Having what seems to be a vacuum issue in my 55' ford.. Will not hold idle after it's warmed up and then won't restart... it will cruise perfectly once you get rolling but will die the second you let off throttle and take it out of gear.. I had it idling perfect and running great for about 60 miles yesterday. Parked, then came back out an hour later and ran great for another 20 miles and then once I got off the highway, she died and wouldn't start back up again.. any thoughts?
We really need more info to be able to help. Stock motor? 6 or 8? What kind of ignition system? Is it kicking like its trying to fire or just spinning with no kick? Do you have spark at the plugs? Do you run a fuel filter? How old is the gas tank, line, carburetor? If its vacuum there cant be many lines on that motor. Should be easy and quick enough to just run new ones and eliminate that problem. If its an intake gasket leak and you can get it to run you should be able to spray starting fluid around the carb, intake mounting surfaces and vacuum lines and see if the idle smooths out. If it does then there is where the leak is.
Hi. A few possibilities I encountered back on my rides back in the 50's - Fuel filter or fuel pump. If you have a see thru filter check it. If you cannot visually see if it has trash one option is to remove fuel line from carb and stick into a container and have someone crank the engine to see if you have a healthy stream. On my 46 Chevy Coupe I replaced the fuel pump when I rebuilt the engine and it lasted about 1,000 miles and that cheap made Chinese import pump wore the arm down that rides on the cam and it was not actuating. If you do not have a good stream at the carb pull pump and check actuator arm. Vapor lock was very common on cars of that vintage. Usually caused by too much heat on the fuel line going to carb. Try insulating that line between pump and carb. If your engine has a rubber fuel line either from the tank to metal line OR just ahead of fuel pump the old line may be going dead on the inside and ****ing shut. If this happens after the engine sits for a while the suction will seep off and line will go back open. To fix you must install new flex lines. good luck, Jimmie
You may have to fix 50 things to fix that 1 thing that's causing the problem. I'm not talking about mindlessly changing parts but instead, chasing the problem. Truthfully the "50" things or adjustments need attention anyway. Remember... Fuel Fire Time Fuel... Start with the gas tank and work towards the engine. If the tank is bad with rust or tarry rotten gasoline,it must be replaced. Anything done to fix the car is for naught if the tank is bad. Inspect or replace the fuel lines, fuel pump and make sure the carburetor is in good condition. Check the mounting services. If you rebuild the carburetor keep in mind sometimes it takes a couple of try's to get it right. When checking the fuel lines, make sure they are mounted right. Fire... Points, plugs, cap, rotor, coil and wires. Basically a tune up. Make sure all this is in spec. Check all connections including the solenoid, starter coil and switch. Make sure the engine is properly grounded with the correct style cables. Look over all connections. Time... Make sure the engine is in time. Check the compression. Make sure the valves are properly adjusted. A compression check will tell you a lot. If it is is out of time, restore it spec. In 1955 I do believe Ford V8s still used the Loadamatic spark advance. 6cylinders used it until the late 60s. The LOM system requires the carburetor and distributor to be a matched pair. If not, the advance will not work properly at high RPM.....causing all kinds of problems. Vapor Lock is a phantom that has been around since these cars were new. Honestly I think Vapor Lock a lot of the time, is problem hidden somewhere in....Fuel, Fire, Time. If it's hard to find or not found.......it's blamed on Vapor Lock.
So I found this manifold port has a broken plug in it. I have yet to replace it because I have to be at work here pretty soon. I can only plug it so much to trouble shoot it, because if the location. I'm going to pull the manifold this weeks and swap a new aluminum manifold I have for it. Hopefully that's the biggest issue. I will re-plum all of the fuel lines as well. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That sounds and looks like a choke heater tube for the carb. Many of the older ones came off the exhaust manifold to the choke housing but I think I read that this year Fords had it from the intake manifold? Either way it should be sealed off.
I checked all vacuum fittings and all seemed okay. Last to check was intake gaskets. I have everything pulled off and will be going back together tomorrow morning when I'm off work. Going to also try a different carb I have laying around. Will post the update tomorrow or the next day. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I always like to grab the front pulley (Harmonic Balancer) and move it back and forth to check how much slack the timing chain has. A loose timing chain will retard the cam and you can never get a proper tune up.
if that choke tube is not hooked up, what is opening the choke? or is it not opening? the choke heat port looks "sooty" which means it was ****ing exhaust. don't just start changing things, find out why first.
Choke is non operational at the moment. Have it fully opened all the time. (I'm in sunny CA) has a new edelbrock on it. I have traced every possible vacuum source and the only hint of questioning was the carb spaced and intake gaskets. Gaskets were supposed to be in stock today but never got delivered. Should all be ****oned up tomorrow morning. I'm the last one to start throwing parts at something, I like knowing the exact culprit. But at the same time I like knowing how everything is put together on my motors, so now I'll have the peace of mind that decent gaskets and clean intake are being utilized. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If it's and Edelbrock it uses a separate hole under the Primary Throttle Plates to drip Fuel into the Intake for the Idle circuit. If it will not Idle this Circuit has trash in it. If you screw your mixture screws all the way out then it should drip fuel like pooring out of Coke Bottle. Remember on an EdelBrock the Mix screws are Vents, they adjust the amount of Air moving to the Fuel P***ages to allow it to Flow. Love Edelbrocks But never ever supply more than 6 or 7 p.s.I. of Fuel or Dirty Fuel. 2 of the #1 no no's when Dealing with Them.
Had a 57 Y block that in hot weather ,would not idle for ****. Fuel was boiling in the carb. Built a spacer from marine plywood. Cured the problem.
It will idle. But it's idling like **** and needs way to much idle screw to hold a low idle. It's all going back together tomorrow. Speed shop lost my gaskets in the mail [emoji31] Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I had to take my Carb. Down and put a Gasket Set in it for Ethanol. If it sets for any length of time that **** is hell on Gaskets and Seals.
Intake gaskets done, new vacuum lines plumbed, (lol the one that there is) new carb/carb spacer gaskets, new fuel filter, different 4bbl intake, new coil for a peace of mind, runs a lot better, BUT still has erratic idle and no idle mixture adjustment function. Going to go pick my vacuum gauge up from work that I keep forgetting in my box. Damn! Lol
Do you have the original distributor ? Do you have a dwell meter ? Are the points moving around ? Check your vacuum advance. Fords are famous for the bushings going bad and the dwell changing when it is running.
I need a little more info. A stock 55 even with a 4 barrel could not run an Edelbrock carb without an adapter. If you have a 57 312 intake you can...Adapters are funny and you need to seal them well both sides. If your right side exhaust ****erfly is not freely moving all the exhaust goes threw the intake under the carb causing a lot of heat. If you don't have one it's ok but most y block guys use the truck manifold gaskets which restricts the exhaust flow under the carb. Buy you photo there is nothing for the fast idle to rest on. Confusing? . Also idling when cold and not warm makes no sense without a choke which you say you don't have currently. I've never seen a vacuum leak get worse with heat but I guess it could....more info please...thanks.
Damn, I just saw this! You guessed it man... bad vacuum advance in the disi.. replaced it with the new disi and electronic ignition from my 56' project. She's running like a top now. Have put over 350 miles on her in 2 days. My Holley comes today, so hopefully she'll be running just as she should here shortly. Thanks for all your help everyone. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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