distributor issues

[timspider]

A little history. I got my 78 2 years ago with 85,000 miles on it. I put 10,000 miles on it in the first year, so far zero in the second. In my first year, she was an awesome highway driver. Comfortable and smooth between 70 and 80, and the exhaust note at highway speed that completely replaced the need for a radio.
From when I first had her, the tach never read past 4000rpm. Seemed to be giving good feedback up until about 3000 rpm, and then kind of fiddled out before 4000- needle kept firm, just wouldn't go past about 4000.
I was in triage much of that year, so things that weren't actually stopping me just didn't get attention. I can hear and feel when the engine gets out of it's power band, so don't really need the tach for that.

Now sorting through some electrical issues which had me upgrading the wiring at the back lights and taping a few loose ends in the dash and cleaning up the fuse box after she died completely last week. Have since revived her after clearing up the wiring issues, but she is stumbly when I accelerate, then some flickering at the dash happens. If I back off the gas at that point and slow down, she seems to settle down. If I'm going up an incline at that point, no luck. no guts.

So today, cleaned up all the contacts I could find around the coil, and cleaned the distributor cap. Again looked through dash wiring for possible shorts (my center and radio console are still out for easy access). She started up easily. I went to do my short test drive. Launched from first a little more convincingly this time, in to second fine, and can even get into third, but any hard acceleration in any gear causes engine stumbles and flickering lights at the dash- She just won't go more than about 30.
Couple new items: one is the little red light on the tach is starting to flicker when I goose her, then stops as the rpms go down. this is when sitting at idle after warmed up.

Also, after replacing my clutch pedal recently, now the reverse lights don't come on and the pressure button at the clutch pedal seems to have stopped working- it physically functions. the clutch presses it when it is released, I just don't know that it is doing anything. It's been so long, I forget, don't you have to have the clutch in to start the car?
Well I don't have to. just lean in and turn the key and she starts right up and purrs.
I need some highway wind blowing through this car.
badly.
any help appreciated.

[DieselSpider]

Red light is usually the over rev/red line warning telling you to back off before you damage the engine. Don't know how cautious it is but it best not to push this too far. Most will flicker faster as you get closer to redline and then go solid when you are really in trouble and about to blow the engine.

[vandor]

Do you have the stock ignition system?

[aj81spider]

I don't think the Fiat has a red-line indicator bulb. Looking at the wiring diagrams and an owners manual (an 81, not a 78 so it's not certain it's the same) there are two indicators on the tach. The one on the left is your battery charge indicator, the one on the right is the low oil pressure indicator.

Which one is lighting up? The problem (and cure) will be much different depending which one it is.

[timspider]

Do you have the stock ignition system?

I replaced the stock points with a pertronix system last year- have not had it on the highway since- but for clutch and tranny issues initially, now electrical.
I still don't have the center console together and am thinking maybe something is moving around in there and grounding out?
The little red indicator light on the tach seems battery related, unless it was malfunctioning as I was no where near red line.

One more thing on the tach. it seems fine as far as play when you wiggle it- almost none. It has one damaged part that I know of and that is one of the two threaded holes for the attachment bolts broke in half so not possible to thread that bolt. I have it going through a makeshift washer with a nut and that seems to hold it as tight as the good side- It's been that way for over 10,000 miles, since I got that car.

[DieselSpider]

Just double checked and the red light on the tach is wired to the low oil pressure switch on my 78. It never comes on unless then engine is off however it traced back to the oil pressure sender. On the Diesel it appears many of the warning lights are not wired as originally intended.

[timspider]

I'm just about ready to throw in the towel on this and just look for a wiring person- price the fix- and then save up once again to pay someone who knows what the hell they are doing.
Gone through every wire I can think of- replaced contacts on everything I could- sanded contact points clean and got new tight connections to the body wherever I found them.
that was part of the problem as the car starts now, unlike a week ago. It was a TINY bit better today in that I could accelerate a touch in second and third, up to maybe 35mph now, then the engine got stumbly and weak. No flickering lights like yesterday until I got home- then they flickered like before.
Starting to wonder how many more years of this.
arrggh

[76was124]

Poor acceleration and tach problems definitely sound like a distributor and/or timing problem.
1. Did you check all timing marks and settings?
2. Is their a gap adjustment on the pertronix pick up like the newer electronic stock distributors in later models? (I'm not familiar with the Pertronix)
3. Is your distributor vacuum advance linkage connected properly, if not, it could interfere with the advance. If the diaphram is torn, plug the vacuum line from the Carb? Or intake (FI)
4, If FI, confirm AFM flap doesn't stick.

[timspider]

I will check today on the vacuum advance. It's a weber 32/36, new a year ago. I don't think the pertronix is adjustable. It's got what appears to be a fixed gap based on it's mounting hole locations. It worked great when I first put it in.Smooth and strong compared to the points. Then 4th gear started popping out, the clutch went, and the upcoming year got consumed with those issues.
Will report back later today- thanks for trying to help

[76was124]

regarding back up lights: the sensor for those should be on the trans. Sometimes the wires coming out of the sensor body get shorted as the old insulation gets brittle. You can inspect it from under the car, a mirror can help.

Also check that the connector for the sensor is plugged in and to the correct mating connector under the radio/shifter console.

[timspider]

The distributor is new to me. Apparently I don't have a vacuum advance. Will continue fiddling with wires, looking for loose ends. Just had newly rebuilt tranny reinstalled and made sure those wires and boot were good. Switch could be bad I guess, but the wires are clean and protected.

[timspider]

So I guess I am a mechanical advance. Is that related to the springs under the plate?
What do I look for with that, if anything?
thanks- starting to wonder how one checks the distributor for function? How do I know if it's going bad?

[76was124]

You can use a timing light and watch the crank timing mark when you give it throttle....you should see the mark advance with acceleration and return.

[timspider]

new today is no power to anything but the starter- started and ran like crap last night. parked it in the garage and this morning nothing, nada, zip- except for that cranking starter.
Decided to take a look under that plate in the distributor- something I've never done before. It's got some rust and corrosion so I'm cleaning that up and once inside, in addition to being really dirty, one of the springs looks like it might be stretched beyond it's original shape- as it does not catch in the holder- but I don't know what they situate like new.
Also there is the possibility that one of the mounting screws for the pertronix plate was too long and interacting with a spring. So I need to find another short mounting bolt for that.

Seems to be very little stretch in either spring- but maybe that's the design.
I'd feel better with a fresh set of springs in here unless there is a compelling reason not to.
any suggestions are welcome.

[azruss]

the play in the dizzy spring is supposed to be like that. check your weights in the mechanical advance and make sure they travel smooth and don't hang up. a sloppy dizzy can cause lost of issues. I got rid of mine and put a computronix unit on. Best money spent. Spark is strong and rock solid and got rid of that pesky oil leak at the base of the dizzy.