Re: Scout went dead

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

When he stopped taking his medication, strange voices in Mike Klink
<klinkm@domain.elided>'s head said:

>Sooooo, if it was gas line freeze, its the starter solenoid now?
>Would the fuel pump quit in stages?  A chebby I had once ate fuel pumps,
>but you didn't restart.
>Was it the dreaded bulkhead connector?  If so, how do you get the mutha
>apart? And which one?

Mike,

My vote will start out by it being an electrical problem.

Here's my reasoning... In almost every case where I had a fuel supply
problem, the engine just didn't instantly quit.  I got the feeling from
your post that the thing just more or less died instantly and didn't loss
power, cough, buck or sputter prior to shutting down.

Think about it.  If the fuel were being cut off for whatever reason
(freezing, clogged line, failing fuel pump), it would seem like you'd get
at least a little warning first.  Then, if it was fuel, why would it start
right up and continue to run like nothing happened until - bang - it just
dies again.

Now if it is electrical, it could come from several sources, but if you've
been reading the Digest for more than a few days, you should know how I
feel about the bulkhead connectors!  Time and time again they are
overlooked as the source of mysterious and intermittent engine cut out,
much to the frustration of owners (ask Tom M.).  Of course it's always
possible you have a loose connection elsewhere in the wiring harness, but
the majority of the time it's the bulkhead connector.

Here's what you should do first... Disconnect each one of any bulkhead
connector that you find on the firewall just to the passenger side of the
hood release latch.  Doesn't the 79 have just one?  My 76 has two.  I'm
pretty sure this connector comes apart by squeezing a couple of tabs on
each side of the connector, but this shouldn't be hard to figure out if you
examine it closely.  It may take quite a bit of wiggling and tugging (on
the connector body itself - *not* the wires) to get it apart.  Once apart,
squirt something like contact cleaner (a special solvent available at good
hardware stores or electrical supply stores) or maybe brake cleaner on the
contacts.  This will help wash away any accumulated grease, dirt or
oxidation.  Next, liberally apply some di-electric silicone grease
(available from any good auto parts store or electrical supply store) to
the contacts on both sides of the connector.  Then, reconnect and
disconnect the connector several times to help the contacts seat together.
Plug it back together and see if that fixes the problem.

If not, let us know and we can start getting more detailed.

Good luck,

John L.
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