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Old 01-17-2018, 01:44 AM   #1
fourfords
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Default Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Does anyone make a thicker gasket for a stock '33 single barrel Carburetor that dissipates heat? Just trying to avoid pesky "VLS" (-Vapor Lock Syndrome) in preparation for mucho driving this summer. If not, can someone suggest material I can fabricate from?
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Old 01-17-2018, 05:36 AM   #2
vilanar
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

I did mine out of POM- plastic(polyacetat), it worked out great.
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Old 01-17-2018, 07:01 AM   #3
Tony, NY
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

I've seen these for sale at the Syracuse car show. Probably a little pricey.
http://www.coolcarb.com/index.html May not have one for your carb. Making one shouldn't be too hard.
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Old 01-17-2018, 04:06 PM   #4
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

See the following site for one to suit your carburetor.

https://www.dashman.net/product.html?id=215

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Old 01-17-2018, 04:46 PM   #5
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Often the "vapor lock" is actually caused by the ignition coil getting hot. It is safe to say that all original unrebuilt coils cause problems. The insulation breaks down and allows shorts between the windings, reducing ignition output. Contact Skip Haney 941/505-9085. Excellent work and price.
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Old 01-17-2018, 05:13 PM   #6
fourfords
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

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Thanks Supereal and all you guys. I have a skip Haney coil on the job now. The weather just gets real hot here.
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:10 PM   #7
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Vapor lock is actually a condition in the fuel line and/or fuel pump. Putting a spacer under the carb will not prevent vapor lock, but can't hurt as far as boiling/evaporating fuel in the carb after the engine has been shut off hot.
To prevent vapor lock you need to make sure fuel lines are away from hot spots like exhaust manifolds, etc. Or wrap the fuel lines. An electric fuel pump eliminates the possibility of vapor lock, but most people don't do that because of originality.

Also, if the ignition timing isn't advancing as much as it should, it creates hotter exhaust gas temps, which makes the manifolds hotter and more prone too vapor lock.

Sal
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:12 PM   #8
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

The phenolic spacer on the carb will help minimize the carb fuel bowl boiling down after shutting down on a hot day, but the carburetor is not the primary cause of vapor lock. It is the mechanical fuel pump, which sits closer to the block and is somewhat shielded from cooling air by the carb and firewall. When it gets hot, the fuel vaporizes inside the pump chamber. The diaphragm pump is pretty efficient with incompressible liquid, but doesn't pump compressible gas worth a darn. Thus the pump is "vapor locked" until the body of the pump cools down enough for the vaporized gas to condense back to liquid state. You can not use an insulating gasket on the pump stand, because the added thickness would shorten the pump stroke.

The low boiling point of alcohol in the bas makes the problem worse. So open the hood, throw a wet rag over the fuel pump and copper fuel lines and install an electric fuel pump back by the fuel tank.
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:16 PM   #9
Tim Ayers
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Speedway sells these cheap. I think under $10.
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:17 PM   #10
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Drolston,

I think we were both typing at the same time.

Sal
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Old 01-17-2018, 06:20 PM   #11
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Quote:
Originally Posted by scicala View Post
Drolston,

I think we were both typing at the same time.

Sal
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Old 01-17-2018, 08:18 PM   #12
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Bob Shewman makes what I think are the best carb spacers. He makes them
for both carbs. They have passages running though them for better cooling.
Longer studs are also provided. [email protected] 1-610-933-6637 G.M.
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Old 01-18-2018, 11:44 AM   #13
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

I'm stuck with 10% ethanol gas in my neighborhood and a few forum members have mentioned that its more susceptible to vaporizing.

Regardless, my '47 came with a six-blade fan which makes a lot of noise at higher RPM's but the engine ran well. Not liking the fan noise, changed to a four -blade fan (lower air volume) and the engine started quitting unpredictably. After blaming and changing everything else (coil, condenser, pump, etc) I changed back to the six-blade fan and no more problems so far. I guess the prior owner figured it-out and put that six-blade fan on.

as drolston suggests above, seems the back of my engine compartment wasn't getting enough ventilation. (the fuel line from the tank was/is insulated)

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Old 01-18-2018, 01:48 PM   #14
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Quote:
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I'm stuck with 10% ethanol gas in my neighborhood and a few forum members have mentioned that its more susceptible to vaporizing
Dan if you have any Stewart's shops near you, their premium is ethanol free, I siphoned all the gas out of my car and put in their hi-test, I have one of their stations around the corner from me. I know it cost more and I don't need the hi-test, but I hope is saves me a bunch of headaches down the road.
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Old 01-18-2018, 02:00 PM   #15
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony, NY View Post
I've seen these for sale at the Syracuse car show. Probably a little pricey.
http://www.coolcarb.com/index.html May not have one for your carb. Making one shouldn't be too hard.
I've tried both a regular phenolic spacer and the Cool Carb plate on my '36 and find the latter to be MUCH more effective, though still not quite enough to beat the dreaded vapor lock.
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Old 01-18-2018, 03:40 PM   #16
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

List of ethanol free gas stations in US. https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=NY
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Old 01-18-2018, 10:16 PM   #17
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

corvette8n: Thanks. Do have Stewart's here in Glens Falls but they don't pump non-eth. There's a Mom-Pop 7/11 deli shop off Northway exit 25 with non-eth premium but very expensive (+40 cents/per gal) and its 35 miles north of me (70 miles and 1-1/2 hour round trip).

