G9 Goes & Stops

[whiteriver23]

Been working on a 1994 G9 for a month now, tune up-plug-fuel filter-new belts-new oil in crankcase & rear end-compression check 165 psi-changed air box (one of the contributors to the forum sent me a spare). Checked the fuel flow to the carb. not great but, seems to be pushing enough gas to run the engine. Have a lingering problem though, if I run the cart for a couple miles it seems to get really hot, then goes into a sequence of stopping dead in it's tracks followed by a couple little puffs out the exhaust. Let it sit for a minute or two, take off, go a few yards and the stopping/starting continues. After maybe 10 minutes it'll run fine until going about a mile then the whole episode starts all over again.

So, this weekend I'll be draining the fuel tank and replacing fuel lines where necessary and doing some house cleaning in the carb. Just checking with the experts on here to see if I'm overlooking something obvious which I'm prone to do? I've also looked at the fins on the engine and they don't appear to be clogged but, I've got a suspicion that the engine is running to hot and that might be contributing to the problem.

If anybody has an idea I'd sure appreciate some insight.
Thanks
JP

[smallblock450sl]

Buy a "dynamic spark tester", about 8 bucks at the autoparts store. Plug it onto the spark plug and the cap. It will run and you can see the spark. My guess is your ignitor is losing a solder connection after a long run, then when cooled down, the connection is good again. When it "die's" see if you can see spark. Good luck

[whiteriver23]

Thanks "450" I've got a spark tester I used on old outboards, the kind you attach the plug wire to on one end and a clamp on the other end to ground to the block. Is that the same thing?

[whiteriver23]

Ok, I got a plug tester with the light bulb in it at Autozone. Ran the cart for about 20 minutes before it started to slow then stop with a couple puffs after the engine stopped. Attached the light immediately it was significantly dimmer and grew steadily dimmer and finally went dark when the engine quit after about 15 seconds. I'm not real bright but, as the engine starts to die and finally quits shouldn't the light go out anyway? I know I'm missing something here!
JP

[sho305]

You would still have the same spark if the engine died for another reason, long as the ignition is on and it is turning over on the starter/gen. If you don't, then that is the problem. The starter will turn it over anyway if it will not run, long as the battery will do it.

[whiteriver23]

Thanks 305,
So, are you telling me the coil is not the problem?
JP

[Insco7]

MIne was doing that. I just assumed it was vapor lock. I added some vents to get that hot air out of the engine bay and it seems to be fixed.

[sho305]

No I'm saying if the ignition system is working, then when you turn it over on the starter it will show the same spark as it always has. If the coil/etc is bad you will see no spark when it quits and you try to restart it....as ignition components sometimes go bad when they get hot and work again when they cool.

[whiteriver23]

Ok 305 I'm with ya. The only thing that still puzzles me a little, is the coil going bad a symptom of something else being wrong like the engine overheating or to much voltage or or bad generator/starter? Think I'll start on the trail for a new coil tomorrow.

"7" can you tell us more about venting the engine compartment, mine seems awful hot. Sometime in it's lifetime the leading edge of the back cowl must have really absorbed a lot of heat and melted/warped a bit.

Thanks Guys
JP

[sho305]

Mine does not seem that bad lifted, the cradle hangs down into the air flow. One way is to put a vent into the bagwell, I have seen soffit vents put in there, the louvered style. That lets the heat out better. I want to put a fan that blows out the back under the bumper but not done it yet. Another idea is put an airdam at the front so air goes up into there, just some plastic that hangs down like cars put under the radiator.