T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

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tdump
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T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by tdump » Mon Dec 30, 2019 6:47 pm

I had left my TT in the lean to shed for 2 long until today because I had tryed to fix a sputter problem and got agitated.
I cleaned the carb,then decided,nope I will change carbs, ,fuel line,removed gas tank which is spottless to be able to shake to see if something was wallowing around.After all that,it would still run for a bit,sputter and if turning a corner or something ,it would sputter.Pull the choke and it would clear up.That was probably august of 2018 or so.


I got it out of the shed today,washed it,aired up the tires,replaced the battery that blew up Christmas day while on charge. it cranked right up, run ok until I hit a tree root and it sputtered. Then I was headed up a incline and it sputtered again.
I happened to reach for the choke rod and I may have been seeing things, but I would about swear I saw a spark between the rod and the steel firewall
I have helped track issues before,and I remember I rewooded this box back 20 years ago.I know washing it didn't change anything so water being near it didn't make it worse.

What I am wondering to is ,can the wires to the timer spark between each other if there is a fault in the insolation? I would think maby if they were rubbing it was cause a missfire but there is not enough current to arc? Or is there?
Basicly I am fishing for theorys as to why I can't catch this sputter problem.
If you can't help em, don't hinder em'


Adam
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Adam » Mon Dec 30, 2019 7:06 pm

Sounds like a broken choke lever spring...

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TWrenn
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by TWrenn » Mon Dec 30, 2019 7:17 pm

I am far from an expert, but I would say to check all your wiring from end to end. Bet it's in the wiring.
Seems most engine troubles are in some form of the ignition system. Just a thought, especially if indeed you
saw a spark. Somethings shorting somewhere.

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KWTownsend
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by KWTownsend » Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:55 pm

Mack
Start the engine tonight in the dark and look for stray sparks.
: ^ )
Keith


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tdump
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by tdump » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:07 pm

Good idea.
OK, I did that. I bumped the dash with a rubber mallet,no change, moved the timer lever.when it went towards retard it doesnt' seem to run as smooth?
.No stray sparks anywhere. Hiting on all 4 sitting level in the shop.
High test gas by the way. Choke spring works great.Just checked it.
If you can't help em, don't hinder em'


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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Luke » Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:22 am

Mack,

Does it present the same problem on both battery and magneto? I ask simply because you could probably isolate part of the electrical system as a cause by trying both feeds...


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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Kenny Edmondson » Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:43 am

Sounds like you have a bad ground between the engine and frame and firewall. Check bolts for tightness. Use jumper cables from the engine to frame and frame to firewall to see if anything changes.

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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Charlie B in N.J. » Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:54 am

I think (since you saw a spark), it may be looking for a ground as in the engine isn't grounded to the frame in a consistent manner. Bumps and shaking in the road might be causing the engine to lose it's ground to the frame for a moment. I'd try an engine to frame ground wire. Doesn't have to be cable thick just a wire. Might sound strange because the T motor is on the frame with no rubber mounts but it's possible.
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Dallas Landers » Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:59 am

A loose power wire on my coil box had me scratching my brain with about the same symtoms. A quick check for loose wires wont hurt. Keep us posted.


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tdump
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by tdump » Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:27 am

Ok ground makes sense! A slight twist or bump or,movement would change the engine.
So it will get a wire!
You know,come to think of it,my cousin worked for Gm for a long time as a trouble shooter and other things ,and he said MOST problems even with the newest of cars were grounding issues for the computers and sensors.
If you can't help em, don't hinder em'

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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Ruxstel24 » Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:30 am

I’m in the addition of an engine ground camp.
Sounds like it’s trying to ground through the choke rod....


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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Norman Kling » Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:55 am

Are you sure it was a spark? Could be spitting fire out of the carburetor. You might see it through that hole. I am puzzled as to what might be causing it, but since it seems to come when turning or going over a bump, I would think it might be electrical rather than fuel related since you cleaned the tank, fuel line and carburetor.
Norm

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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Bill Robinson » Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:26 am

Same problem here. It only happened on a left hand turn or hitting a bump. I tried all of the above but no luck. Then I read a thread on one of the forums back around 2001 about a member who found his problem in the ignition switch and all he did was clean the contacts on the inside. I tried it. I'm still driving the pickup these days and the problem has not re-occurred.


