Please help, any advice?
- Thread starter ctvpa
- Start date
Dune Country
Member
Had a diesel dump truck that would just intermittently die, some times 6 months apart, finally after a couple of years we found somebody had filled a baggie with diesel and put it in the tank, it would just float around until it plugged the fuel intake, die, and let go
just saying ;/
just saying ;/
Bill in SoCal
Senior Member
I know you said you removed the gas cap for a short period . Might want to loosen cap and run for longer period . My car did the same as yours. Had a gas cap that would vent and then would not vent depending how the hole in the gasket lined up with the hole in the cap when you tightened up the cap .
ctvpa
Senior Member
I know a good toe guy!
I am aware of him, I friend of mine got towed by him very recently. He comes very highly recommended. On the way home my wife suggested we call him.
ctvpa
Senior Member
I have removed the fuel cutoff valve and tested it, I have cleaned all the gas lines, I have disconnected the fuel line and using the valve turned the fuel on and off, and it runs full flow. I don't think Flomax could make it run better.
The screen in the carb is new, clean, and no debris in the bowl. I have a new screen in the tank, the tank is recently sealed, and examined with an explosive proof flexible fiber optic scope. No sand, no debris.
The fuel line is correctly attached to the carb, and with the lower section removed the float is free, and the float valve provides full flow when the float is down, and no flow when the float is up.
Bill in Al
Senior Member
Could be a condenser problem exasperated by adjusting with the GAV.
ctvpa
Senior Member
The cap was on by one thread the whole ride home, fuel was able to spill out, so I am quite sure there is no vapor lock.
I feel that a vapor lock would not allow gas to drip out of the carb when I am having this issue. A vapor lock would prevent gas from coming out. When this happens and I pull over it idles fine and smooth, and you can watch gas drip out the air intake. Once you try to move it, you have the fight of your life with no power. If you choke it, it smooths out 80%. enough to try to get home but you have to run so rich the engine overheat.
Jim/GA
Well-known member
If the distributor is using points and condenser, I recommend you check the point gap. New cam followers wear as they rub on the cam and burnish in, even with cam grease used. I go in and adjust new points back out to spec a few times in the first few hundred miles. Eventually the follower stops wearing down so fast.
Yes, as odd as it sounds, points that are not open enough can be compensated for with a richer mixture, to a point.
You might also try a new condenser. They are cheap and easy to swap out. Normally I don't support throwing new parts at a problem, but there is no easier way to test for a bad condenser than to put in a new one.
We have also had reports of bad connections inside the distributor where a "new and improved" breaker plate eliminates the little wire between the two plates. See if you are using one of them in there. The poor connection makes the ignition cut in and out.
I also know that screwing the pop-out cable into the distributor housing too far will cause intermittent ignition cut out conditions. Count the turns and don't go more than about 3 or 4. Don't screw it in tight.
Does your ammeter needle jump around when the engine starts acting up?
Good luck with this. I know how frustrating this sort of thing can be.
Yes, as odd as it sounds, points that are not open enough can be compensated for with a richer mixture, to a point.
You might also try a new condenser. They are cheap and easy to swap out. Normally I don't support throwing new parts at a problem, but there is no easier way to test for a bad condenser than to put in a new one.
We have also had reports of bad connections inside the distributor where a "new and improved" breaker plate eliminates the little wire between the two plates. See if you are using one of them in there. The poor connection makes the ignition cut in and out.
I also know that screwing the pop-out cable into the distributor housing too far will cause intermittent ignition cut out conditions. Count the turns and don't go more than about 3 or 4. Don't screw it in tight.
Does your ammeter needle jump around when the engine starts acting up?
