Ford guys,,,I'm having a problem,,

I tried to drive my 64 Falcon to work yesterday since I haven't drove it in about a month.

The car cranked up an ran fine for about 3 miles and then started acting like it was outta gas,,,I coasted over to the side of the road,,,pumped the gas and it cranked up and ran,,,but when I gave it gas it quit again,,,,

This happened at least 6 times and when I got it cranked the last time I turned around and headed back home,,,,and it ran like a top even with the gas peddle on the floor,,,I don't get it.

The engine is a 260 V8 with a 2 barrel carb,,,,the fuel filter is new and the gas tank is clean,,,,BTW,,,this ain't the first time this has happened,,,after the initial problem the car runs great all day,,,,

Anybody have a clue or has this sorta thing happened to you,,,

The Falcon ain't a daily driver but it's almost like it's vapor locking,,BTW,,I haven't resorted to cloths pins yet! HRP

 

It may be the rubber fuel line between the frame and the pump. If it has a hole or crack in it, it can pump the carb full at idle or start and then draw air and lose suction.
It may also have an internal deterioration problem and be sucking shut or have a "flap" inside which blocks the flow.

 

First thought is if the fuel filter you're talking about is inline, check to see if there is a filter in the carb.

Second would be fuel pump

 

sounds like you have junk in the carb, dump a can of SEA FOAM in the tank and go around the block afew times, the stuff works great. Or you might have to put a carb kit in.

 

I'm guessing fuel filter as well...

 

a Falcon with a clean, non-rusted,non-leaky gas tank...you really are an individual.

carb kits can seem like black magic, they work better than voodoo!

a small amount of moisture will really screw with you, but I'd guess engine bay, not tank....or it wouldnt recover like that.

ofcourse, with those shitty Falcon voltage regulators struggling to recharge the tired battery, it could be a spark problem until the battery starts to recover enough to stop leaching your electrical power......you have put in a nice new ($10 wrecking yard) alternator........HAVENT YOU??????

 

Take a small hammer and hit the carb gently. The float is stuck.

 

Either a fuel filter or a stuck float

 

i would look at the tank pickup sock, the screen can be really loaded with crap after 40 yrs, and runs long enough to clog completely

when it dies the suction is gone and stuff can fall off the pickup sock, just another thing to look at,

 

Just to make it more complicated,I had the same problem and it turned out to be old gas in the carburettor float bowl,it kind of turns to sludge.

 

I've had similar problems - some were even on Fords.

Gunk in carb
Gunk in fuel filter
Gunk floating around in tank - would randomly clog opening - usually would allow enough to flow so it would idle well but as I ran down the road it couldn't keep up and it'd cough, sputter and stall. Pump th egas it'd fire right up and idle like a million bucks.

 

The fellow above who spoke about the rubber hose causing problems hit the nail on the head. Another possibility is the fuel line itself. Look very carfully at the entire fuel line. Any damp spot is a leak. It will pull air instead of fuel, because it is easier. A quick repair is to clean it well, wrap wire around it, add flux and solder it.

 

HUH?

 

These replys give me a few things to check out and a few make we want to say what are you talking about?

The car still has a generator and it works fine,,,the rubber hose is something I will look at,,,,

I changed the carb filter and the filter that is inline next to the gas tank,,,the carb was rebuilt but that was a few years ago,,,,

Again,,the tank is clean,,,HRP

 

I had the same problem with the '64 I used to have. Thought it was the carb. or fuel system but ended up being a bad coil.

 

I had similar problems with my '63 Valiant. I tried all the fuel fixes (filter, ait cleaner, hoses, etc.) It turned out that the problem was a faulty electronic ignition "box". It would heat up and cause the car to stall.

- Joe

 

Check the vacuum advance on the dizzy. My Falcon 6 cyl acted like fuel system (I even changed filters, rubber lines etc), but in fact the dizzy was stuck full advance. No power and missed on acceleration but ran good at 60 mph. Cleaned and oiled the advance runs great.