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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by rlcxz@yahoo.com » Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:36 pm

Try shorting out the ignition switch. My T now has a modern day key ignition switch. It failed a couple of years ago with a dead spot. I installed a on/off switch under the dash so if it goes completely open I can use the on/off switch to at least get me going and home.


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tdump
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by tdump » Tue Dec 31, 2019 8:06 pm

I had yard work to do and by the time I finished it,I was hurting way to much to work on TT but I did look and the only ground I have on the whole truck is the negitive battery cable going to 1 of the bolts holding the ujoint ball socket and drive shaft. So it will be getting another ground wire.
I forgot to mention what "motivated" me the most to get it out of the shed when I did yesterday. I left Christmas morning to visit family and my dad told me about 20 minutes later he heard a big exsplosion. Ask me to talk to the neighbors and see what went caplooyee. Sounded like dynamite he said.
Well I had the battery charger hooked to the battery for a couple days.a little 2 amper. It was showing about a 1/2 amp.So I left it.
I went to get the charger saterday morning and I found what went caplooyee.The battery.! :shock: So I had to get some baking soda and coat it with that.Still have to repaint the battery rack but hey,coulda been worse.
If you can't help em, don't hinder em'


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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by jiminbartow » Wed Jan 01, 2020 12:23 am

Does it do that on BATT or on MAG? Once in 1980, while driving on MAG. I crossed a rough railroad track and my T quit. It started right back up on BATT, but when switching from BATT to MAG, it quit again. I ended up having to drive it home on BATT. After some troubleshooting, I located the problem. I found that the spring loaded Mag contact point had popped off the soft solder magneto button. I removed it and sharpened the point on the grinder and reinstalled it being careful to center the point on the mag button. Once this was done, my T ran great on MAG. Jim Patrick


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tdump
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by tdump » Wed Jan 01, 2020 9:02 am

Haven't worked on it yet this morning,just got back from breakfast.but best I can remember and from what it repeated the other day,it does it on both batt and mag.
Today will be painting the battery rack to repair the issues from the blown battery,fix the exhaust pipe that has come out of the muffler,run a new ground wire to the coil box, and clean the switch. If the switch don't look to suit me,I may get a new 1 end of the month. Kinda took all my sheet metal for the new project for sandblasting and I think that bill is going to consume most of my monthly project budget. :roll:
If you can't help em, don't hinder em'


Topic author
tdump
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by tdump » Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:33 pm

Well cross ye fangers, Uh Cross your Fingers,:), I think I got it. I think that ground wire did the trick.
Even if it was running on mag,if the engine is not grounded well to the coil box,it would skip and burb I would think.
If you can't help em, don't hinder em'


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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Jan 01, 2020 7:29 pm

Mack

your coil box does not need a ground, and there is no place to connect one. If as you surmise, the wood in the box is wet, it may well have carbon tracks in it now. If there is indeed a current path through the wood, or a wire is pinched or rubbed bare between the bottom of the wood and the steel bottom, attaching a ground to the box will be an A-#1 way of discharging the battery.
Scott Conger

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Topic author
tdump
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Re: T sputters when turning a corner or hits bump

Post by tdump » Wed Jan 01, 2020 8:11 pm

Well what you said makes sense for sure,it is grounded by the time. .i put a small black wire from the battery to a bolt holding the coil box.So if the chassis is grounded,the firewall should be if the bolts aint rusted,and the coil box is bolted to the firewall.I don't know what I mighta done but it ran right for the first time in a long time for about 15 minutes and I forgot just how rough a TT rides until I hit some bumps in the open area by my local firedepartment while in high gear! IF it was going to sputter,it woulda! Teddy Rossevelt woulda been proud! :shock:
What I did do was install new cable ends to the battery also.And made a new connection for the positive wire to the trucks system as in lights,coils,the works. It was loose.Perhaps that was it? But that would not explain the fault while running on Mag.Whcih it was running on mag the whole time once I started it.
If you can't help em, don't hinder em'

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