Good luck with this. I know how frustrating this sort of thing can be.
johnbuckley
Well-known member
Have we got this right?!?!?... fuel is dripping out of the carb but the running improves when you enrich the mix with the GAV/choke?!?!? .
ctvpa
Senior Member
That's my plan, taking the carb off the roadster, but I have a very long 2 weeks ahead of me. It's going to have to wait.
ctvpa
Senior Member
Yes, when this happens and I pull over, gas is dripping from the intake of the carb, if I choke, the car smooths out. It will idle fine, but once you try to give it any power, it bucks and you cannot move. At first a little choke would smooth it out and you have about 80% power. In the past you go a mile and push the choke it and you're fine. Now I could not get it to correct. The man who rebuilt the carb says to increase the GAV, but at first I thought it fixed it, but it is very intermittent. I have tried all GAV settings from 0 to 360 degrees. Some time it lasts for a moment, yesterday for 20 miles. This was the worst. Many are suggesting electrical, I have put my multimeter on every part and everything checks out. I don't know why something electrical would cause gas to come out of the carb, or how restricting air intake would correct an electrical problem. This car has less than 200 miles on it. I am going to swap out the carb, that should give me an answer, but work is going to prevent me from doing this for 2 weeks.
I will re-gap the points and see what changes. The problem I have is that the car runs great for 3 days, then this, then better, then bad. It might last a minute, now it lasted 45 minutes. So it is very hard to nail down, but I am getting some great input, this site is great.
Thank you for you assistance
ctvpa
Senior Member
Yes, the engine will be running fine. This happens all of a sudden you lose all power. When I pull over, I see gas dripping out of the intake. A friend was in the car the other day and we were going along fine, then no power. He pulled the choke and it smoothed out. He thought the float or the float valve was the issue. We would shut off the fuel, wait for the engine to start to sputter while taping the carb, when it would sputter I would turn on the gas, and we had some success.
That made us think of a stuck float or valve, but every time I check, it works fine.
At first just a little choke would smooth it out, yesterday I needed full choke, and ran so rich I overheated. Today it starts fine.
As I have said, I am trying all the things people are sending me, but I agree the test is to swap out the carb. My work schedule will prevent that for over 2 weeks.
Thank you for helping, I'm trying every thing. I'm going to try valium next, lots of it.
steve s
Well-known member
"Intermittent", "sudden", and "any speeds" all scream electrical problem to me. Remember, you can turn the fuel shut-off valve off and still drive for a while without the engine stumbling. It would take a big floatie drifting in and out of the main jet to cause such a problem at highway speeds; most of the time, it's the finer idle jet that gets plugged, which isn't your problem.
I think the need for choking and the dripping carb are red herrings: have you always been choking it before you see the drips? It takes very little choking to make an A carb drip! A weak spark will have an easier time igniting a rich mixture, although it will be very inefficient--just like when you choke it for a cold start. Also, enriching the mixture is a common trick for making motor run cooler, not overheat (more heat is absorbed to vaporize the fuel).
I've seen this sort of thing five times. Three times it was an intermittently bad ignition switch. The fourth time it was loose battery terminals. Have you tried the jumper wire directly from battery to ignition, as someone suggested earlier. Also, if you can ever get it idling well in your driveway, try jiggling everything to see if you can bring it on--all connections, terminals, distributor, etc. The fifth time it was a bad distributor body being shorted to by a too-close spark plug strap. BUT, it could be anywhere in the primary or secondary ignition circuits--maybe something as simple as a loose nut on the ammeter connection.
Do not place any faith in the fact that some part is "new" or has been recently rebuilt, even if it's been done "professionally". Experience teaches that this is more of a red flag than a comfort--sad to say. It's not like going to a real dealership repair service. With a recent restoration, every single thing is in play.
Steve
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Kohnke Rebabbitting
Well-known member
If you have gas running out the air intake, it is the carb.
That does not happen, unless there is to much gas, from chocking, or otherwise.
The float valve could have a defect, or a crack in the casting.
Anything Electrical, won't make the carb. overflow.
Switching carbs will do it.
That does not happen, unless there is to much gas, from chocking, or otherwise.
The float valve could have a defect, or a crack in the casting.
Anything Electrical, won't make the carb. overflow.
Switching carbs will do it.