Projects HELP! In Wyoming and still HAVING FUEL DELIVERY PROBLEMS! I need some more BRAINS!

Curious what Octane gas you are using. Years ago my 53 Merc (original flathead) seemed to be vapor locking on a 90+ degree day. This was on I80 going east. Every 75-100 miles the engine would start to die and start to overheat. I would let it cool down, put water in it, and get the gas back up to the carb. I would get it started and be able to drive ok for awhile. Well this vapor locking happened till the temperature outside went down. The next morning the same thing. Got it to Burlington Colorado and it dies. Got it to the station and let it cool down for 15 minutes and put more gas in the tank. The Octane was 87 and from there on, no vapor lock. (The Octane in Wyoming is 85)

I would take the advice and trying running the gas cap cracked open a bit. And try using higher octane fuel.

 

i think you cured the original vapor lock with the fan shroud and fuel line shield, but added the RESTRICTION of an inline fuel pump [some of which don't flow through well when off]
white smoke needs attention.

 

It sounds like the float level is low, and the electric pump is forcing the fuel past the needle valve masking the problem.

 

what about the fuel pickup in the tank? Are you certain it is not restricted, or partially plugged.

I have seen them so clogged with rust it is a miracle the car will even run.

 

Been thinking (ouch), the mechanical fuel pump was faulty and not pumping enough fuel for the load of up hill. The electric pump gave enough but inturn over supplied the 1st pump and then on the carb. , kind of like turbo into a super charger. and now you have fitted another mechanical pump it will pump even more with both on,but with the electric one off it will not let much fuel past it as it has valves etc. When you drained the oil did it have a gas smell? JW

 

Shouldnt be, the tank is new.

 

Gas smell...yes.

Maybe I will find the fittings and hose to make a bypass for the electric pump. It shouldn't be restricting because it's not the straight through screw type, but it's definitely worth trying to bypass.

 

This is really making the most sense to methe more I dig around, but sometimes this***** doesnt make sense.

 

With a new tank, whoever installed it probably changed the filter on the pickup. If the filter is one of the round plastic types it can be pushed on too far and it bottoms out on the pickup tube so you will get a restricted flow of fuel. For some reason it is worse on going up a grade. I had this happen to me on a Corvette.

The white smoke problem could be a leaking diaphragm on the vacuum modulator on the automatic transmission. That will***** some transmission fluid into the intake. Check the fluid level in the transmission.

 

plug looks lean.the fuel tank does not pressurize it develops a vacuum due to the fuel pump*****ing fuel out and not enough air going back in.either a vacuum leak or,restricted flow or maybe a problem with the fuel pump drive cam on your new engine

 

I think I'm good on vacuum leaks, but not a bad idea to check.

The cam drive did come up in conversation today.

 

Glad you replaced all the rubber hoses , my thought was one was collapsed. The other thought , do they have alcohol mixed gas? That can be an issue . When you get near Ankeny if you need a place to work on it let me know.

 

The pump yesterday said up to 10%! Thanks!

 

White is usually from a leaking master cylinder into a brake booster but i would check all options. to check the tank pickup, us the electric fuel pump and see what it pumps in a minute,with cap on and off. JW

 

Those identical symptoms happened to me a few years back. Turned out to be a semi-blocked fuel filter....it looked okay but I changed it out and it fixed the problem straight away...if it's not that, I'm with Dynahoe...it's some other partial restriction in the line or the fuel pump drive eccentric. Your electric fuel pump is likely blowing over the needle/float and over fuelling the engine...it's going from rich to lean as you switch the pump on and off causing the plugs look half-way lean to me. JM2CW!

 

Check the rubber hose again. I resently replaced some hose with what I had on the shelf, had a problem within two weeks. the hose was gooey inside and collapsing only onthe inside. This new fuel is hard on old cars! The bits of hose also stuck in the needle and seat of afresh rebuilt carb. The hose was on the inline filter just before the carb. Replaced the filter with a Ford type that screws directly to the carb. Gates has a hose called Barricade. Says on the hose it is compatable with new fuel. Could be on to something with the bypass.

 

Giving the carb the right pressure is the most important thing.
You can't begin to trouble shoot or tune a fuel system If you don't know what pressure you are "supposed" to have or what pressure you are actually delivering to the carb.

An educated guess can't be made on why its acting up.

With your new mechanical pump, I'd drop the electric out of the line, get a gauge on there that you can see while driving and you'll be able to get a handle on what's happening.

