62 D200-Fires but dies right away

[MountainMoparRobin]

So, I just spent a few hours on it...
Started checking the fuel stuff before i checked the thread about the Ballast Resistor. Pulled off the Carter glass/ceramic filter and cleaned it, there was some nasty crud in it. Added an inline filter between the tank and the fuel pump. Pulled out the sender and it looked OK (didn't pull the whole tank out though). Don't have compressed air to blow out all the lines, but all the ones I could remove and check seemed clear...When I looked down the barrel I couldn't see fuel "squirting" when I manually pumped it, but I did notice that when I poured gasoline down the barrel to try to get her started, I could see fuel leaking out the bottom onto the block, I'm thinking that can't be good...
Anyways, after these checks and adding the additional inline filter, I dumped 5 more gallons into the tank and...
Still the same result ! I pour a little gas into the carb,jump in and turn the key, she fires up for 2 or 3 seconds at most and then dies...Now, I'm not too bummed out because I'm sure the fuel filter needed to be cleaned anyways and an extra filter couldn't hurt...Is it possible that the fuel pump has died? With 5 or 6 gallons in the tank now, I would think that would be enough to get the system going again. One thing I'm realizing I didn't try is adding fuel into the line between the filter and the carb...
I haven't adjusted or messed with anything on the carb, FYI...
I plan on getting into the "ritual" of going through her as soon as I get her running again!
As for the ballast resistor, where is it and how should I go about checking it? Like I have said, I'm a newbie but having fun going through this, thanks in advance for all the help!

to check if its the fuel pump (so it can be ruled out as a problem) disconnect the fuel line at the carburator, (takes 2 people, unless your familiar with the relay on the side of the fender on drivers side) hold your thumb over the fuel line outlet, have someone else turn over the motor, the fuel should squirt past your thumb (aproximatly 9 psi) if so then it good, if not then you probably need a new one, if you have access to a gage you can plug that in also and check it

[ozzie]

just a word of caution when pouring gas down the carb. I got a second degree burns on my hand when the engine backfired thru the carb. when it did I spilled the rest of the gas in the cup on my hand and sleeve of my shirt. very painful, so be careful. Ozzie.

[Blackdotmetal]

Thanks for all the feedback and encouragement everyone, got a clear forecast for the rest of the week so hopefully I'll get back into it soon...

[RH62]

Pouring gas from a beer can with the top cut off is a bit to "back yard mechanic" for even me.
Please be very careful if you take this advice, im sure that isnt an OSHA approved method!
I believe to test the ballast resistor you turn the key to run postion and it should have 12 volts to one side and something like 8.5 volts on the other.
It should be located somewhere on the firewall near the distributor area. Its white and should have either 4 or 2 prongs.
Good luck.

[teamblend]

as far as going thru the truck. when i get one i kinda have a ritual.

1. clean the grounds and all the contacts between light housings and such to insure grounds are right.
2. flush the brake system and fill with new fluid. you dont know how old it is.
3. same with the clutch system if its hydrolic...
4. pull the tank and flush/rinse it with some diesel fuel to get the crud out. i have used kerosene and or paint thinner as well. this is only if the clear inline filters i use show it to be needed.
5. give it an oil and fliud change (trans and rear end as well) you never know how long its been
6. tune up, belts and hoses if needed. again, you never know how long its been.
7. run over the truck with some spray oil. wipers, hinges, latches, anything that moves. you would be surprised how much this helps.
8. check the lube level in the steering box, ill bet its dry.
9. finally, run under the truck, check for slack in u-joints, tie rods, etc etc. better to find it in the driveway then on the road.

i have copy / pasted this :D

good list!

[truckluvr]

Sounds like it is not getting fuel. More than likely what happened is when you got low on fuel the crud on the bottom of your fuel tank got stirred up and your pickup inside the tank may have plugged up.

Do this: Remove the fuel line going into the carb and put it in a glass mason jar and turn it over with a screw driver for a few seconds to see if fuel is pumping. This will tell you if the pickup is plugged and will clean out any sludge that is leftover in the fuel lines. If the gas isn't coming out either your pickup is clogged, your new fuel filter is clogged already or both. If it does pump and the gas isn't clean with no sediment then you will need to pull the carb and disassemble/clean/reassemble. By you saying that the carb was leaking gas tells me that a bunch of sludge got past the original filter and filled the carb preventing your needle valve from stopping the flow of fuel when the floats reach their set point.

