Engine slowly dies please help

[Anonymous-0]

I took my good running to30 to deliver firewood. I got a ways down the road and it made a popping noise about once every five seconds. A little furthur down the road it starts acting like it is lugging. Engine running on all 4 cylinders but sounded like it was under a heavy load which it was not. The farther I got the engine kept slowing down even more. 500 yards from the final destinations it completely dies and wont start again. I let it sit 30 minutes and it still would not even pop. An hour later it fired up but now I dont trust it for running down the road. BTW I checked each plug with s timing light and I got a perfectly bright and cosistent spark at each plug. I need help guys thanks in advance

 

[Anonymous-0]

When it stopped and you tried to start it could you turn the engine over on the Starter ok. From how you describe it it could be seizing up, was it too hot or was it short of oil. Was the Distributor loose and has it turned and retarded itself. Tell us more....

 

[Anonymous-0]

Your timing light won't tell you the spark strength. It's uses induction to ttrigger the ligh which is powered by the battery. Next time this happens, pull the center wire out of the distributor cap and holf it near a good ground , turn on the key and try a start. You should see the Holy Grail of the spark ignition engine, A FAT, BLUISH-WHITE SPARK. Anything any other color is indicatve of a problem with the primary ignition circuit. that's the circuit from the batter, through the key switch through the coil through the distributor points to ground.

If you do have a FAT, BLUISH-WHITE SPARK, check you fuel delivery, by holding a suitable container under the carburetor, open the fuel valve completely and remove the plug from the bottom of the carburetor. You should get an immediate, CONTINUOUS gush of fuel like a cow peein' on a flat rock. If you only get a dribble, or the flow is intermitent, check the screen in the carb fuel inlet elbow, the sediment bowl, the filter in the sediment bowl, the fuel line for kinking and the hole in the gas cap that vents the tank.(These old workhorses were often retired to a blackberry patch in the South 40 and the gas tanks are full of all manner of crap and corruption.) If that doesn't solve the delivery problem, rap the carb with a wooden block 'cuz your float may be hung up. If that doen't work, you'll hvae to rebove the carb and see if it's full of sediment that's holding the float valve closed.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Gunked up ignition switch.

 

[Anonymous-0]

my guess would be fuel, but most likely your gas cap isn't vented. make sure that hole in it isn't plugged and is "breathing" right.