View Single Post
Old 01-30-2013, 06:27 PM   #148
sgwilson904
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Jacksonville Beach, FL
Posts: 49
Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

Update #2, as promised...

With known-working distributor now replacing mine that is suspect, I took it out on a drive today, a 72-mile trip down the Florida coastline to St. Augustine and back. (Outside air temp = 82--with apologies to those of you in the cold country.)

Just is it did in the 110-mile drive before the evil spirit suddenly possessed it last weekend, it seemed to run just fine. Much of the way was a cruise at around 50 mph. Engine temp (water OUT of engine, returning to radiator) stayed generally about 165 but did rise close to 190 when cruising was interrupted but a stop at a light for two minutes or so.

When I left the light after sustained cruise, I did notice some hesitancy and even a lone pop/backfire as I accelerated out of third gear. This was only temporary, however, and it smoothed out within a block or so.

Later, I noticed engine temp rose to 180 at one point during sustained cruise again. Then, after stop at light and resumed 40 mph, temp returned to about 170.

This is much like what happened Sunday, though today, on a shorter drive, it was not as pronounced and seemed to recover which it didn't do last time.

This is not conclusive, I know, but I'm wondering if maybe the distributor might not be the problem? Maybe it's a vapor lock brought on when the engine temp rises, as it is prone to due when stopping at a light after sustained cruise? (as Mike V Message #41 suggested)

When it's hottest, the carburetor is really warm but not so hot I can't touch it and hold fingers on it a bit. Could a faulty/insufficient engine ground be causing the problem, as someone suggested? Where is the ground and how do I check it exactly?
sgwilson904 is offline   Reply With Quote