CJ7 Randomly Stalling

[Rich Anderson]

I have been searching forums all afternoon to try and figure out what is wrong with my 1978 CJ7 but not sure yet. When driving or simply idling the Jeep will stall flat out without sputtering. Basically like turning the key off in the ignition with no warning. If I am driving while it happens the Jeep will start right back up while I am coasting in gear. If it happens while idling it starts right back up as well.

I have an AMC 304 and a DUI distributor. It does not have an ignition module or a ignition coil. I recently replaced my gas tank and sending unit however i dont think this is a fuel problem as it is not sputtering before stalling.

Could a bad distributor cause the jeep to stall flat out or a bad starter solenoid? If so how do I test to figure out which one it is? I followed all the wires to see if there was a bad connection somewhere but does not appear to be an issue with wiring.

Could a vacuum line that has come off cause this? I noticed one of them was barely hanging on during investigating and I pushed it all the way back on.

Any ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[JPNinPA]

Check your battery and ground connections.

 

[69jeepcj]

Im not for sure, but isn't the DUI dist like the HEI and has the coil inside the dist cap? I had similar symptoms with my jeep and it was the fuel filters, it would just shut off. Also had the same symptoms with the same jeep and it was the coil inside the cap, They start to get weak and when they get hot, they shut down. Yes a huge vac leak could do it as well.

 

[Rich Anderson]

Thank you for the feedback guys. Yes the DUI has the coil inside the cap youre right. I will look into these possibilities.

 

[Rich Anderson]

BTW is there a way to test if the Distributor is going bad or the coil under the cap?

 

[greg92jeepxj]

Besides excessive lateral movement in the shaft and worn stator and pick up , the coil will have to be checked as per DUI ( DUTTWIELER unified ignition ? ) specifications. Usually an ohms test is applied with an ohms meter. HEI coils check out with about 30,000 ohms , a DUI coil may have up to 50,000 ohms. They are hotter spark. You could perform this test if you feel a depreciation in performance or drivability problems but an in line spark tester to show consistent flash is generally acceptable . It's good to repeat on all cylinders. As JPNinPA posted , ground check and wring are always important . Also , as stated by 69jeepcj , these epoxy style coils do wear out over time due to heat from normal use . It is suggested to check at every tune up. Nothing wrong with checking for vacuum leaks at any time.