If it were the ballast resistor it would die immediately after you let go of the key from start position which sounds like is not the case.

If the pickup is clogged you will have to find someone with an airline and blower attachment. Eventually you'll have clean out the tank. or not let it get below 1/4 full...

[Bubb]

I had the same thing happen to mine. Turned out to be a bad fuel pump. One thing I did to check was disconnect the fuel line at the carb, then I stuck the supply side of the line into an empty 20oz Coke bottle. Watch it as you crank and the fuel should be pumping in. Or you could always put a pressure gauge on it too.

[junior]

I STRONGLY agree. eplace your ballast resistor and be on the road again.

[paizao99]

Replace the ballast resistor because it is a cheap part and eliminates (or should at least) a possible issue. Check the fuel pump like several have mentioned. I've done this using a Mason jar and the wife turning over the ignition. Have the carb overhauled. Experience with my Stromberg WW is that it has to be done given that these trucks are 40+ years old.

Now after you do all of these things, drive it around for awhile, enjoying all that hard work you just put in something else will inevitably go wrong and you will right back here researching if someone else once had the same problem. Or was that too cynical?

[Blackdotmetal]

SUCCESS!!!!
Turns out it was the fuel pump... disconnected the line at the filter (the original glass/ceramic one) and turned it over a few times and there was no pressure or fuel coming out. The fuel pump that NAPA had was a bit different but had the same mounting holes and actuator arm so I gave it a shot. Had to jump start her with the wife's car, pretty much killed the battery from all the cranking with no real starts. After letting it sit and charge for a few minutes, I hopped in and turned the key, and she fired right up!
I never checked the Ballast Resistor, I just had a hunch it was a fuel issue the whole time. Now at least I know what the Ballast Resistor is and how to check it...
After all this, I feel like I learned a lot as well as just getting more familiar and comfortable with the truck in general. I wanna thank everyone who chimed in with advice and encouragement (even the cynical one), I'm sure I'll be posting again soon with another riddle...for now I'll be happy to finally be making that dump run that's been waiting a week and a half !
PS. Still looking for a turn signal switch mechanism for the same 62 D200, anyone got one?
Thanks again everyone!

[mopardwh]

Next you'll want to ditch that points distributor. Just ask prosparky how reliable they are. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22499

The most favorable and very easy swap would be Mopar electronic ignition. Here's how...
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=22011

[wideblock]

mopar electronic is not the easiest swap. petronix is the cheapest and easiest.

i knew from your original post it was a fuel problem. other wise it wouldnt have tryed to run with the starting fluid. if it had been electrical, no matter what you did it wouldnt have tried to start. something that was brought up in the post is the rubber lines that crack. the one that goes between the tank and the hard line under the truck, passengers side. it never gets changed over the years, like the one to the pump would be. its a good idea to swap it for a new piece. just good insurance.

[Hobcobble]

mopar electronic is not the easiest swap. petronix is the cheapest and easiest.

I would agree with this statement. I would further it as well and say that the MoPar Performance
Electronic Ignition kit is more reliable. Pay more..... do it once..... move onto the next project.
John

[PDQAUTO]

ballast resistor is located on fire wall usualy near master cylinder buy one at a auto parts store and replace it it cost $7 and can easily be your problem if not they should be periodicaly replaced any way

[wideblock]

mopar electronic is not the easiest swap. petronix is the cheapest and easiest.

I would agree with this statement. I would further it as well and say that the MoPar Performance
Electronic Ignition kit is more reliable. Pay more..... do it once..... move onto the next project.
John

for the first time in forever, i have to disagree with you john. the pet systems i have used have never failed. i have seen post after post about control boxes failing on the mopar set up while my old trucks are still firing every time. in the 8 years i have used petronix i have never ever had a single problem with them. and you know i rack up the miles. as simple as they are, they are inexpensive, and they work great. just cant see why you would spend the extra cash, rewire and clutter your underhood with the mopar junk.

[Oldguy]

The Pertronix unit in my 66 with a 360 has been working flawlessly for over 10 years. The Mopar conversion on my 63 Dart w /6 has been working for over 5 years. Guess I'm just lucky, huh? Mike

[nfury8]

Glad you got it running! You are learning valuable info on the tell tale signs of various issues.
Every fuel pump I have had die was always like this, ran one day, dead the next.

