Sunday evening joy ride - follow-up

[bunnyc]

Yesterday I went for a 25 mile ride. The last 5 miles was 4 lane road and I cruised along at 45 mph. Car ran great.
Pulled up to the garage, let it idle with the e-brake on (slight uphill grade) while I got out and opened the garage door.
By the time the door was open the engine stopped. Wouldn't restart - run a couple seconds when choked and the accelerator pumped, then die.
Thought I may have flooded it so I waited an hour and tried again. Same result - run a few seconds and die.
Pushed it in the garage.
Fuel bowl is full and the Wix 33039 filter looks clean - about 300 miles since I changed it.
I'll let you know what I find. Might work on it tomorrow.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by bunnyc

Yesterday I went for a 25 mile ride. The last 5 miles was 4 lane road and I cruised along at 45 mph. Car ran great.
Pulled up to the garage, let it idle with the e-brake on (slight uphill grade) while I got out and opened the garage door.
By the time the door was open the engine stopped. Wouldn't restart - run a couple seconds when choked and the accelerator pumped, then die.
Thought I may have flooded it so I waited an hour and tried again. Same result - run a few seconds and die.
Pushed it in the garage.
Fuel bowl is full and the Wix 33039 filter looks clean - about 300 miles since I changed it.
I'll let you know what I find. Might work on it tomorrow.

Get your wife to get you a remote control for your garage for your birthday, there only about hundred dollars. Wayne

[katy]

Wouldn't restart - run a couple seconds when choked and the accelerator pumped

Have fun pumping the accelerator pedal, stock Model As don't have an accelerator pump.

[ddweave]

Did you run out of gas?

[Henry's Lady's Man]

Have your points closed up?

[bunnyc]

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Problem was fuel starvation. Here's how it went:

Tried to start engine. Fired after 1-2 revolutions, ran for a couple seconds, then stopped.

Checked fuel level in tank. Gauge said 1/3 tank, has been reliable in the past. Check OK. Fuel in tank.

Remove fuel bowl and check Wix filter. OK. Not a hint of debris.

Reassemble fuel bowl w/used filter and open tank shut off valve. Fuel doesn't enter bowl. Not good. Close shut off valve.

Hmmm. Pencil filter in tank clogged? Loosen nut on valve outlet and open valve. Fuel drips. Tighten nut. Open valve. Still no fuel in filter bowl.

Loosen nut on bowl outlet. Open shut off valve. Fuel starts to enter bowl. Close fuel shut off. That's good.

Remove steel fuel supply line from Zenith-1 carb. Open shut off. Fuel fills the filter bowl, then pours out of the fuel supply line. That's good.

Reconnect fuel line to carb.
Engine starts and runs perfectly.

I just looked up "vapor lock" - sounds like that could be the cause of my problem.

[hoof]

"Vents" in gas cap plugged causing vacuum?
CHAZ

[Fred S]

I had a similar thing happen. Had been driving my coupe in 90+ degree heat. Left the car in the drive for about 10 minutes, and it won't start, when I went to move it into the garage. I went inside, and tried again after about an hour. At first it didn't want to start, but then it started.

I've never had vapor lock in the Texas heat, but may have had it for the first time. It's been running fine since.

[Step-down]

This new fuel boils out of the carb bowel leaving you hi and dry ...

[bunnyc]

Originally Posted by hoof

"Vents" in gas cap plugged causing vacuum?
CHAZ

no. gas cap has a clear hole in the center. checked that first.

[Benson]

Is there any chance that you have fuel in the tank left over from winter?

Winter gas is formulated to boil at a much lower temperature.

Hence in hot weather this fuel boils very easily.

This is the reason that I put a tag on each gas can that tells me whether it is S or W gas.

If I find myself with the "wrong" gas then I just put it in one of the Fuel injected cars and burn it up.

Using the SUMMER gas around here in the SNOW BLOWER causes a "no start" condition or it only runs with the engine choked for an extended period of time if it is cold out.

In other words engine dies if not choked.

I doubt that Stabil or Marvel Mystery Oil helps in this condition.

[Mitch//pa]

Don't forget about the carb inlet screen

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Step-down

This new fuel boils out of the carb bowel leaving you hi and dry ...

Exactly right. I never had fuel problems in 1970 even in the hot El Paso desert. Even today's better gas without the corn crap boils too quickly.

[bunnyc]

Originally Posted by Benson

Is there any chance that you have fuel in the tank left over from winter?

no. I've run 40-50 gallons through it this summer.

[Benson]

Originally Posted by bunnyc

Problem was fuel starvation. Here's how it went:

Tried to start engine. Fired after 1-2 revolutions, ran for a couple seconds, then stopped.

Checked fuel level in tank. Gauge said 1/3 tank, has been reliable in the past. Check OK. Fuel in tank.

Remove fuel bowl and check Wix filter. OK. Not a hint of debris.

Reassemble fuel bowl w/used filter and open tank shut off valve. Fuel doesn't enter bowl. Not good. Close shut off valve.

Hmmm. Pencil filter in tank clogged? Loosen nut on valve outlet and open valve. Fuel drips. Tighten nut. Open valve. Still no fuel in filter bowl.

Loosen nut on bowl outlet. Open shut off valve. Fuel starts to enter bowl. Close fuel shut off. That's good.

Remove steel fuel supply line from Zenith-1 carb. Open shut off. Fuel fills the filter bowl, then pours out of the fuel supply line. That's good.

Reconnect fuel line to carb.
Engine starts and runs perfectly.

I just looked up "vapor lock" - sounds like that could be the cause of my problem.

When that happens to me the first thing I do is loosen the Fuel line at the carb inlet for 10 15 seconds to bleed out the vapor in the line.

This usually refills the float bowl and off we go!!!

[supergnat]

Did you happen to turn the fuel valve off (out of habit) when you got out to open the garage? I did that when I stopped for a bridge opening and couldn't figure out what happened when I started up and it stalled after a few seconds when the bridge closed. Very embarrassing. ��

[bunnyc]

Originally Posted by supergnat

Did you happen to turn the fuel valve off (out of habit) when you got out to open the garage?

no, not in this case.

[bunnyc]

What seems strange to me is that it remained vapor locked for two days.

This happened Sunday; I tried to start it today before working on it and it would only run for a few seconds. Then I went through the steps previously posted.

I would think that the gasoline that vaporized would have escaped from the carb by then.

[Bill Cal.]

Seems to me possibly the float hung up in the up or off position and then when you reconnected the gas line the surge of gas broke it lose.