77 dodge powerwagon problem

[powerwagonalb]

hey guys
i have a 1977 dodge powerwagon 318 auto trany and when i start it up it will run at idle all day long but when i shift into reverse or drive it stalls on me. it will restart again but dies when i try to engage into gear.
anyone heard of this problem

[712edf]

New one on me......What happens if you have the t-case in neutral & do this?

Bucky

[Williespeed]

What is your engine idle speed at before you shift into gear? try increasing it slightly. is it instant or does it struggle a little and try and run or does it seem like someone flipped a switch and cut the voltage? Can you skip the reverse gate and put it in neutral without killing it? If it does seem like it struggles I would look to engine idle speed try covering the pedal lightly with your foot like 1/16th throttle. If it is instant I would look at the neutral safety switch wiring and make sure it is terminated correctly and possibly try wiring it closed with a little wire jumper. that would be just to rule out that the neutral safety switch is not the culprit.

[powerwagonalb]

What is your engine idle speed at before you shift into gear? try increasing it slightly. is it instant or does it struggle a little and try and run or does it seem like someone flipped a switch and cut the voltage? Can you skip the reverse gate and put it in neutral without killing it? If it does seem like it struggles I would look to engine idle speed try covering the pedal lightly with your foot like 1/16th throttle. If it is instant I would look at the neutral safety switch wiring and make sure it is terminated correctly and possibly try wiring it closed with a little wire jumper. that would be just to rule out that the neutral safety switch is not the culprit.

really it seams like someone flipped the switch and cut voltage. then it will start right back up and idle fine until i shift into any gear again. i was thinking nuetral safety switch also. but if nuetral safety switch was bad wouldnt it not start in park. im not exactly sure how that works but it does seem to die pretty quick when shifted into gear.

[DODGEBOYS]

bad groung either on the block - back of the right head or at the RAD support

the one at the back of the right head grounds the firewall [ECM] to the coil

[powerwagonalb]

New one on me......What happens if you have the t-case in neutral & do this?

Bucky

t-case is in nuetral in this senario.

[powerwagonalb]

bad groung either on the block - back of the right head or at the RAD support

the one at the back of the right head grounds the firewall [ECM] to the coil

right head when facing vehicle? thank you for help.

[Williespeed]

I assume the ground fixed it?

[powerwagonalb]

no, on my last post i asked if the ground was on the right side when facing vehicle or when sitting in vehicle?

also when the engine dies when you shift into gear, i can start it right back up then push pedal to floor one time hard and let my foot off gas pedal then shift into gear and it stays running.

its a weird one i have never seen before. i was told by a friend of mine that it may be the timing gears/chain.

as far as the ground goes, the radiator support ground looks good and i can not see another ground except the ground on front for negative battery cable but there probably is one on back side of block.

appreciate everyones help but i am still searching for the solution.

thank you
alan

[Renedy]

Cutting out

Are you sure that you dont have something going on in the steering column with the ignition switch?

[powerwagonalb]

77 powerwagon dies when engaged in gear

Are you sure that you dont have something going on in the steering column with the ignition switch?

no i dont really think it is in ignition switch because as i said when it dies after shifting in to a gear it will start right back up then you stomp pedal to floor and let it back off then shift in to gear and then it runs without stalling.

[Williespeed]

What is the idle speed before you shift into gear on the first verses the post stomp to the floor idle speed?

[busbart]

i Had the same thing going on when i revived my M-885 after a 15 year long lunch break, and i needed two feet to run a distance over the road to get to my garage, and after he hooked her up to his computer he could see it were the bougies. appearnetly i had bougies wit a 5KOhm internal resistance , and after i had them changed out with ones that had only .5 Ohm internal resistance she run like a butterfly! ever so nice.

Bart

[powerwagonalb]

77 dodge power wagon problem

what are these bougies you are talking about busbart? sorry i am lost trying to figure out what bougies are. thanks for the help
alan

[busbart]

hello Alan,

i do not know if "bougies" is the correct word, but that's how we call them.
the "bougies" are the porcelaine and steel things which you usually put into the engine by means of a treated surface, like a bolt/nut, at the end of the cable who comes from the distributor. in the engine they make the spark to ignite the fuel air mixture.

that's the description at my best....

Bart