Thread: why is my 283 stuttering and coughing?

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i have a 56 chev p/u w/ a 283. up until a few days ago it ran perfect. its stock w/ headers and a holley 500cfm 2 bbl it stutters and possibly misfires under hard acceleration above 40mph. BUT it runs perfect when its in neutral and i rev it. what could it be? i thought the vacuum advance made the most sense.
thanks

Is the distributor stock and when was the last time you replaced the fuel filter?

the dist is stock, i havent touched it since i bought the truck in august. the fuel filter is less then 6 mos. old.

That's a points distributor and I would check the condition of the points and rotor, dist cap, and plug wires. Check the float setting on the carb and make sure the accelerator pump is not leaking.

Sounds like points gap, condition and the condenser to me. Also check your points earthing wire from the advance plate to the distributor body isn't broken. If thats bust or loose you will get the conditions you described when under load.

Missing under load is often the plugs, or plug wires. Especially on a SBC. They can be plug eaters. I've had new plugs do it with 100 miles on them.

I had the same symptoms on my 69 Camaro,I had left the condensor clamping screw loose. Hank

why is my 283 stuttering and coughing?


Maybe it has a cold

i would stick a pertronix unit in there.....

and yes i've experienced plug problems with only 100 miles on the plugs before as well.... at least when i've ran Delco plugs

Originally Posted by thesals

i would stick a pertronix unit in there.....

and yes i've experienced plug problems with only 100 miles on the plugs before as well.... at least when i've ran Delco plugs

yep,,,thats why I use Ford plugs in my Chevys (hi-po ones),they don't die from a little extra heat and abuse. Well at least that has been my experience with them in years gone by.

i had the same trouble and now mine doesnt run...im on a wild goose chase...

which plugs would be right for my 283?

Originally Posted by merc53man

which plugs would be right for my 283?

You'll get a lot of different opinions, but I've never ran anything but AC Delco and Champions in SBC's. My personal opinion is that the plug wires and components in the distributor have as much to do with performance as does the plugs. If you can't get the current to the plugs they're not going to fire no matter what kind of plugs.

i personally prefer NGK and Autolite plugs, use good wires 8mm+, use a the better brand when buying points if you keep it points make sure they're not some cheap made in mexico ones.... make sure you condensor is hooked up and grounded properly, make sure the cap is clean and free of cracks, same with the rotor, make sure the coil doesn't have any problems, check resistance, between the + prong and the - prong and check resistance between the +prong and the plug wire prong.... the first two should be incredibly high resistance, the second two should be low resistance..... make sure plugs are all gapped to specs dont just use out of box gap, make sure every single one is correct

As thesal's said earlier I'd stick a Petronix unit in and be done with the points. If it's an original distributor I would imagine that by now it has some side to side play and up and down play because of worn bushings and/or shaft. A new dizzy might not be too bad of an investment. I would personally stay away from anything with Accell stamped on it, but that's just my opinion.