Symptoms like yours could be caused by a needle and seat with too small of an opening, supplied in a rebuild kit. Like when the tune is perfect, drives fine until you start emptying the fuel bowl faster than its filling - the dropping float level makes you go lean. (increase in fuel pressure while under load will mask the problem )

^^^***** like that will drive you nuts^^^

 

good stuff!

 

How 'bout:
Did you clean out that new fuel tank real thoroughly before you installed it?

A little manufacturing crud in there would slosh around and slowly get*****ed toward the fuel pickup till it congregates there and cuts off (or cuts down) the flow of gas. Then you then stop (or head downhill) and after a little while the crud disperses a bit and the problem goes away till next time.

 

i had a restricted flow on 53 chev fuel tank drove to Fl and made 125 miles and stalled, kept it full of fuel every 100 miles
when i got home check flow which is at bottom of tank, poor flow ,
stuck blow gun in outlet bung and blew backwards, with cap off and it had been running good ever seince

a seiance or prayer chain could help also

 

On the way to Bonneville in 92 I had a similar problem with my 57 Ranchero. I had the same symptoms you are having. Drove me crazy for days until it finally quit. I put it up on 4 jackstands and followed the fuel line from one end to the other. When I checked the new hose at the tank it had crimped enuff to block the flow of fuel, but wasn't really noticeable. It wasn't thick enuff rubber and I never noticed when they sold it to me or when I installed it. Worth looking at. Pat

 

Not mamy stones left unturned now. JW

 

This is my opinion on the white smoke. Two weeks ago, I had the fuel/needle valve stick open on a 46 Buick that I was running on a gravity flow gas can. The engine would run great for a while and then start to fart out on me. After a few rounds of dealing with that I noticed that it was washing the piston rings dry with excess gas and the crank case had a lot of gas in it. The engine started to smoke a little white at first and then later became a mass of white smoke. I rebuilt the carb and set the float to stop the gas from dumping in the carb. When I changed the oil the smoke was gone. I'm fairly certain that your float is to low, the electric fuel pump is a restriction when off and when it is on you are flooding the cylinders, washing gas past the piston rings, and severely thinning your oil causing the smoke. Fix the float, get rid of the electric pump and change the oil--- and maybe the gas cap.

 

One other thing, how close is the electric fuel pump to heat? I had a similar situation with my old truck. The exhaust was blowing straight back on the fuel pump and it would vapor lock. Only on a hard pull. As soon as I started down hill (which I've been going down hill for a long time) or running on flat ground it would run fine. Just another thought.
Later,
Dick

 

Check the float level. X2

 

As stated before I believe your dealing with two separate issues,fuel delivery and carb/needle seat/float level. A quick way to diagnose
suspected vapor lock is to fill an old sock up with ice and wrap around
the fuel pump. A shoelace or zip tie will secure it and should get you
down the road a ways.

OR it could be I'd just like to see a pic of you loading a sock up at a roadside soda fountain. I'm kinda sic like that....

Either way we're pulling for ya.

 

If your tank has a place for it, a by pass fuel filter will stop most vapor lock. Does the trans have a vac modulator, that will give you white smoke?

 

The plugs being towards the lean side makes total sense if the thing is running out of fuel when your driving it so i wouldnt even get into worrying about them.

Ive heard many many stories of the leaf in the fuel tank, expecialy when you go into an incline something maybe floating back over the pick up tube, was there a tag or label that fell into the tank when being put in? pull the fuel line of and blow air pressure back wards, the problem with something floating over the pick up is it usually floats away when you shut the car off.

I wouldnt think the float level being a small amount off will cause the problems your having, another simple test for the pick up is to get a gas can and some fuel hose and run the fuel hose from the fuel pump into the gas can (basically a new fuel tank), eliminating the whole fuel system from behind the pump, it if doesnt fix the problem you know its fuel pump or carb, if it does that narrows your search to a fuel line or clogged pick up.

jeff

 

Ford didn't start using vacuum modulator on Cruise-o-matics till 1961, so if this t-bird is stock, the trans has linkage for TV, no modulator.

 

OK, so after more problems today I spent the last several hours bypassing the old hard fuel line. I ran a rubber one from back to front, eliminating the mechanical pump. We put a gauge on both filters, before and after the hard line and we came up with the hard line being nearly clogged. Blowing air and carb cleaner through the hard line produced some ugly brown rusty*****. No chunks, but it was dark brown.

Through the hard line the electric pump was pushing at only 3 lbs. With the rubber line it now pushes at 6lbs. The mechanical only puts out 3. That's why it got bypassed for now. I think the***** in the line ruined the new one, so I'll be searching for one to replace it ASAP. Probably Monday I guess.