Now, get that glass filter out of there! They are dangerous, can break, crack and leak.
They are very handy for diagnosing fuel issues but should not be ran long term in the street.
I know there will be many people say they have ran them for years without issue, but there
are lots of stories also of peoples vehicles up in flames! I have had them fail on me first hand.
Pulled the car out of the garage and noticed a line of fluid on the ground. Top of the engine was
flooded with fuel! Couple more minutes and it would have been Fury Flambe!

While I know the Pertronix ignition is a good system, the Mopar ECU ignition is an excellent
ignition system. Despite what you might read, they are very easy to install. They are also very
reliable! They got a black eye back in the early 90's with some quality issues on the Mopar orange
boxes, and have never been able to shake the stigma. I have had orange boxes run 20 yrs.
Unlike the Pertonix, IF an ECU dies, any parts store worth a hill of beans will have a replacement
ECU sitting on the shelf for under $30. Many will be closer to $20 and have a lifetime warranty.
They can be replaced in 2 minutes with only a screwdriver. The orange box issue was limited to
JUST the Mopar Performance Orange boxes. The Mopar Silver Boxes and parts store boxes, like
Borg-Warner, were unaffected.

[Blackdotmetal]

So, would you agree that the cheapo inline filter that I installed just before the fuel pump will be sufficient? I never really thought of it (the glass filter) being a safety issue but now that you mention it, yeah, a small crack and I'd have a huge mess on my hands! I thought it was a neat old part in that it could be cleaned and re-used, but I'll pull it to be on the safe side...
I plan on getting around to swapping out the points distributor, I'll take your advice and look into the Mopar Kit...
Still looking for a turn signal switch mechanism (the part under the horn that the switch arm threads into and actuates the signal button) for said truck...Anyone???
Thanks again for all the help everyone!

[wideblock]

to quote NFURY8 "Unlike the Pertonix, IF an ECU dies, any parts store worth a hill of beans will have a replacement
ECU sitting on the shelf for under $30."

my rubuttal... unlike mopar performance if the petronix does go out you can swap the stock points back into the distributor in about 20 minutes on the side of the road and not have to walk to the store to go get your new control box, (or call for a ride and admit your truck died..lol!!). just my personal opinion after useing both styles... the pet system is cheaper, just as reliable, a spare set of points in the glove box (cost 9 bucks) will get you home if needed, and on a street driven stock truck you will never notice the difference in fire power. so why spend the extra cash, the extra time wireing, and have extra junk under the hood?? just never made sense to me.

[azlaw]

as far as going thru the truck. when i get one i kinda have a ritual.

1. clean the grounds and all the contacts between light housings and such to insure grounds are right.
2. flush the brake system and fill with new fluid. you dont know how old it is.
3. same with the clutch system if its hydrolic...
4. pull the tank and flush/rinse it with some diesel fuel to get the crud out. i have used kerosene and or paint thinner as well. this is only if the clear inline filters i use show it to be needed.
5. give it an oil and fliud change (trans and rear end as well) you never know how long its been
6. tune up, belts and hoses if needed. again, you never know how long its been.
7. run over the truck with some spray oil. wipers, hinges, latches, anything that moves. you would be surprised how much this helps.
8. check the lube level in the steering box, ill bet its dry.
9. finally, run under the truck, check for slack in u-joints, tie rods, etc etc. better to find it in the driveway then on the road.

To which I would add

10. pull all drums and inspect brake shoes and cylinders - you'd be amazed at the things you find.

My method for making the reliable is to drive them until they break down one system at a time. In my old age, I seek to shorten this process by replacing the entire hydraulic and fuel system lines and cylinders right off the bat, switching to breakerless ignition with a new coil, replacing the battery, and testing the voltage regulator (or better yet replace - it's going to fail soon). All of this is based on the observed fact that all of these items seem to fail pretty soon after you wake a sleeping beauty, even though many will work fine initially. So what if you get a few miles out of them before they fail? I just hate that pedal to the floor as the engine sputters and dies sitting on the side of the road like an idiot scenario, followed by the tow strap goat-rope, followed by the figure out which stupid fuel or ignition component has failed now puzzler. And if you have anything in your tank, just pull it and get it boiled out and throw all the fuel lines away - they are cheap.

This will save you a lot of breakdowns, although you will still have them for sure. If you drive the truck a couple of times a week, it will get reliable within a couple of months - shorter if you drive it daily.

H