So far I have replaced the gas tank, the fuel pump, and the lines in the engine compartment. Sometimes it runs great and then it starts running real rough, and eventually stalls out. It's still 6 volt. I have tried a different coil, had a mechanic go through the carb, and still nothing! Any suggestions???
The mechanic also looked at the points, plugs, wires...he said they were good. Only had a question about the condensor...no way to check those...any chance that could be it???
****gy, you answered your own question. $3.47 at NAPA will get you one. Mine **** out on my 54 Chev 210 with 235 about two months ago. New tank, new lines, Holley weber two barrel, new plugs, wires, you get the picture. Would run okay under light throttle, any hard gas and stalled out. Popped in the condeser and PRESTO! Only reason I did it, was my buddy had one **** out when we were on our way to the HCPU in October with identical symptoms. He had a brand new Mallory dual point! Condensor took a ****, go figure. Good luck buddy! Cheap part if we're wrong, too.
Generally speaking, a "major tune-up" is new points, condenser, spark plugs, and wires, rotor, and cap; with a vacuum reading and idle mixture adjustment to get the highest vacuum reading. A "minor" is looking, adjusting the point dwell, clean the spark plugs, etc. I am a Mechanic, with a capital M, and I don't know any way to look at ignition wires and tell if they are 'okay'. Generally speaking wires break down with age. If they are the carbon impregnated filiment type, they are certain to fail eventually, internally. The ones with metal wire in them fail by the insulation breaking down and leaking to nearby metal structure. You say the problem is progressive, from 'runs great' (as you state), then rough and then stalls out, sounds like fuel. As it is running rough to stall, does the exhaust smoke?(rich unburned gas makes smoke). If so, it could be sticking choke or flooding from stuck/sinking float. It's difficult to trouble shoot it from here, but your mechanic should be able to tell in a quickie, whether, it's 1. Flooding 2. Starving. The advantage of doing a good tuneup, NEW coil wire and spark plug wires, NEW points and condenser, with the point dwell set with a dwell-meter, spark plugs, etc. narrows the field when, if, it does the same thing over again. Then if that happens, (it starts to run rough), pull a spark plug wire and observe the spark. It should be BRIGHT BLUE/WHITE and jump a great distance, like hold the terminal about 1/2 inch from the motor block. It should jump that gap in a steady rythm, not intermittent. If it is red/orange, then the problem is with the coil(***uming you put in new points and condenser), or possibly a loose wire to the coil. If the spark remains BLUE/WHITE, and jumps a 1/2 inch gap whilst, to and including when it stalls, then you've eliminated ignition and it has to be fuel, eh? Then of course not to worry for about 10,000 miles or more, but then, you need another ignition tuneup. You can figure out the fuel problem pretty easy, STARVATION or FLOODING. Take off the air cleaner. When it starts running rough, with a turkey baster, dribble gas in the carburetor. Does it help, or does the motor stall more readily? If it helps, keeping the motor running more smoothly whilst dribbling, then the problem is fuel starvation. That could be a bad fuel pump or a restriction in the line. If it's a 1950s car a lot of them had a flexible line coming off the fuel pump to the steel line that went to the carburetor. If it's the original flex line, it has deteriorated inside by the unleaded gas that is now used, the rubber inside has swelled up and restricts the flow of the gas to the carburetor. If the motor stalls more quickly (while dribbling with the turkey baster), then it's the carburetor, probably the float is sinking, or the needle valve is sticking open, or the fuel pressure is too high.
The Jalopy Journal
