well, fiinally got it fixed..turn out to be a loose vacuum hose..it was on just enough so it looked like it was ok, had the gray plastic on the end and it looked like it was in the other side but, it wasnt...so, after installing new wires/rotor/cap/pap coil...all is well

 

thanx everyone for the ideas/tips and suggestions!!

 

See my post on page 2...

well, went and highpressure washed the 86 carbed wgn's engine...started right up then died, started it back up and idled it at around 3k for about 10 min...let foot off gas, died...wouldnt start...took disty cap off, water in the top, cleaned out, started, made it up with the occasional stumble, backfire etc...went out next day, engaged choke, started right up, kicked it down to idle after about 5 minutes, died...what's the deal?

 

keep on cleaning out the disty cap?

check and or replace wires?

replace disty and if so what years will work?

i do know i knocked off the hose to the vacuum advance and the port was open for at least some of if not all the time i was spraying water in there...

 

ideas? tips? suggestions?

 

thanx!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice warm day. Remove the cap and let it air out. Also check the spark plugs, might have soaked the wires and the area around them. Make sure everything is tight also (wiring).

My guess would be continued condensation under your distributor.

 

When mine got that wet I had to remove dist.cap and wash with rubbing alcohal (I get at local drug store and get highest % of alcohol content) also push in the spring contact inside and on top of distributor cap and wash with the rubbing alcohol then warmed up with hair dryer to assure moisture out of cap.

 

I even poured just a bit down the dist. with hopes of quickening evaporation of the water.... not sure if that's the smartest thing but... the object is too get that alchohol to displace the moisture and assit in evap. it out of the engine.

 

I had to do this 2 or 3 times till engine got hot enought to get rid of moisture out of crooks and crevasis.

 

Hope this helped.

 

My .o2 cents.

 

*If you get into water an earlier post someone said they take a rubber glove, snip each end of finger and run wires through, slip glove over dist. and zip tie around each finger and base creating a water proof shield.

Spray it all down with WD-40, its what it was designed for.

Water Drier formula #40

 

But never use it for a lube, get PBblast

what about the hose being off the vacuum advance?

 

and if worse comes to worse, disty applications...??

A buddy of mine pressure washed my engine once and no amount of drying around the distrubutor or spraying WD40 in there seemed to help much. A new cap and rotor cured the problem instantly. Not sure I completely understand why drying it out didn't fix it when it was running fine before the soaking, and I'm not sure it's going to fix your problem, but it sure did mine. In my case the cap and rotor probably needed replacing anyway, and soaking them down like that might have been what pushed them over the edge to where they wouldn't work work anymore even after drying.

... A new cap and rotor cured the problem instantly. Not sure I completely understand why drying it out didn't fix it when it was running fine before the soaking, and I'm not sure it's going to fix your problem, but it sure did mine. ...

 

Yes, I Agree... It happens to a friend`s Subie Long time ago... Same Issue, Same fix.

Good Luck!

what about the hose being off the vacuum advance?

 

and if worse comes to worse, disty applications...??

 

Doubt that water in the vac advance would not make it run.

Seriously doubt you need a new disty. How old is the cap and rotor?

Buy a can of air and spray it under the disty cover, might help to displace any water. But its mostly likely cap and rotor.

Check wires, etc around the coil also.

There is a greasless lubricant made by LPS (available at most autostores) that displaces water. Spray it inside the distributor cap and outside along everything high voltage electrical. Good luck.

i could use wd40 inside the cap though right?

right.

good luck!

Spray it all down with WD-40, its what it was designed for.

Water Drier formula #40

 

But never use it for a lube, get PBblast

 

Actually, its Water Displacement Formula #40. I've heard the story a bazillion of times when my dad used to work at Martin Marietta (now owned by Lockheed Martin). This one guy loved the story.

I personally would not use WD40 or any other lubricant on high voltage areas, as the high voltage can cause carbon trails through the material. I would stick with other methods of drying the area and/or replacing the cap and rotor.

 

Moreal of the story is never use a pressure washer unless you want water shoved into every crevice. (It can really ruin wood siding...)

update:

 

well, decided to buy a new cap and rotor....big deal, no change....still will not idle until it warms up, and even then its pretty rough....also changed to a new set of plug wires....i really need this car for work but do you think i should chance doing my 62 mile round trip commute?

 

have checked all vacuum hoses etc....

 

PAT!!!!!

 

welcome back and thanx for the info!.

thats why you never wash a soob motor :-p everything is just fine when it's greasy and dirty

Although Try Changing The Plugs They Can Foul Out When There Is Water Around Them Or In the Cap For A Long Period Of Time

 

-()__1337_CRAYOLA__()>

could it be the vacuum advance/retard unit on the side of the disty?

well if your worried about it change the can and attach the lines to it and if that doesn't work im thinking it's your plugs

I personally would not use WD40 or any other lubricant on high voltage areas, as the high voltage can cause carbon trails through the material. )

 

WD-40 is made was made just to do that. Its not a lube of any kind. Sold as one but its not. It was designed and made to get the water out of ign systems for the military. formula #40 was the ticket. God know what the first 39 did under test. Probably what your conserned about.

thats why you never wash a soob motor :-p everything is just fine when it's greasy and dirty

 

 

Bingo Bango that or pay $75-100 to get the engin bay detailed by a shop that goes through it daily and knows what not to get wet. Sounds pricy but they do just as good of a job as if they did your inside. Makes the car look brand new under the hood.

Or Your Like Me.... Spray And Pray

WD-40 is made was made just to do that. Its not a lube of any kind. Sold as one but its not. It was designed and made to get the water out of ign systems for the military. formula #40 was the ticket. God know what the first 39 did under test. Probably what your conserned about.

 

He's right - WD stands for "Water Displacement" (formula #40) and it's also non-conductive. I don't hit the trails without at least a full can. It does also work as a lubricant for a short time - but it evaporates rather quickly. There are much better products for loosening rust and freeing stuck parts. And for lubrication of most automotive joints (door hinges, switches, etc) I prefer lithium grease. Non conductive, repels water, never evaporates, and comes in a spray can...

 

BTW - a LOT of oils are non-conductive - this is why ignition coils are filled with the stuff.....

 

GD

well, guess i will find other means of transportation this evening for work, unless someone replies within the hour about whether it would be ok to chance taking the subie to work and back will then get to a pull a part and check out some distys and or vacuum advance units and coils too i guess....

Have you tried test driving it around town at all? Sometimes after a few miles, any moisture will evaporate from the heat of the engine.

tell you the truth, little hesitant to drive it around town because of the idle/stalling issue..but, might take it on a bit of a highway drive tomorrow morning and see what happens...