Help! Car starts then dies

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Shane65

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my 68 barracuda has been running good for the past couple months.. then all the sudden last Sunday car wouldn’t start.. I thought maybe I was out of gas, poured in about 7-8 new gallons.. still nothing.. tried cleaning my fuel filter, didn’t look too bad.. thought maybe the fuel pump went bad, replaced it today, still nothing..

When I pour fuel in the carb it’ll start but then it quickly dies within a couple seconds... Any ideas?
 
Remove fuel line from carb and place a cup under the line. Have someone crank over the engine while you hold line into the cup. You should easily see good amounts of gas pump into the cup. If you get nothing or very little, then you have a problem.
 
Murray said:
Remove fuel line from carb and place a cup under the line. Have someone crank over the engine while you hold line into the cup. You should easily see good amounts of gas pump into the cup. If you get nothing or very little, then you have a problem.
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So keep the fuel filter intact? Just pull the line after the filter and put in a cup?
 
If the engine starts in the start position but won't run in the run position, then the ballast resister is suspect.
 
Murray said:
If the engine starts in the start position but won't run in the run position, then the ballast resister is suspect.
Click to expand...
That is a correct statement but does not apply to the OP's condition.
EDIT: I guess it could if it still happens when he is getting fuel too.
 
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In order to start you need a few things. Fuel is on and spark is the other. You can check for fuel by removing the fuel line at the carb. Get a container to catch the fuel. Crank over the engine. If you are getting fuel then check for spark. Easiest way to check for spark is to remove a spark plug and place against a good ground. Have someone crank the engine and see if you have spark.
 
Ballast would be my guess. Without more information and some simple diagnosis our hands are tied here. We don't know if it has fuel but it does fire when dribbling gas down the carb so it at least has spark in the crank position. Does it have spark in the run position? Factory point ignition? Mopar electronic?
 
You can try jumping across the ballast resistor as a test. The ballast resistor is used to lower the voltage to the coil when the engine is running so that you don't burn out the coil. If it starts and runs normally, replace the ballast resistor and move on. DO NOT LEAVE THE JUMPER PERMANENTLY IN PLACE AS IT WILL DAMAGE THE COIL. Good Luck
 
Thanks for the replies... You guys rule! I'll try all the suggestions and report back.
 
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