Posted by Steve Kaminsky on October 30, 2003 at 22:27:38:
In Reply to: it just dies posted by Ben on 14:19:55 10/29/03:
Ben,
From what you've described it definately sounds electrical.
Make up a jumper wire (12 or 14 AWG, 3 ft long) with alligator clips on boths ends. If it happens again, connect one end of the jumper wire to the (+) positive terminal on the coil, and connect the other end to the (+) positive terminal on the starter solenoid (it should have a big thick red cable attached to it). If it starts and runs, then there is definately something amiss in the primary circuit of the ignition system.
If it is, check any and all connections (in-line connectors, etc), in the wiring harness that runs to the ignition switch. Also check the contacts on the ignition switch and the switch itself (they do go bad).
If it's not the primary circuit check the wire that comes through the distributor, there is a rubber grommet that is suppose to insulate the wire from the body of the distributor. The grommets are known to rot and cause a short to ground. Sometimes just the wire itself (from the points) can get pinched under the distributor cab and cause a short.
Good Luck,
Steve Kaminsky
P.S. Join the Atomic 4 discussion list on Sailnet.com , there is a lot more expertise there, and it's much more active than here.