Recently went to take my car for emisisons testing, but it didn't make it. 87 305 TPI. I was driving along fine for about 12 minutes, than I started to loose all power and started to hear clunk clunk clunk from under my hood. I pulled over and she died. I got jumped than took off, but it was struggling and i was at about 5 mph holding up traffic til I found a parking lot. She died again, got jumped again, got it going good, died two more times with clunk sounds. Jumped one last time, I took off with no problem, I hit 72 mph, it was running great for 1/2 a mile. Than it died and I got pushed home by my moms explorer. I just put in a new alternator today, old one was dead. But I still don't know what the clunks were. Any help? thanks

 

More input would be good. Did this occur only when in gear? Only when moving? Only at a certain RPM? What is oil pressure? Any vibration associated with the noises?

 

remember to put your battery on the trickle charger over night too... each time your car died is because the battery finally died because it had to take the alternator's slack.



as for the clunking sounds, it's probably from the ignition not getting the proper voltage....


but it's hard to say unless you answer Vader's simple questions

 

Problem occured also in park. Oil was fine, rpms, happened at about every rpm. I changed the alternator and it stopped doing it, so problems fixed. But now Im ripping the engine out and rebuilding since it failed emissions. thanks guys

 

Why? If you are blowing smoke so bad that you cant pass the inspection then that would be a good reason to do a rebuild... but if all you're gunna need is a tune-up, maybe an EGR, O2 sensor and a catalytic converter, I doubt how rebuilding the engine will help your emissions scores in the least.


Anyhow, glad you found out what it was. And best of luck to yah

 

Well the engine does have 153,000 miles.