Faced with that option, I can put up with a lot of fan noise.

TonyNY: Thanks. That web site's map function isn't currently working. Will check back.
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Old 01-19-2018, 07:24 PM   #18
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Has anyone noticed if the fuel pumps with the glass sediment bowls are less prone to vapor lock?
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Old 01-19-2018, 07:45 PM   #19
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SofaKing View Post
Has anyone noticed if the fuel pumps with the glass sediment bowls are less prone to vapor lock?
I never thought about it, but I have one and don't have any vapor lock problems. Perhaps the fact that I am in the resort area of north central Minnesota where almost every station carries non-alcohol gas may have something to do with it.
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Old 01-19-2018, 08:42 PM   #20
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

If you put an insulator under the carb, complete the job by using fiber washers under the nuts on the studs. Heat will still travel up the stud, through the nut and down into the carb base unless you interrupt it with an insulator. You can probably find small drain plug gaskets or plastic electric insulating washers at a hardware store. I buy them from McMcaster-Carr.
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Old 01-20-2018, 07:17 AM   #21
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Dr Brown, Here is what pure-gas.com says you can get non-ethanol. It is 91 octane. Just wanted to let you know. It is at Stewarts Shops on Glen St.


pure-gas.org


Stewart's Shops #380 - STEWART'S SHOPS
360 Glen St, Glens Falls NY
518-743-9351
Ethanol-free octane ratings: 91
GPS coordinates: N 43.31201 W 73.64970 (entered by Mike Bombard)
Updated by empire, August 19, 2015 18:15 CDT
addr
Posted by Mike Bombard, August 19, 2015 12:45 CDT
added 7/30/15
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Old 01-20-2018, 07:35 AM   #22
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Mine is a double action with a glass bowl & vapor locks. Elect. pump at the tank & away we go. mike
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Old 01-20-2018, 09:38 AM   #23
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Quote:
Originally Posted by tubman View Post
I never thought about it, but I have one and don't have any vapor lock problems. Perhaps the fact that I am in the resort area of north central Minnesota where almost every station carries non-alcohol gas may have something to do with it.
I asked because I have one but it is the only one I have experience with and I have not had vapor lock with either type of gas at up to 100F and 5000' altitude.

Anyone ever use an infrared thermometer or take the temp of the fuel pump when they had vapor lock?

I was taught in school that it was caused by the fuel vaporizing on hot days in the fuel lines and that vapor getting trapped at high points, sharp bends, in the line. Rather like the "P" trap under your sink but in reverse. The low pressure/volume pumps of the day didn't have sufficient capacity to pull the fuel because the vapor bubble would simply stretch at each pump stroke.
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Old 01-20-2018, 11:15 AM   #24
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

Just a refresher note....., carbs spacers do not prevent vapor lock. They do help prevent fuel boiling and evaporating in the carb after the engine is shut off hot though.

Sal
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Old 01-20-2018, 12:58 PM   #25
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

I agree with scicala and drolston on their posts here regarding the cause of vapor lock. I've had issues with vapor lock on my 35 fordor sedan (avatar) since I've owned this car. I have the large version of the CoolCarb spacer in place under my 97 carburetor. This spacer also extends out under the bottom of the fuel reservoir on the carburetor. I don't believe this spacer has ever prevented vapor lock, but it may help in keeping the fuel temperature in the carburetor somewhat lower as I'm driving.
I also have a '47-'48 mechanical glass bowl fuel pump that sits very low on the fuel pump stand. The bottom of the glass bowl is close to the intake deck and cast iron head, and I can sometimes see bubbling in the bowl when I'm driving on a hot day with ambient temperatures between 90-100°. During these conditions, if I am stopped at a traffic light, or pull into a gas station and shut the engine down, this will result in a vapor lock situation for sure. During these times, if I place a rag that's been soaked in ice water on top of the fuel pump, and on gas lines leading into and out of the fuel pump, for a few minutes, it will temporarily cure the vapor lock issue, only to return again when things heat up, or when the car stops moving. I have some ideas on how to reduce the likelihood of having vapor lock, or maybe totally eliminate it on my car. Just need to make this more of a priority to work on making it happen
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Old 01-20-2018, 02:30 PM   #26
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Default Re: Vapor Lock Thick Carb/Manifold Gasket?

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Before I got an Optima battery, I'd always open the hood on my '51 on a hot day when I parked it. I never had a problem starting it unless I forgot to open it. I eventually licked the problem entirely with the aforementioned Optima and making sure that there were NO leaks anywhere before the carb. I finally solved my problem by wet sanding the top of the glass bowl on my surface plate and replacing the neoprene bowl gasket with a cork one. Why it makes a difference, I don't know but it does. I would instinctively think that the neoprene one would be better, but that's not what I experienced.
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