 

i would not over look the tank pickup


just becaue the tank is "clean" dont mean after 43 years the thing hasn't sucked alot of material and clogged it up, some can even fracture and fold over, closing off any fuel pickup,,car dies, no pumping, the pickup opens, starts all over again..closed up original line in the tank also, kind of like arteries clogged with fat

scale corrision and little bits of rust can work together clogging the line

 

If it's a car, not a wagon or Ranchero, it has a vent tube coming out of the top of the tank, going up into the right 1/4 panel, and then down through the corner of the trunk floor. Mud dauber wasps really like clogging that vent tube, which can cause the problem you speak of. So in addition to the other points made here, check to see that the vent tube is clear.

-KK

 

easy check for clogged vent tube, remove gas cap?

 

Somewhere in here someone said most of my fuel problems have been ignition. Sounds like fuel, but did it surge any, as I had something like that and it turned out to be a timing chain. Good Luck, Mike

 

I would eliminate the possibilities one system at a time... Since you said it sounds like a vapor lock, I would start with the fuel system... First, rebuild your or swap your carb... It's the key known good for the fuel system... If no change after that, get an electric fuel pump and go from a gas can to the electric pump to the carb without using the cars fuel line (use a new in line fuel filter)... If it resolves the issue, you know its your fuel system...
If it doesn't, put the fuel system back together and move on to the electrical system... Swap out your electronic control box, if no change check coil and coil wire, if no change check your distributor cap and plug wires... (If its not electronic ignition, check your condenser and points)
Next to check would be airflow, in and out of the engine... pull the air filter, if no change crack the exhaust loose...
The key is to eliminate the possible... To quote Sherlock Holmes/Arthur Conan Doyle "When you eliminate the possible, whatever remains, however unlikely, must be the truth." This is the basis of all diagnosis...

Drag

 

I have had the same problem with My 81 Ford Pick-up...it has a straight 6 in it as well...it has ALWAYS been a fuel issue,,,,first time I had a Girl Friend switch to teh back tank and it sucked nastyness and clogged the fuel filter,,,,second tine it was a fuel line that had a crack in it and was sucking air....

I would change all the soft fuel line and install new fuel filter....I use both and inline and one at the carb.

Good Luck mang!

 

My dad runs a '78 Chevy, Rootbeer Brown, "Love Van", bubble windows, chain steering wheel and all; and had experienced a lot of coughing and hard starting just as you described. As he only drives it occasionaly, he guessed the Arizona suns evaporates the fuel even though it's covered. He installed an electric fuel pump to prime the carb prior to starting. Worked great and never a problem since.

Post what you find.

 

Real off the wall possibility: I had a car that would do what you are describing. But it was ice in the carb venturi, only happened on really humid cool mornings, not real cold but 35-50 degrees. As soon as it died, the engine heat would melt the ice and it would fire back up. Once it was warm enough under the hood to preheat the air going into the carb, all was well again. I hooked up the preheat hose to the exhaust manifold and the vacuum control and it was fine.

I found it by driving with the air cleaner off and looked into the carb when it died, was really supprised to see the venturi plugged with ice!

 

Could be choke ...is it autochoke or manual choke?

 

Fuel Pump?

 

Is the Key hot when you try to restart it? an ignition switch that is starting to fail will do that. when you start to diagnose the problem start with the simple cheep things first.
Pogo

 

Well after a month of hit and miss,,,changed lines ,hoses,carb filter and inline filter at the tank,,,,and vating the tank again,,,,all clean,,no crud no where,,,

Rebuilt the carb and it runs better than it has in years,,,dunno what was wrong but whatever it was is fixed now.

Thanks for all the tips,,HRP

 

Yet anouther thought, it may be vaper lock. Does your fuel line come close to a heat sourse. Check the fuel line is it close to the muffler or manafold.