[Ramblin Reck]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

An ignition problem can be, but not always, an abrupt shutting off of the engine like you turned the key off. A fuel problem will feel like the car is running out of gas, like your lawn mower doe's, it runs poorly for a few seconds and then dies. The way an engine quits is what sends me in a direction of diagnosing if it is ignition or fuel. Since you have "completely' bypassed the ignition system, that means everything, you have a new wire directly to the battery bypassing the ignition switch and all the old wring, new resistor (if it uses one), new coil, points condenser. Something people forget to check is the wire to the points inside the distributor. It will break and still make contact and run until the advance rotates the point plate and it loses the connection. Like when you say you drive for 15-seconds. As the rpm increases the advance will rotate the plate and it would die consistently.


My initial thought is it sounds like an ignition problem but if you have replaced "everything" that leaves the fuel. If you can pump a gallon with no problem, it should easily run for more than 15-seconds and it would not consistently quit every 15-seconds. It is always possible you installed a faulty new ignition part which really messes with your head.

Don't feel bad, it's really hard to fix something that won't stay broke long enough to test it. Something you can try is to remove your electric priming fuel pump, plug the line from the tank. Remove the line from fuel pump to the carb and block off the fuel pump outlet so it cannot spray any fuel left in it. Use a piece of hose with a bolt stuck in it and "clamped". Run the car off of a gas can sitting on the passenger floor and have a passenger make sure it does not tip over. Plumb it directly to the carburetor so that you have bypassed everything in the fuel system but the carburetor.

At the phone company we tried to save Fleet Operations every penny we could. Tow-trucks were a last resort. If we had to go rescue one the first thing, we did was spray carb cleaner or starting fluid in the carb to see if it was fuel or ignition. We had parts for everything, so we brought a new coil, module and pickup plus our auxiliary fuel tank setup. That usually got them back to the shop, unless one broke a timing belt. It was a pride thing to not let a vehicle beats us and have to call the tow truck. We brought vehicles back to the shop from as far away as 30-miles using that five gallon can of gas and an electric fuel pump.

I used a 5/16" metal fuel line, 2' long connected with a hose and clamps to a Fram metal fuel filter. That was the gas cans pick-up tube. Then the fuel pump was connected with a hose to the fuel filter. We had short pieces of flared metal (both ends) fuel lines, 5/16" and 3/8", that we could use attach to the carburetors. We had 50' rolls of every size fuel hose. We cut off a length that could reach from the passenger floor, out the passenger window and usually under the back of the hood to the carburetor. We had really long wires with alligator clips for testing things, they could reach from one end of a vehicle to the other end. We connected the pump directly to the battery with those alligator clips. The whole operations was fast especially with two guys on it. The problem is you don't have all this stuff laying around that you can just grab for free and make a bypass fuel system.

I have that setup here at the house. I used it to drive a neighbors' non-running '34 pickup that had sat for years. A new battery and my auxiliary fuel system and it ran great. I got to drive it to its new home using the gas can. It had a stock 59A in it, peppy little pickup, really fun to drive. Iwas amazed how well it ran after sitting for all those years.

Flathead Fever

I have a 1939 Ford with a 59A-B engine in it that suddenly quit as I was driving it last Monday 10/3. I have put 1,000 miles on her since buying in June 2021. It has always cranked and run fine since my purchase. Rather than starting a new post I found this post and think that it answers why the vehicle quit. I had just fueled up by adding 6 gal of fuel. The fuel kept back flowing up the fill tube and spilling on the ground. I had to stop and restart fueling about 5 times. I am thinking that this may have stirred up some debris in the tank and temporarily plugged the gas line as you mentioned in your post. I made it about one mile before it quit. Would not restart after I broke down. Got pulled home and went out the next day to test if I was getting any spark to the plugs. I took the wire off of one plug while my wife hit the starter button. She roared back to life without even the choke being pulled! I did not find any loose wires so I am thinking your thought of a temporary blockage in the gas tank may be what happened. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience on this post. I really do appreciate it since I am not a seasoned "gear head" but just like to drive these old Fords for the fun of it. Ramblin Reck