Intermittent start stall condition, Could i be due for an ignition switch Options

[iamchappy]

Last Saturday i took my car to the Car and Coffee.

Like an idiot i washed my car the night before, and when i got up to start it in the morning to go, the car wouldn't start, i cranked the shit out of it before i finally pulled the distributor cap off and wiped out the moisture and blew it dry. Started up fine and went to the event. When it was time to leave the car turned over but wouldn't start, i knew it wasn't the dizzy this time, i crawled under the car to look at the MSD power wire on the starter and played around with the yellow wires connected to the solenoid as one was loose, it fired right up, i drove about 100 ft and the car stalled, i crawled under again did some more yellow wire wiggling and the car started again one of the yellow female wire connectors was very loose and not attached to the spade very tight. It started up again and i made it home but the car did stall again at a light but by turning the ignition off and on it restarted.

I fixed the spade connector on the starter and have found i still have an intermittent start problem and stall, now it wont start, cranks fine.

I tested the MSD in the car, no power was getting to the distributor signal wires. The 2 power wires, switched and the one attached to the starter all have power and the grounds are good. I removed it and bench tested the MSD ignition and it works perfect, but it did not work when it was installed in the car,

My feeling is the yellow wires on the solenoid really had nothing to do with the problem and am not even sure i understand why i even checked them other than the one was a little loose.

Do you guys think my ignition switch is the source of the problem, but how would that effect the MSD, if it's getting power, how could the ignition switch effect the signal wire that goes to the dizzy pickup. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Reinstalled the MSD and it started right up, tried it several times and still starts now i am really.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[iamchappy]

Been reading stuff, maybe i should look into the magnetic pulse generator in the distributor, maybe it sucked something like metal shavings or stuff into it. With the dizzy all damp and arcing it might of damaged something.
The green pickup wire still looks new.

[iamchappy]

Still starting cant get it to fail....

[jim_hoyland]

I had a similar problem; turned out to be the optical module in the Mallory distributer. Even though it passed the standard Mallory test, it exhibited intermittent failure; rare, but documented.

After replacing the optical module, no more intermittant starting issues. Not sure this relates to your situation

Jim

[iamchappy]

Well the magnetic pulse pickup is kinda where i am thinking the problem might be, the 12 plug dizzy is fairly new in terms of miles on it but the moisture in the distributor along with the arcing and backfiring that went on when it was running with it that way may of messed with it. the pickup is a little different than the usual pickup. it is a coil wound donut thing that sits there surrounding the distributor shaft and another stared wheel spins around it.

Some how the problem manifested itself with the moisture in the dizzy.

[jim_hoyland]

Try an Internet search using your distributed model and "troubleshooting" the same thing probably happened to someone else and it's posted...

That's how I came across the solution to my Mallory issue; the Mallory guide nor the original seller with my problem.

[iamchappy]

Think it is the ignition switch now, was able to kill the car today by jiggling the key.....