Last week I ran into a weird problem where the engine would shake and had much less power. It would run and drive, but it was pathetic. I drove it for a few minutes and couldn't think of anything that would cause it. I took the air cleaner off to check for vacuum leaks and check the carburetor for problems and found the problem right away: Spark plug wire number 1 had fallen off the distributor cap...

The cap, which is clear for easy adjustment and inspection, had the plastic ring above the spark plug socket broke off. The boot no longer holds the plug wire on, and it is down to the friction of the metal connector on the plug wire to keep it in place. I know this isn't very reliable, but I cannot afford another cap right now. I slid the boot up and out of the way a bit to stop it from pushing the plug wire out of the cap. It seems to have worked very well so far. I will be securing it on for the time being, until I can build up a new thing on the cap with epoxy putty or something. I really don't care to replace the entire cap over that one single broken piece that can be fixed so easily for a few dollars.