I've had a problem with my 240 for a while now and have had it sitting for a year or better waiting to come up with the money and brains to fix it. Maybe you guys can help me out. A bit of history first (what it was doing prior to the beginning of the multiple attempts at repair)...There were never any problems cranking or anything. The problem began when I noted a hesitation upon first acceleration, just like I had taken my foot off the gas pedal completely. For a while, it was no more than a minor nuisance until it began happening consistently at higher rates of speed, like on the interstate...uh, that's just a little dangerous! I could nearly predict exactly when it would "cut out," depending upon the rate of speed I was travelling at. I could also reliably predict the speed at which it would "kick back in" (at about 40 mph) and I would be able to again accelerate (only to have it cut out again shortly thereafter). I have already replaced multiple parts all to no avail (air mass meter & temp. sensor, spark plugs and wires, distributor cap and rotor-multiple times, in-tank pre-pump, main fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, PCV flame trap, checked all the vaccuum hoses, checked all the intake lines, and I'm sure replaced other parts that I can't remember off the top of my head). My final attempt at solving this problem is a distributor replacement. I have run into the problem of not being able to get the distributor off. I talked to several people who have told me there is a grommet or a gasket type piece of rubber that tends to hold it in rather tightly, and that the distributor is classically a pain in the ass to get out. I have found this to be true myself, as it has proved to be a royal pain in the ass trying to get off. Does anyone have any suggestions about this? Also I have been reading something about a crank angle sensor that has seemed to be implicated in some of the situations that sound very similar to the one I am experiencing. First of all where is it? Second, what does it do? I can't find it in any of the manuals I have (and trust me, I have quite a few). Thanks in advance for reading my long, drawn out drama of my baby, but I won't get rid of this car for anything. I love it, and I want to get it fixed and running again. Please help if you have any ideas! Thanks again!
Ryan
1985 240 DL