I once had a similar experience with my '56 many years ago, but combined with a slight tapping noise. I decided that a piece of carbon had broken off the top of a piston, and temporarily became stuck in a valve. Before I had bought the car previous owners had run it mostly around town. I used the car a lot on the freeway at high speed. When this happened, I had just exited the freeway and was waiting at a red light. I revved the motor a bit and when the light turned green took off. The car smoothed out and never gave any more trouble. Years later I pulled the heads and restored the top end. I never found anything that would have explained the event. Things like this can be a sign of something bigger that will need doing down the road. You should probably check it out, especially if it happens again. Paul In a message dated 9/15/2004 10:55:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, roger crabtree <rcrabshish@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > Calling all 55 owners, >I had a funny problem over the weekend. ?We were >setting at a idle for about 20 minuets. ?All of a >sudden my 55 started to act as if it was running out >of gas. ?The guy behind me said it started to smoke a >blueish smoke when it did it. ?I revved the engine, it >hesitated a few times and finally took off. ?The car >was not hot and it acted like a vapour lock (had a >stude once). It never missed a lick the rest of the >weekend. ?Have any of the rest of you had this >problem? >RC Billings, Montanaaaaaaaaaaaa > >--- Rick Wiselus <rick.wiselus@xxxxxxx> wrote: >> I work @ NAU, and we have a manufacturing shop for >> various labs and unique >> equipment for all over campus, and they gave me the >> Teflon raw material, >> and I made if for the replacement of the original >> plastic part. ?I was able >> to remove the distributor, and shook out both parts >> of the plastic one, so >> I knew what to make, and it is perfect! >> Good luck. >> >> At 12:24 PM 9/13/2004, you wrote: >> >Rick; >> > >> >Thanks for sharing and offering of rebuilding the >> part. The original part is >> >only partially there, so sending it to you would >> not be fruitful. However, >> >where did you get the Teflon? It sounds as if >> others with dual points may >> >run into the same thing eventually. >> > >> >Roger D. Casagrande >> > >> >----- Original Message ----- >> >From: "Rick Wiselus" <rick.wiselus@xxxxxxx> >> >To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> >Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 11:29 AM >> >Subject: Re: Fw: IML: 55 ignition problems Update >> > >> > >> > > I had the same problem with my 53. ?I >> manufactured one out of a piece of >> > > Teflon, it is better than the original one. ?The >> insulator into the base >> >of >> > > the distributor. >> > > If you have the original plastic part and want >> to send it to me, I will >> > > make you a replacement. >> > > I later had to replace all the wire inside the >> distributor too. ?I will go >> > > w/a petronix electronic ignition if I have any >> more problems with the dual >> > > points. >> > > >> > > At 07:46 PM 9/12/2004, you wrote: >> > > >My saga continues with more stories. One has to >> be careful and thorough. >> > > >Additional problems were found including a bad >> coil to distributor wire, >> >and >> > > >the latest, a short in the distributor from the >> coil lead to case. The >> >short >> > > >is the result of a bad insulator which allowed >> the stud to contact the >> >shell >> > > >in the shell port. That part of the insulator >> was missing. So when the >> > > >points and condensor were replaced and checked, >> there was no contact to >> >the >> > > >shell. I tightened that nut prior to >> installation into the engine. But I >> > > >learned today that small movements of the coil >> wire stud could cause a >> >short >> > > >to the shell. So while I believed the checkout >> was correct, after >> > > >installation in the engine, the short returned. >> The insulator has cracked >> > > >while diagnosing the problem. I now have a >> plumbing washer and electrical >> > > >tape around the stud until I can get a more >> suitable replacement. It >> > > >probably won't last long with the high engine >> temperatures generated. >> > > > >> > > >Does anyone have a source for this insulator in >> the distributor for the >> >coil >> > > >primary wire? >> > > > >> > > >Roger D. Casagrande >> > > >55 Newport >> > > > >> > > >----- Original Message ----- >> > > >From: "Roger Casagrande" <rdc2382@xxxxxxxxxxx> >> > > >To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> > > >Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 4:14 PM >> > > >Subject: Re: IML: 55 ignition problems >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > > Thanks to all who responded. >> > > > > >> > > > > I am not home free yet, but the ignition >> switch was a problem. I >> >sprayed >> > > >the >> > > > > Radio Shack contact cleaner into it and it >> is functioning well again. >> >I am >> > > > > not sure putting the plug to the manifold >> really is providing a decent >> > > > > ground to check the spark. I've got to make >> sure the timing position >> >is >> > > > > approximate to what it was after replacing >> the distributor and using >> >fuel >> > > > > poured into the engine to compensate for the >> car sitting for awhile. I >> > > >have >> > > > > not gotten around to that yet bur will this >> weekend. An update will be >> > > > > provided. >> > > > > >> > > > > Thanks again. >> > > > > >> > > > > Roger D. Casagrande >> > > > > 55 Newport >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > ----- Original Message ----- >> > > > > From: <RandalPark@xxxxxxx> >> > > > > To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> > > > > Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 8:24 PM >> > > > > Subject: Re: IML: 55 ignition problems >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > > If you are really careful, you can bypass >> the dash and hot wire the >> >car. >> > > > > If it runs that way, then you know that >> there is something wrong in >> >the >> > > > > ignition switch or in the wiring under the >> dash. >> > > > > > >> > > > > > I had two '55 Imperials for a while. They >> both came from the same >> >place. >> > > > > The one I kept has always been dependable >> since I was able to get it >> > > > > running. The other one had something wrong >> in the ignition switch. It >> > > >would >> > > > > only start if it was hot wired, but would >> stay running without the hot >> > > >wire >> > > > > after it started. I was pretty sure that the >> ignition switch was at >> >fault, >> > > > > but gave the car away before I got around to >> fixing it. The guy that I >> > > >gave >> > > > > it to tracked down the problem and it was >> the ignition switch, so they >> > > >can, >> > > > > and do give trouble. >> > > > > > >> > > > > > Paul >> > > > > > >> > > > > > In a message dated 9/7/2004 6:48:59 PM >> Eastern Daylight Time, "Roger >> > > > > Casagrande" <rdc2382@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes: >> > > > > > >> > > > > > >My 55 Imperial has lost its "spark". The >> car has run from November >> >2003 >> > > > > when I got to about a month ago. I checked >> the spark by removing the >> >#1 >> > > >plug >> > > > > and with the wire attached put the plug base >> to the intake manifold >> >and >> > > >had >> > > > > someone turn over the engine. No spark was >> seen at the plug. I checked >> >the >> > > > > coil by putting a plug with a 0.175" gap >> between the coil output and >> >the >> > > > > manifold and got a solid blue spark. I >> changed the points and >> >condenser >> > > >and >> > > > > checked that the primary wire was not >> grounded when both points were >> >open. >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > >Another note is that I have the center >> portion of the dash off to >> > > >repair >> > > > > the radio and polish the knobs of the >> controls. I don't know if >> >something >> > > >in >> > > > > the ignition requires all of the dash >> controls >=== message truncated === > >===== >RC Billings, Montanaaaaaa > >http://www.imperialclub.com/temp/1955/RogerCrabtree/ > > >Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. >http://au.movies.yahoo.com > > >----------------- ?http://www.imperialclub.com ?----------------- >This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. 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