[DeTomaso] GUMBALL PANTERA BREAKS DOWN OVER WEEKEND

Paul - Home thedrol at pobox.com
Wed Sep 7 16:35:46 EDT 2011


I'm not exactly sure which wires were the wrong wires on the car.  Are 
you saying the problem was the spark plugs wires?

Paul
#9270

On 9/7/2011 3:25 PM, LEVITT1946 at aol.com wrote:
>
> Hello Friends ,
>
> I thought compelled  to tell the group what transpired over this past
> weekend with the Gumball Pantera .
>
> Just before the Gumball in May of 2009 I made the following  improvements
> in the engine compartment.
>
> New Spark Plug Wires MSD PART #31199
>
> NEW HOLLEY 650 DP
>
> NEW MALLORY COIL
> NEW MALLORY BALLAST RESISTER
>
> NEW ROTOR  AND CAP FOR MY MALLORY UNILITE DISTRIBUTOR
>
> NEW AUTOLITE SPARK PLUGS PLUGS
>
> I set out this past Sunday for a 2.5 Hr ride to Lime Rock Raceway in
> Connecticut. The car was humming like it usually does for the first 100 miles
> and then while moving at about 60 mph the car shut off and I rolled into the
> nearby gas station. I thought it was a stuck float in my holley 650 so i
> tapped  the adjusting screw and the car started right up and then shut off.
>
> I removed the float adjusting rod and put all back together. Still the  car
> would not run. I decided to try and limp to Lime Rock since there were
> mechanics on hand . I got 1/2 mile and the car shut off again.
>
> I called a flat bed and was taken to the track . Mechanics at the track
> replaced the coil and the ballast resister .
>
> The car fired right up and I thought this was the end to my   nightmare. I
> also noticed that the fuel pressure was very high at 9.5 to 10.The
> mechanics said that the carb could handle that pressure..So I believed .
>
> At 4:30 I got  back into my car followed by a 1973 Pantera Buddy from  the
> Long Island Pantera Club.
>
> One hour later the car was down for the count again. Thinking this was a
> dirt in the carb fuel issue I removed the carb turned it over and dumped out
> all  the fuel in the carb. She started up, but this time I noticed that the
> tachometer was flying all over the place. Now I knew this was not a fuel
> issue  but something wrong in the ignition/electrical system . I was stuck in
> the  middle of nowhere .
>
> After waiting 4 1/2 hrs  for a flatbed to arrive we loaded the car  once
> again and I took the car to Danbury CT. to a friend that loves to fix
> electrical issues.
>
> The first thing my friend said after reading the Mallory Unilite
> instruction manual was WRONG WIRES ON THE CAR !
>
> He said I will bet the Module in the mallory distributor is fried .
>
> I spoke with Mallory today and confirmed that the MSD wires used are in
> fact the culprit. Over time the wires will break down the Distributor module
> and  it will eventually  cease to work.
>
> I am telling you all this because if anyone is running a similar setup,GET
> RID OF THE WIRES AT ONCE.
>
> Mallory recommended the foilowing  :
>
> Unilite Distributor with  #30450 COIL
>
> Carbon or Graphite Core Wire ONLY (SIDEWINDER PART # 931)
>
> If the system is reading 1.4 ohms or less you need the ballast resister .If
>   above 1.4 ohms there is no need for the ballast resister.
>
> Now I also  spoke to  Holley and they said the fuel pump pressure  is way
> to high and that the fuel pump should be replaced as well with Holley  part #
> 12-854. This mechanical pump will be 80 gph compared to the 30gph that I
> had on the car . The fuel pressure will only put out a max of 7.5. Fuel
> pressure  of 10 will blow the seals of the carb.
>
> Any suggestions or comments  would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Best Regards,
> Bob Levitt
> Team Pantera Racing #3196
> Gumball3000 #56
>
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