Dying while driving, need to fix ASAP

[1971Ford]

Hey guys, my '94 bronco with 351w is dying while driving. Need to be able to get to work Monday!

I'll be driving it and it will randomly either start to stumble and shut off or just instantly shut off. Occasionally it will stumble and regain itself.
Sometimes it fires right back up, sometimes you have to wait a while.

It started when i was going to work and it just shut off. Coasted over, turned the key, fired right up. It shut off a mile later. IT would then just crank over. Had to wait a couple minutes then it fired right up. Kept on trying to get to work. Died again, maybe a mile later again. This time i had to wait 10 minutes till it would start. Took off and when it died again, called the tow truck.

Got home, called a ford dealer ship tech buddy and another shop tech buddy. Both said its highly likely to be the TFI either on the distributor or fender, or the internal pickup in the distributor under the rotor.
So i put a new TFI on. Died 100 feet from my driveway. So i obtained a whole distributor from a buddy and swapped them thinking it must surely be the pickup then. Timed to 13. Nope, died while backing out the driveway. So i swapped the coil. Died 200 feet from the driveway.
Okay, maybe the fuel pump is heating up and quitting even though it has a nice prime tone. Put the fuel pressure gauge on, taped to engine cage, hit the streets. Started stumbling a few hundred feet into my cruise, and died. Restarted it and did this several times. Never dropped below 30 PSI. Did not fluctuate at all or drop when cutting out or dying.
Seems to rule fuel out and brings my focus back to ignition. But what's left?

Cliff notes on parts swapped:
Fuel tank was dropped, flushed, and new fuel filter about 1000 miles ago. New cap rotor and plugs 1000 miles ago as well. I tried a new fender mount TFI, complete distributor, and coil. Fuel pressure good.

Thanks fellas..

[Rmc]

A cracked pick up tube on the fuel pump will suck air causing run, starve, die, reprime, run, slosh, suck air, starve,die. (This generally only dies while moving)
Overheated fuel tank will cause the same thing but only after 30 mins to 1hr solid run time. I had a similar experience with this one caused by me cutting the exhaust after the cat. The hot exhaust fumes slowly heated the tank causing vapor lock or cavitation of the fuel pump due to increased pressure. I figured it out by feeling the tank after the issue started. ( only dies after extended run)

Have you checked the connection between the coil and distributor ( center wire) also the normal stuff, check engine light?

[Rmc]

Loose fuel pump relay or low resistance fuel pump relay, contacts could be popping open. Also can you duplicate the issue while stationary or only moving?

[mustube]

Could be a bad or loose ground somewhere. I had a 93 with a 5.0 that would randomly die and it turned out to be a loose ground on the passenger side fender just behind the headlamp housing. I'd visually inspect the wiring from the distributor to the ignition module on the drivers fender and all of the engine grounds and body grounds you can find.

[robertcrav]

Check the Tech forum, I put instructions for a 30 Minute Ignition System Check in there...walks you thru testing all components independently...

I had a similar issue that I chased and finally found as the PIP sensor in the distributor ... and from what I've heard some aftermarket/parts house distributors have sub - standard electronics...could be the PIP again.

I'd also suggest checking all of your grounds

[damon1272]

Fuel pump and EEC relays are cheap try. PIP and TFI usually have to cool off before they work again.

[philofab]

You may want to visually inspect the ECM connector on the drivers side front wheel well... The tire has been known to contact it and create some odd issues. I'd add a ground to the engine/frame/firewall to see if it helps. Probably check the EGR system too just for the hell of it.

[1971Ford]

Thanks fellas, i luckily figured it out soon after posting this though!
I wore through a part of the engine harness where it was rubbing on my coilovers top cap when i was prerunning in Fallon, and we had taped it up after i lost 4 injectors because of them grounding the the shock. I untaped the area, cut the wires and soldered with heat shrink, rewrapped the harness and now she didn't die while backing out of the driveway so i went and put some flawless miles on her..
I feel stupid for not fixing this known issue right off the bat. Figured the quick fix tape was still doing its job, nope!