vroom, vroom, then kapuut

[RockyMountainTercel]

so, right after having had the intake an exhaust manifolds machined to eliminate a big vacuum leak, and having the carburator fuel mixture tuned ( by a real mechanic, not my moronic ass) my car has died. AGAIN. After parting with $357.00 for aforementioned work ( my very last $357 by the way) I drove the car north about 5 miles, got stuck in traffic for about 30 minutes, then when I finally got clear of the jam, disaster! I was pulling away from a traffic light and accelerating up a low-grade hill the engine just died. It was at the top of its RPM band ( no tach, so I don't know exact RPM's, but it was humming), going about 30ish when all engine activity ceased. No coughing, no sputtering, nothing. It took me a few seconds to even realize it was going. I pulled over and couldn't get it to start, even though it was cranking just fine. i finally bailed to go home and get a tow strap, but by the time I got back the city had impounded it. Now its back in the backyard (again) and I'm going to try and figure out what the hell is going on. Any suggestions?

Oh yeah, i have 84 Tercel, auto with the 3AC. All stock as far as i can tell.

[Gasoline Fumes]

I'd start by spraying something flammable into the carb. Starter fluid or gasoline works, I use carb cleaner. If that makes no difference, check for spark.

[Carguylen]

Exact same thing happened to me last week. Wouldnt start at all. No spark, so I got a distributor from a wrecking yard, and it worked fine...

[RockyMountainTercel]

due to the nature of the sudden, high -rpm death, I think it might be either the ECM or part of the ignitition system. I'll try to track it down tomorrow morning.

[kaji]

Happened to me once in my '85 (3a engine). It was the igniter in the distributor. Pricey little part here in Canada. I went to a wrecker and got one for $25.

[Mickey_D]

It also sounds like what happened to my wife (in an entirely different type of car, BTW). It ended up being her timing belt. Hope it's not the case for you as (from your other post) it sounds like you just had it done.

[2wagons]

I vote timing belt too. Pull off distributer cap, crank engine, and watch the rotor while cranking to see if it turns. If not , replace timing belt. It can be done on the side of the road, just a PIA.

[Typrus]

Just a sudden cutoff? No sputtering? I doubt that'd be fuel... Usually surges and lurches with fuel. Timing belt or ignition system. Thats my guess.

[waynehoc]

Timing belt - reminds me of the time I was en route from Duncan to Victoria, B.C., in our (at the time) early 50's Chevy six-banger (this was back in the mid sixties when I was still a young gaffer in my twenties). Was driving along oh so nicely, and then, with no warning of any kind, the engine just stopped dead. Turned out the timing chain had busted ...

Wayne

[kamiphloj]

I also suspect timing belt.I understand you are lobuck like me,but seriously consider a new timing belt tensioner and spring if you change the belt.It is like a roller skate wheel that rides on the belt and it runs at very high sustained RPMs.lA little loctite on the bolt is advisable.The old gasket on the timing cover,it will swell with most cleanin agents and be verydifficult to reuse.Consider new.You will have wide open access to fanbelts,water pump,rad hoses.Check and use your discretion.On these old beasts evrything has a lot of miles.When you have an area apart,consider where you can renew a system by leveraging your labor if the parts aren't too high.
Be advised that timing belts don't like oil,water,antifreeze and such.A pressure washer can be a very bad thing,for example.kamiphloj

[Typrus]

Tensioner is the metal wheel in the middle. The shiny package contains a tensioner and new belt.

Just don't spray directly at the belt cover... Water isn't near as bad as say, oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, power steering....

[marklar]

howd you get on rocky? My car randomly stopped aswell but It was just idleing and the slammed down and it stalled hasnt started since.

[RockyMountainTercel]

I pulled the timing belt cover and the timing belt was A ok ( which I kind of suspected since when I had it apart to do the head gasket it looked brand new) Since it wasn't the timing belt I turned to the ignition. When I took the distributor cap off and started poking around the ignitor basically came apart in my hands ( a real good clue). So I scampered off to the only junkyard around me that has a Tercel and bought a distributor for $40. I only used the ignitor and coil, but it was cheaper to buy the entire distributor instead of having them take it apart. Long story short, new ignitor, coil, cap, rotor and wires and it fires right up. It still doesn't idle worth a shit and feels like its making less HP than an electric wheelchair, but at least it is running. I think its going back to the shop tomorrow since they charged me $357.00 to fix the idle and as such the only way to keep it alive is to two-foot it at every stop light. Anyone else had this problem? I know these aren't high HP motors, and I have an auto tranny which can only make things worse PLUS I'm at 6,500 feet altitude, but I can hold the gas pedal to the floor and it accelerates like its pulling yacht.

[takza]

Get on a back road...loosen the dist hold down (10mm?)...try different positions till it runs OK without pinging?

Your T belt could be off a tooth?

Then try to set the idle with a screwdriver?