Econoline wont start when hot. Any ideas??

Hey guys i got a 63 econoline van with a 289 in it. Just put on a new/rebuilt autolite 2100 carb. Van runs awesome but it wont start once its warmed up. It acts like its flooded. Have to hold it to the floor to get it to start. The hotter out it is the worse it is.

I have a felpro insulating gasket on and i have run the fuel line up and away from any heat sources.

Any Ideas????

Thanks
matt

 

Sounds like vapor lock. I chased that for months last year - fuel boiling in the carb, flooded symptoms etc.
Did all the things you've done - rerouted and wrapped fuel lines, thicker gasket..also made sure the gas tank was vented to ensure there was no vacuum build up there. In the end, I put on a 1" phenolic spacer and all the hot start issues went away.
You need to either reduce the heat in the engine compartment, or insulate the fuel components from the heat sources.

 

Where can i get a phenolic spacer? I have a 1" aluminum spacer.

Thanks
matt

 

I had a '65 Mustang that would do the same thing....vapor lock for me too. I pushed mine of down a pretty long hill, dropping the clutch in third and it would eventually sputter to life. I would like to think it was the cooling air and continual draw of fuel that got it running.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=phenolic+spacer&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=10158427657162122632&sa=X&ei=bMxbTtvXBpGTtwfv8uyTDA&ved=0CFwQ8wIwAw#ps-sellers Just an example, I haven't used that particular one.

 

Sounds good. Van runs great and hauls ***, just wont start when hot.

Thanks
matt

 

You can get a cheapy spacer from most box automotive stores. Last one I bought was from autozone.

 

I picked up my phenolic spacer from Summit - it was about $19, I think.. You should be able to get one over the counter at a decent parts store. Just make sure you also pick up a set of longer carb studs - your stock ones will probably be too short.

 

Try an elec. fuel pump. I had a '63 Club Wagon with the 170 I6. Had same problem. I put the points eliminator and an elec fuel pump. No more problems!

 

Im bout to pull my hair out. Just installed my phenolic spacer and went for a drive. Not even that hot out prob mid 70's. Started up cold great, cruised around, ran awsome, tons of power, came home, went inside for a bit, come back out and will just barley start.

WTF??? I think it is still a heat issue. I basicly have a V8 motor inside a small box and nowhere for the heat to go. Any ideas???

Thanks
matt

 

it could be a timing issuse too. being too far advanced can do that.

 

I do have an HEI installed. Its getting spark, just flooded

 

That does sound like hot fuel, but of course it's been proven not to be now... Vacuum leak causing it to run too hot? Or maybe your carb float level is too high. I'm not familiar with the Autolite 2100 but I think it has a side mounted bowl. Could it be that when hot it doesn't have enough time to dissipate the extra fuel if the level is too high and drips into the intake?

I used to let old high-ish compression kicker Harleys sit for an hour or so with the exhaust valves open to start them if I flooded them back a few years. They would start terrible hot if flooded, but when cool, obviously there was no liquid fuel build up and they started fine. Same principle for V8/I6...

 

the thing that gets me..... is other than not wanting to start when warmed up,,,, The thing runs perfect.

 

Float set too high? If it is hot and you shut it off, will it start up right away, but not if you let it sit for 5 minutes? Having to hold it to the floor makes it sound like it is flooded. Keep us posted and good luck.

JW

 

What Johnny said makes sense, happened to me before.

 

yea will start up fairly soon after shut off. If it sits for 5-10 min or longer then wont want to start. Carb is so hot cant hard to touch it, even after the spacer is installed.

Thinkn about seting up an electric fan on the under side of the doghouse lid pointing down and putting it on a thermostat.

 

Check the float. Been there, done that. In an Econoline the carb is going to be hot no matter what. Check the float. Check the float.

 

new carb, everything to spec. float is great.

 

Mine was a vapour lock in fuel tank vent and then the same thing happened again. It was the coil this time, when it got hot it just shut down and wouldn't start until it cooled.

 

idk alot bout fords of this time era but... I know some of Vacuum advance and carb set. vacuum advance odda keep idle temps down, have the carb spit lean at idle, and set timing to exact mark with timing light. Idle Should have vacuum advance, advancing it so lean mixture burns like it odda.. Takes more to burn a lean mixture, so vacuum advance is crucial. And then have it spit rich when floored. Vacuum advance stops, and mechanical jumps into play up in RPMs. A float problem at idle aka Rich mixture will burn faster, and the advancing will pre-detonation. in this case you gots lots of heat and spark knock. P.S make sure you have vacuum. And also, make sure its vacuums from the manifold, and not the top of carb...

 

The first thing I thought is the coil. Swap it out with another one, they're cheap enough and always good to have a spare on hand. Do you know for a fact that it might be dumping fuel into the manifold, have you checked the plugs?
Another possibility is a dragging starter, hard to check without a load tester. I've been fooled by a couple of bum starters in the past.

Bob

 

Would it really be ignition issues if i can start it by holding the acc pedal to the floor??? i really think its carb issues.

Gotta remember my engine is in a compartment bout the size of your household oven. No where for the heat to go when shut off, but up.

 

Get the fan you mentioned or prop open the doghouse when you shut it off. I have also seen some guys build an air tunnel from the floor the the doghouse. Vexing **** like that just pisses you off. So close, but yet...

 

Yeh, I crack open the doghouse on mine when I park it on hot days. Trying that might eliminate one of the possibilities, on the cheap too.

 

Are you using the original dogbox, or a 65-67? If the original, then you have a really tight compartment.

Prop up the lid as suggested so some heat can escape and see if that helps. Insulate the fuel lines in the dogbox like I suggested in the PM. Those are both quick, easy, cheap things to try.

Are you SURE fuel is getting through the carb when it's hot? Did you check the float, or are you ***uming it's correct because it's new?

You keep say that there's nowhere for the heat to go. What can you do to fix that? Lots of guys run v8s in their Econos without the vapor lock you're describing.

This is what I did:
aluminum radiator + electric puller fan + thermostat control
ceramic coated headers
Extended the dog box sides over the headers for improved airflow
Left the air dam in place

It starts when hot, and the temps have not gone over about 190

 

The carb should never get to hot to touch. DOes that engine also have a egr system> if so it may be stuck open.

It could be ignition as well. The older (70's) econolines had early year durasparks, and when they got hot they acted the same way. A weak spark will portray a flooded engine. The question is, when you drive the vehicle and then shut it off, take off the air cleaner and see if white smoke is coming out, a little means your needle a seat arent stopping the fuel.

an old trick with the early durasparks is. Have cold water by you, when you drive the vehicle, and shut it off, and it wont restart, pour cold water on the duraspark box, then it should start. If it does, replace the box......sounds goofy but I have witnessed this first hand on a trip out west. It does work if the box is bad.


289's historically ran cool. Why is yours runnin hot, thats a whole nother question.

 

Im running a chevy style HEI.

 

Heat soaked coil would be the next thing I'd check.

 

would a heat soaked coil start when i hold the pedal to the floor and act like its flooded????

 

Me too. Is it a Proform one? The only problem I had with mine and heat was the cheap Chinese junk in the Proform dizzy got hot and fried. I had to replace the coil and module with good parts and haven't had a problem since. It just died on me and wouldn't restart until it cooled down. Yours restarts, so it may not be the problem, but it is one more thing to check.