other Car dies when braking or slowly turning

[silasmoon]

Howdy - so my car running a Weber 32/36 with sync link, 320i alternator and a new radiator with a fan. It keeps dying when I stop or turn slowly using the brakes - which started happening after my mechanic installed the new altealternar, radiator and fan last week.

 

I've checked the float bowl level today, cleared the idle jets, swapped the fuel filter and synched the battery down. The engine doesn't stumble - it just clicks off and my alternator and oil lights come on. If I stop slowly enough it's fine, but any regular braking and boop she's off. No stumble. No violent lurch. It doesn't matter if I'm on a hill or not (live in San Francisco). The engine idles fine, and will easily sit all day happily idling. The engine also starts up fine when it dies, maybe it takes two quick cranks, but I'm always a little flustered by it. 

 

My thoughts are electrical related to the brake booster or possibly the fuel pump? But I don't starve the car at speed and the other day I had some very spirited hill climbing with no issue at all. I have a suspicion it's related to using the headlights - but that doesn't make since as it still happens when they're off. I just notice more at night. I let the engine warm up before heading out usually. 

 

Very curious. 

Edited August 6, 2016 by silasmoon

[jrhone]

My car did similar things when my brake booster failed.  Also check the hose from the brake booster that its not leaking and check the plastic valve to make sure its working.  

[Huge2na]

Could also be related to rpm and alternator charging. Have you checked the battery? In most cases a car can run on alternator power only but if there is a dead or dying battery taking the bulk of the load the car could stall. If you keep the rpms up when coming to a stop does it still die?

Edited August 7, 2016 by Huge2na

[stone02]

hi,

  while the engine is idling wiggle or pull

the wire that goes to the distributor.

many times this wire has been shaking

for 40 years and will pass current when

steady but not when extended.

let us know,

stone

[silasmoon]

Appreciate the feedback - so here is what I did:

• Checked to make sure the brake light switch was connected and sanded some old terminals. 
• Took the vacuum off the brake booster and was able to blow through it. The rubber grommets were pretty old. 
• Reseated a lot of connections by just pulling them apart, sanding any corrosion and re-attaching them. 

My wiring is a bit of a rat's nest because we've removed A/C and most of the smog equipment from a 76' 49 State car, but left the wiring attached. It still had the issue.

So then I:
 

• Pulled and re-seated the main coil to the distributor and distributor cap and sanded the points in the cap a bit. 
• Pulled the wires from the ignition coil and reseated them. 
• Pulled the wires from my 32/36 idle solenoid, and the points where it connects to an intake manifold sensor? Not sure what that is. 
   

It then ran fine and I couldn't reproduce the problem, but I am not sure it's been solved just yet. I would realllly like to know what it is. It happens when I brake and clutch in, and the RPMs never dip below 10 thanks to a slightly higher idle screw setting. My thought was that my idle solenoid wasn't working as well as it could be. Any suggestions as to where I might be able to get a spare / bits to rebuild it?

Something else I noticed was that my in-line fuel filter isn't full when the car is running. It's more of a trickle. The car doesn't shudder like its being fuel starved, so I figured fuel PSI wasn't the problem.

Thanks! 

Edited August 7, 2016 by silasmoon

[silasmoon]

7 hours ago, Huge2na said:

If you keep the rpms up when coming to a stop does it still die?

No, if I keep the RPMS up it is fine. I had parked it for a four hours, came back out to drive and it had the problem again. When we would turn a corner or come to a stop it died. I couldn't restart it and get it to idle again, it would just rev then instantly die right after the issue. I then parked it - disconnected and reconnected the idle solenoid on the 32/36 and it seemed to be okay after that. Although I am not 100% sure that solved it. 

[silasmoon]

I waited a good long while to see if I had finally licked this problem and here is my conclusion - it was one of two things:

• Power to my idle Solenoid on my 32/36 was loose
• Cable was loose to my distributor

I synched those up and so far so good

[Simeon]

Check your battery is not loose and moving around causing a short. Big fire risk and could bigger your alternator.