Customs >>>So Long Hussy.....My New '52 Mercury!!!<<<

very likely could be water in the fuel.

 

Good luck JJ! Holler if you need some help. If you can get a carb kit quick and easy like at Advance or NAPA, I'd rebuild the carb. What could it hurt? It'd only take a couple of hours. I know less than nothing about flatheads (except the sound is a ruler!) so I can't really help you there. Check the points gap? Plug wires good? Rotor and cap? Etc.

Sounds an awful lot like what mine was doing. As you probably know, replacing all the ignition stuff did better and rebuilding the carb finally fixed it. Good luck and holler if you need anything.

 

JJ this might be a little outside of the square,but the aussie holden Fj grille would look sweet in that openining...The only other car that has used one was a 49 to 52 chev,cant remember but it might of been a fleetline...The car was featured in custom rodder in the late ninties i think...

 

Definitely a interesting grille. I like the ribs in the center but I am not sure I would find one in decent shape if I did choose to run one.

For right now, I think the car will stay as is until I can definitively figure out what I want. The Sombrero's up front have really changed the car's looks and now it's looking great I think. But that still does not do anything for the fuel issue I am having right now so I have to focus on that first and foremost.

I had no time to work on it last night but I am all over it today after I get a few things arounf the house finished up. I picked up some fuel line and some NGK plugs because I could not find Champion H10's anywhere.

I am going to blow out the fuel line, take the regulator off, gap and replace the plugs, and rebuild the carb. I should know something by tomorrow night!

 

I'd change plugs, and then drive it. If it still drives crappy I'd start looking into other stuff. How about the coil, does a car like that have one?

 

Frank Livingston's by OZ Kustoms

 

I was thinking the coil today because when it failed on the side of the road the coil was pretty hot. Not scalding but hot enough for me not to grab it.

My gut is telling me it's in the fuel system only because it stuttered for just a second right after filling up at the gas station last wednesday. The pump at the station was going really really slow which makes me think I was getting the bottom of the barrel and stirring up all the shit. Then I think it lodged in the carb....but this is all speculation.

 

That looks really cool rikster!

 

it definately sounds like a fuel issue. especially since, like you said, it happened right after filling her belly with "fresh" fuel.

 

I like.
You might be lame, but at least you have a fine automobile.
wil
www.ridefree.com
www.sakowskimotors.com

 

I am lame, what can I say?

 

I just reread your post, and the Last time I had to hold the idle up that high in a carbed car the mechanical fuel pump had be to replaced. I would definitely verify base fuel pressure before I did anything else. I can't remember the last time I changed a coil (the 90's) but I think when the coil was bad the car would crank but not catch?

Oh and I had a car with a rusty gas tank once, only would act up after I drove 1-3 miles... would sputter, and then die cuz the rust would clog the fuel line. car would sit, rust would be down in the bottom of the tank, and would start up again.

 

Yeah that all sounds familiar John. The fuel pump is a 4cly electric fuel pump and is new so That might be the case but I am not sure. It's getting fuel to the carb jut fine. In fact I took the line off and bumped the key to see how it was pumping and it was definitely supplying a steady stream of fuel.

I bet something is lodged in the carb that came from the gas station. It's just to suspicious that this thing was driving like a dream and the moment I go and get gas it sputters a bit. Then on friday it just became worse and worse. Damn, I'll keep you updated.

 

If there was someone on here,i knew it would be Rikster that would have a pic...
Thanks Ric.

 

Just seeing this thread for the first time. Good looking Merc, Jeffrey! I love the chop!

 

Thanks man....Trade ya!! I have a soft spot for unchopped hard tops hahahaha. Love your car as well!

 

Any updates on how she's running?

 

Replaced plug last night at around 10:30pm as well as scrapping the fuel pressure regulator until I can get the Holley one I order in. All the plugs were fouled up and looked like flat black paint was sprayed on 6 out 8 of them. So running rich to say the least. I might see if I can limp it to the shop tonight and rebuild the carb since I have the kit. I really wish I had more time to read up on the different jets and power valves to see if I can correct how lean/rich it runs from the carb.

 

what was the regulator set to? was there a gauge? just a little to much pressure and it'll push right past the needle and seat.

Oh and I failed in my Austin quest, so I may see you guys Saturday, but chances are not in the Buick, she needs some transmission attention.

 

The wife is on call tonight, but if she does not have to work, I'll be at the shop with a fuel pressure gauge. I feel sure we can figure it out.

 

So sad......but so RAD!!! I am excited you are going to be there. What would Auto Fair be with out the two most cynical people I know!!! ZMAN & Krusty40!!!!!

