it happen any other time.
Ignition switch is not in the column.

 

Three rights = 1 left...

Just sayin...

 

I was wondering about that. This all started right after the Pertronix conversion include the Pertronix Coil which is mounted horizonaly in the original stock position on the top of the engine.

 

Battery clamped down securely?

Good ground cables from battery to engine and engine to ch***is?

Any other recent modifications or repairs? Blown fuses? Other seemingly unrelated behavior?

Any unsecured wiring running near steering column or p***ing thru a hole in the firewall without an insulating grommet?

Car parked in an area where it might be subjected to gnawing rodents?

 

Try mounting the coil vertically with the terminals pointing up.

 

Will try that ( mounting the coil vertical) and double check wiring.

 

Just an idea, but my brother-in-law had the same thing going on in his 84 VW rabbit truck. Only happened when it was under 1/2 tank of gas. But the problem was an eroded baffle in the gas tank, letting the fuel slosh to the opposite side of the tank to where the sending line was.

 

Coil, loose winding inside shorts out on the case.

 

I run a Pertronix coil mounted horizontally on my 318 Challenger without issue. Not saying that can't be it, but its not what I'd look at first.

I'd suspect that carb. Carter 2 barrels are funny like that. Check the float, check the bowl, check the gaskets. And when you get tired of fooling with the 2 barrel, change the intake, put on a 4 barrel, and pick up 20+ horses.

 

There was a thread about this last year im sure, ill go search it for ya.

 

I HAD A 60 rANCHERO DID THE SAME THING IT WAS THE FLOAT NOT ADJUSTED RIGHT HAD TOO MUCH IN THE BOWL AND WHEN I WENT DOWN HILL TO MAKE A LEFT THE OR MAYBE IT WAS A RIGHT ANYHOW IT WOULD DUMP FUEL INTO THE CARB AND STALL IT OUT. COME TO FIND OUT THERE WAS LITTLE BITS OF RUBBER FROM THE SHORT RUBBER GAS LINE FROM TANK TO BODY THAT HAD DETERIORIATED AND SO THE FLOAT NEVER REALLY COMPLETELY SEALED. CHANGED THE HOSE FLUSHED THE CARB AND BAZINGA! HASN'T MISSED A BEAT SINCE.

 

Here you go mate!
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=422660&highlight=engine+dies+when+turning&page=3

For this guy it ws the coil, but it looks like its kinda the same deal as yours....

 

amazing i ran into the coil problem in mid 60s when i worked at chry dealership. thought i would never figure it out. have never heard of it since. coil was seeping oil. not enough oil to insulate the windings.