The Ford Barn

Rustyscrap · 08-04-2025, 06:03 PM

On a recent drive, my stock '31 pickup (zenith carb, mallory distributor) ran great and then stalled 20 feet from my driveway (on a very steep hill). I disconnected the fuel line at the carb and there was no fuel. I went thru the fuel path and didn't find any blockage, but changing an aftermarket inline filter seemed to restore full fuel flow. Went for another test drive and it ran great, but noticed it didn't have quite the usual pep on that steep hill. Made it into my garage this time, but now the engine has no response to throttle. It will start and idle poorly, but will not rev up. I've checked fuel flow, carb blockage, throttle linkage...nothing amiss. This is driving me crazy and threatening my 74 year love affair with Model A's.

Y-Blockhead · 08-04-2025, 06:29 PM

These ol' Girls keep you on your toes, don't they.

How much gas do you have in the tank? Going up your steep driveway, could you have starved it for gas?

Other than that, All I can suggest is start checking items one at a time, points, condenser, timing, coil, dirt in carb. You know the drill...

BTW, is your handle "Rusty Scrap" or Rusty's Crap". All depends on punctuation...

Marshall V. Daut · 08-04-2025, 07:32 PM

If you have new ignition points, the plastic rubbing block has probably worn down, closing the point gap. This can happen in less than 50 miles, as I learned. Once the block becomes heat-hardened, it won't wear down any further. Be sure to use distributor cam lube on the cam occasionally. It's a moving part (at high speeds!), so it needs to be lubed.
Did you polish the distributor cam prior to use? I think that was my Waterloo recently.
Marshall

nkaminar · 08-04-2025, 07:43 PM

Check the ignition as Marshall said, but this sounds like a fuel problem to me. I will bet that some dirt got into the carburetor. You will have to split it in two and blow air through all the jets. Use some carburetor spray cleaner too.

midgetracer · 08-05-2025, 09:43 AM

Sometimes the inline filters need pressure to flow fuel. I have found the inline filters to be a trouble spot. I have went to the fuel filters that fit in the glass sediment bulbs. This is no help for the cast iron sediment bulbs.

Rustyscrap · 08-06-2025, 01:45 PM

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It started out as rusty scrap, but I might change it to Rusty's crap. This is driving me crazy. I put an old Tillotson carb on and it ran the same, for all the world like the throttle linkage has been disconnect, which it ain't.

nkaminar · 08-06-2025, 02:03 PM

Are some mice living in the muffler?

An old high school trick was to jam a potato in the tail pipe of someone's car. Old meaning 1950's.

AL in NY · 08-06-2025, 02:06 PM

Ditch the fuel filter.

Y-Blockhead · 08-06-2025, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustyscrap

It started out as rusty scrap, but I might change it to Rusty's crap. This is driving me crazy. I put an old Tillotson carb on and it ran the same, for all the world like the throttle linkage has been disconnect, which it ain't.

You switched carbs with no improvement. If you have good gas flow to the carb, it's time to start looking somewhere else. Start with checking the points and timing.

Wick · 08-07-2025, 06:45 AM

Do you have a old rubber fuel line with a inline filter? If so replace all of it. The gas we have causes the hose to deterate and shrink the inside of the hose reducing flow.
Remember...Henry used a steal line with no filter in the line for a reason.

Lawrie · 08-07-2025, 05:25 PM

same problem with mates 30 sedan yesterday, would not pull a maggot off a pork chop, huge flat spot,this on a previously great running car,
Turned out to be the gasket between the carb base and body(B carb) was really loose on the ventury, allowing it to run up the s--t, made a new gasket and its back to its usual self
something you would not normally think.
Lawrie

08-04-2025, 06:03 PM	#1
Rustyscrap Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 6	No throttle response On a recent drive, my stock '31 pickup (zenith carb, mallory distributor) ran great and then stalled 20 feet from my driveway (on a very steep hill). I disconnected the fuel line at the carb and there was no fuel. I went thru the fuel path and didn't find any blockage, but changing an aftermarket inline filter seemed to restore full fuel flow. Went for another test drive and it ran great, but noticed it didn't have quite the usual pep on that steep hill. Made it into my garage this time, but now the engine has no response to throttle. It will start and idle poorly, but will not rev up. I've checked fuel flow, carb blockage, throttle linkage...nothing amiss. This is driving me crazy and threatening my 74 year love affair with Model A's.

08-04-2025, 06:29 PM	#2
Y-Blockhead Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 6,652	Re: No throttle response These ol' Girls keep you on your toes, don't they. How much gas do you have in the tank? Going up your steep driveway, could you have starved it for gas? Other than that, All I can suggest is start checking items one at a time, points, condenser, timing, coil, dirt in carb. You know the drill... BTW, is your handle "Rusty Scrap" or Rusty's Crap". All depends on punctuation... Last edited by Y-Blockhead; 08-04-2025 at 06:35 PM.

08-04-2025, 07:32 PM	#3
Marshall V. Daut Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Davenport, Iowa Posts: 2,634	Re: No throttle response If you have new ignition points, the plastic rubbing block has probably worn down, closing the point gap. This can happen in less than 50 miles, as I learned. Once the block becomes heat-hardened, it won't wear down any further. Be sure to use distributor cam lube on the cam occasionally. It's a moving part (at high speeds!), so it needs to be lubed. Did you polish the distributor cam prior to use? I think that was my Waterloo recently. Marshall

08-04-2025, 07:43 PM	#4
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 5,875	Re: No throttle response Check the ignition as Marshall said, but this sounds like a fuel problem to me. I will bet that some dirt got into the carburetor. You will have to split it in two and blow air through all the jets. Use some carburetor spray cleaner too. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

08-05-2025, 09:43 AM	#5
midgetracer Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bismarck ND Posts: 1,242	Re: No throttle response Sometimes the inline filters need pressure to flow fuel. I have found the inline filters to be a trouble spot. I have went to the fuel filters that fit in the glass sediment bulbs. This is no help for the cast iron sediment bulbs.

08-06-2025, 01:45 PM	#6
Rustyscrap Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 6	Re: No throttle response Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) It started out as rusty scrap, but I might change it to Rusty's crap. This is driving me crazy. I put an old Tillotson carb on and it ran the same, for all the world like the throttle linkage has been disconnect, which it ain't.

08-06-2025, 02:03 PM	#7
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 5,875	Re: No throttle response Are some mice living in the muffler? An old high school trick was to jam a potato in the tail pipe of someone's car. Old meaning 1950's. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.

08-06-2025, 02:06 PM	#8
AL in NY Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern Upstate New York Posts: 1,209	Re: No throttle response Ditch the fuel filter. __________________ AL in NY

08-07-2025, 06:45 AM	#10
Wick Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gwynn's Island Va Posts: 1,605	Re: No throttle response Do you have a old rubber fuel line with a inline filter? If so replace all of it. The gas we have causes the hose to deterate and shrink the inside of the hose reducing flow. Remember...Henry used a steal line with no filter in the line for a reason.

08-07-2025, 05:25 PM	#11
Lawrie Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Qld, Australia Posts: 4,529	Re: No throttle response same problem with mates 30 sedan yesterday, would not pull a maggot off a pork chop, huge flat spot,this on a previously great running car, Turned out to be the gasket between the carb base and body(B carb) was really loose on the ventury, allowing it to run up the s--t, made a new gasket and its back to its usual self something you would not normally think. Lawrie