65 Valiant 273 auto - questions .. not starting, and dying in reverse

[70DartMike]

Like the title states, the car is a 65 Valiant, 273 2 bbl, column shifted 904 automatic. It's that 65 year 904 which is half cables, half linkage.

Sometimes when I turn the key, the car won't start. It's not like the starter cranks, I just get nothing as if the battery wasn't hooked up. It's not giving me the typical click of a bad ground either. I changed out the starter relay, and still get the same problem sometimes. It's only sometimes. Other times it starts fine. I'm thinking this could be the ignition itself? Perhaps it's not getting a solid contact every time I turn the key?

The next question would be.. Sometimes when I start the car, and put it in reverse right away, it stalls. If I am driving around, and then put the car in reverse, it is fine. It is only when I start the car from a parked position, put it in reverse, and it stalls. I've found that if I start the car, and put it in drive, and then put it in reverse, it is fine. It is only that 'initial' reverse that it happens. Any ideas? I've heard different oil pressures while you put the tranny in reverse can cause it to stall, but how do I fix this?

 

[67Dart273]

About your "no crank" part of the problem. I don't know where the neutral safety switch is on your car, you need to find out. But you can run it down, get yourself a meter/ 12/volt test lamp and some clip leads from Radio Sh@#.

On your starter relay, there should be two small "push on" connections. One of these is the "crank" voltage coming from the key when you twist to "start" and the other goes to your neutral safety switch.

According to this diagram:

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1965/65ValiantBarracudaA.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1965/65ValiantBarracudaB.jpg

The start voltage from the ign switch is black/ yellow tracer, and

the neutral safety wire is brown.

So identify them on your relay. Next time it won't crank, try not to jiggle too much stuff, just get out, open the hood, and remove the brown wire, and clip lead the terminal you just unhooked -- on the starter relay to ground.

Now see if it cranks with the key. (Be careful that it's in PARK)

If it cranks, you have a bad wire to the neutral safety switch, a bad switch, or something wrong in the linkage that is not activating the switch.

If it DOES NOT CRANK with the key (and you do not hear the relay click in), with the NSS bypassed, now take your 12V test lamp or meter and probe the other wire on the relay --the black/ yel. tracer, which goes through the bulkhead connector and directly to the rear of the IGN switch.

See if you have voltage there. If you don't it's either a problem with that wire (ends), the bulkhead connector, the connector on the IGN switch, or a problem in the IGN switch itself.

OR If you DO HEAR the relay click and the starter does not turn, it's either a bad relay contacts (new does not mean "good"), or a bad wire from the relay to the solenoid (it happens) or a problem with the big main battery lead to the solenoid, OR a problem with the starter itself.