Now you have to come to our party this year....no excuses!!!


I had one of those cheap Mr.Gasket regulators from Auto Zone on there and it was set to 5.5 and hardly flowing at all after a few minutes of running. Junk as everyone stated! The new Holley I ordered has a rating of 1-4 lbs so I think that might be the ticket. 3 lbs should be fine right?

 

2 lbs should be fine. +1 on those chinsy dial regulators man, I bet it was not working correctly and your needle and seat was out of the equation completely. I currently have one on my flatty that's set @ 2lbs and I can watch the gauge wander between 1.5 and 3.5 lbs while it's running. Matt had one on his T that was sucking goat balls too. I have an old Holley reg that I'm going to install on mine as soon as the new diaphragm kit arrives.

 

What we need are the Old EDMUNDS regulators that Vintage Speed is supposed to be repopping soon. Those little bastards are cool.

Just to clarify that the crappy auto zone regulator was only on for a day and I installed it after the car was giving me problems. So that particular on is not the issue but not having one at all might be.

 

lol, I feel the love...

yeah 2-2.5, should do it...

 

Wow! Jeffery that is a really nice car. I really loke it alot. The chop is super nice and what you want to do with it only will improve it more. It reall yis a nice looking car!

 

Ha!!! Thanks so much Jarzenhotrods!!!! Cars like yours are where I am drawing inspiration from. I drooled over it at gnrs. Thanks again.

 

Thanks for the compliment.

 

So let me see where I'm at with the Merc right now. I rebuilt the CARB and it's running pretty good. I still need to put the fuel pressure regulator on because I believe that it's still running rich.

The carb only has one leak coming from the two flat screws in front where you access the jets from. I have tried regasketing again but that did not work so now I might try to take some screws off another 94 and see if that works.

I still need to finish the sheet metal around the shifter and bend a new arm up so I am not leaning over like a gangster. That should not be that big of a deal but I do not know if I should wait until I drop the tranny to try a sleeve for the throwout bearing. It tends to wine a bit when the clutch is in.

I finally made the room in my garage for it to rest at night and that thing is huge!!! I basically have to rub up against the back shelves so I can clear the garage door. That's probably why I tried trading it for a '32 Sedan late last night......phhhheeeeww!!! I am glad the guy did not want my car because I have plans for this big girl.

Jarzonhotrods sent me some teeth which I am going to put to good use once I figure out all the kinks in this car. One kink being the Hood braces and arms. The hood opens up all weird do to the arms being bent of the years. This has become a huge pain in the ass since it fucks with how well the latch will release. I swear I have put in almost two hours trying to get the hood open twice last week. Frustrating!!! That's more of a winter project though because to replace them with the ones I pulled a month or so ago would require the fender to com off etc. For right now I have it adjusted so that I can open and close the hood fine but it looks a little off.

ANother huge issue that I am going to deal with this week is wheel covers. I keep fucking losing them!!!!! I sold the Repro Sombreros to ProStockJohn because I found a set of Premier caps that might look pretty good. And if they don't well then that's ok because I have original Cadillac Sombreros that I can weld trim rings to the silicone those things on there so I don't lose them. I am starting to understand why a bunch of guys run Spider Caps!!!!

Anyways, I would like to get the car out this weekend and put some miles on it. I was out last night in it and it was just puurrrring along which made me happy. I just hope it lasts for a while.

Any tips for getting them to run a bit leaner?
How about Sombreros or Premiers?

 

Are the surfaces flat where the plugs seat? Might want to just take a little 320 on a flat surface and take them down just a tad to be sure. Also, is it possible that the threads are a little screweded up on the body and you can't get the plug to "sit tight"? What type of flat seal did it provide for that position on the body? Sometimes those kits come with two similar sized seals make out of different materials. One will work and one is sketchy. Maybe you got them mixed up.

I don't understand why they charged you that much for that kit. Glad the rebuild was an improvement though!

 

Aha!!! Yesterday I went to carpenter's and bought some gaskets for my banjo rear and was looking through their catalog. I found that they over charged me $30 on the 94 rebuild. The book said $30 and they charged me $60 like I said so they gave me a credit which I quickly used up by buying shackles for that rear end too! So I don't feel so bad for it leaking at $30 as I did at $60 hahaha!!!

As for the plugs they did not leak before so I am not sure what I am doing wrong. My only two options are to see if other plugs will do the trick and change the gasket out. See what I did was put the first set of gaskets in and then they leaked. So I then took another set of similar size and doubled up. I never went back and just tried the thinner ones. That might be the fix but I feel like something is fucked up with one of the plugs.