Thanks for the suggestions. Checking the fuel flow at the pump output and the pressure delivered by the pump should be relatively simple once I get a few minutes. I'm going to have my fire extinguisher handy, just in case.

Update - Fuel pump pressure is 2-1/2 PSI, a little low, but not bad and it holds pressure for quite a while. The stream of gas coming out of the line immediately downstream from the pump was pretty robust.

I think I can safely rule out a fuel problem.

Maybe not a fuel problem at all. I swapped out the coil; no improvement. But when i swapped out the condenser, the main problem (very rough running for a few seconds followed by conking out) seems to have disappeared. I won't know for sure about the occasional missing until I get everything back together the way it was and make a road test, but it seems to run nice and smoothly now. Those darn electrons - they'll get you every time. Stay tuned.

It would be great if the problem was just the condenser. But a bit frustrating to have gone through all of that troubleshooting, only to find that the problem lay in an inexpensive little condenser.

I've heard it said that the "cheap Chinese condensers" are the big problem nowadays. [u]Everything[/u] is the fault of "cheap Chinese stuff", or so they say, but who knows? I would suggest that you buy several replacement condensers AND (if you can find them) some of the original new-old-stock condensers from the past.....just in case. I have had engine problems on the road, changed the condenser, and the problems were gone. So it's cheap enough insurance to keep this stuff around in the glove box. Along with a couple sets of points, as well.

Yes, I feel that it's going to be somewhat embarrassing to be done in by an $8 part, if it turns out to be the whole problem. I bought the condenser at NAPA, and the box says Hecho en Mexico, so I think I'm safe from the potential issue of those cheap Chinese parts (if true). If this works I'm going to throw another one in my glove box, as you say, just to be ready.

Congratulation on finding and fixing the problem. Happy motoring.

I have often found it frustrating when the box says made somewhere and the part says made somewhere else.

Lee O'Dell

Yup; took the old girl out for a 20 mile test drive this afternoon with no missing or other nonsense. I think a bad condenser was the problem. Big thanks to all the Hudson forum contributors who helped me with my problem.

Michael-

I'm one of the people that Jon mentioned and the "cheap Chinese parts", except that those cheap Mexican parts aren't any better, either. This is another reason I went with HEI. I'd often have to buy three or four condensers to find one that would work, and even then, they never seemed to last long. Points, too. I got so sick of it, I just got rid of the whole thing. It used to be Echlin parts at NAPA were one of the hold-outs, but now, even those are made somewhere else. We simply don't make anything in this country anymore and what we have available is junk. By all means, extra points, condensers in the glove box are a must. Whenever I started to have problems, the condenser was the first thing I would check (back when I was running points).

Congratulations on getting her running well! Makes all the difference, doesn't it? Such a joy to drive when she runs well.

Michael thank you very much for sharing all the trouble shooting problems you went through to get to the final solution. You have saved an unknown amount of time and trouble for those of us that may have a similar problem in the future.

thanks again

J