Need help on eletrical problem

I have converted my 53 chevy 210 sedan to a 12-volt system with the 235. I put platnium spark plugs in the car should I go back to the standard spark plugs? The car idles fine for ever, but when I take it out on th road it dies after a half mile. Does anyone know what the problem my be? I am taking the whole electrical system apart and thinking to go to an alternator eventhough the genterator is 12-volt. My question is why would my are idle fine for an hour, but as soon as I drive it it dies. I have to tlet the car set for an hour than it will start back up. I am so confused any ideas.

David Zigler

 

Fuel tank vent?

Craig

 

Do you own a multi-meter? Did you put a ballast resistor in?

Does the car run hotter now? Maybe it is vapor lock with the gas boiling in the carb. Put your hand on the carb when it dies. If your fingers melt you might need an insulator spacer between the carb and manifold.

Just guessing. With your discription it could be fuel or spark.

 

if your plugs are bosch platinum,**** can them, get some ngk plugs

 

Did you put a ballost resistor before the coil?
If you use to have 6 volts and now have 12 volts , your coil is heating up.

Duke

 

have you tried taking gascap off when this happens maybe it's not venting

 

In addition to checking it with the fuel cap off, make sure the entire fuel line is clear, the fuel filter isn't clogged, and no gunk or rust is blocking the pickup tube in the tank.

If it will sit and run for an hour, then go dead after you hit the road, then it sounds like a fuel starvation problem to me. I ran into a similar problem on a 56 F100 with some varnish in the bottom of the gas tank. Just enough fuel could get through the line to keep the engine running -- an hour or more, just like yours -- but as soon as I took off down the road, it'd go dead and take a while before it would start again (the time for the fuel to trickle back through the line).

 

Try and guess if you're "running out of gas" or "running out of spark".
Try disabling distributor advance, see if it keeps going but maybe doesn't get full power. Prove full function with timing light, that will elliminate spark problem, or spark being "the" problem now.

 

LISTEN to this man, he is very wise...

Cosmo

 

if your plugs are bosch platinum,**** can them, get some ngk plugs


Aw come on when was the last time you saw a car idel for an hour then just quit going down the road because the plugs were bad!
Miss maybe but just quit? I think not.. Something else is going wrong.
You got 2 choices spark and fuel and the many options in both systems to make em work right. If you want real help hold the puter up closer to the car so we can see and hear it better or make sure you have the proper equipment and start trouble shooting. Oh ya a motors manual is a good refrence tool also.
Dave

 

Amen. I'd be VERY surprised if it's anything but a fuel starvation issue. In a situation like this, you're getting a trickle of fuel to the carb - enough to idle all day long, but not enough to drive very far. When you start driving, and the engine's under a load, it doesn't take long to **** the fuel bowls dry and there you sit.

 

should I drop the gas tank?
David

 

I'd do the suggested stuff first. You can't troubleshoot with a dropped gas tank???

 

pull a check on your pump you should have 5 to 8 psi than unhook the line & put it in a bottle or a can start moter up it should pump out around i pint in about 5- 6 sec if not start looking at the pump or lings
even your filter. Good luck i also agree with the ballost resistor.

 

not to offend, but after being in the repair business for a while, i've learned to "keep it simple" this is a cheap repair,if it is the problem.There are many different possibilities,the deeper you get into them usually the further you get from the problem.It was just a suggestion,due to the fact that bosch platinum plugs are junk, and I didn't say this was the cure.

 

Dave,
All are excellent suggestions. However, if the problem remains, check your exhaust. While the vehicle is ideling there is little strain on intake or exhauts requirements. Under a load, these common engine circuits must function properly.
If you are using a stock (replacement) muffler, take it out of the circuit and check for flow. Not un-common for stock muffler baffles to expand with heat and block flow.
Just a thought...

 

Why do you think Bosch plugs are junk? ....just curious

 

With a suggestion like that i wonder how you ever survived in the repair business.? You should know better than that . Ive seen them plugs still working and totally shot when pulled and i dont care for em either but to suggest thats whats making the car quit seems like bull **** to me. Hopefully he will properly trouble shoot the problem and find it. There are a lot of good ideas here on this thread. A little time spent for trouble shooting and learning is gonna do nothing but make him smarter.
Dave
ps: im not trying to piss you off so dont even go there. Id like to see the guy heading in the right direction....

 

Did you change the coil and the condensor? Both get hot and fail, put some 12 volt stuff in there with the above noted ballast resistor.

 

You will spend an *** load of money just guessing and replacing parts hoping that you hit the problem. The first thing to do is to narrow down your search. Is it a fuel problem or is it an ignition problem? You'll have to do some tests to figure that out.

Did it start back up after it sat for a while?(cooled down)

Does it start and idle now? I'm guessing it does. I'd get a spray can of starting fluid, Gum Cutter or carb cleaner. Take it for a ride without the aircleaner. When it starts to die, pull over, spray some Gum Cutter in the carb and try it. If it fires up and dies...you've got a fuel delivery problem. Now you have to find out what is stopping the fuel from getting to the carb. Usually a car running out of gas will give you a second or 2 of warning...sputtering etc.

If you are riding along and all of a sudden the engine quits instantaneously, (like you turned off the key) then I'd suspect an ignition problem. If it starts back up after it cools down I'd suspect an ignition problem.

Knowing what area to look at will save you lots of time and cash.

Take it for a ride and pay attention to how it dies. This will give you clues as to what is wrong. Armed with those clues the guys here can be more helpful. They will probably give you more tests to further localize the problem but at least you won't be chasing a wild goose. Trouble shooting is a lost art today. We all know all you have to do today with a modern car is plug it into a machine and it will tell you everything that is wrong. Yeah right!

 

That or clogged fuel filter. The pump pulls for a bit, then can't overcome the vacuum created by clogged filter or tank vent. Does it require a vented gas cap (no tank vent)? Anyway, you need to see if it's fuel or spark when it dies before you start looking in the wrong area. I've also seen points with a gap so tight that the heat would expand the metal enough to close that little gap, and no spark. The car ran good otherwise with no "smoking gun" as to the improper point gap. BUT, is it spark or fuel? A motor needs 3 basics to run-spark, fuel, compression. It's doubtful your compression's going away in a half mile

 

merge these two
start with the obvious and simple problems. then spend money.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157041

 

I agree you'll be a troubleshooter when you're done. I have to resort to tricks to solve intermittant problems ie it's ok now now later again now.
No reason to believe there aren't several things wrong with a '53. I guess if it's easy to do bring a plug wrench and maybe rig a temp. clear fuel filter after the pump before the carb.
If the oil doesn't smell like gas it's probably a fuel delivery not a fuel control problem.
A way to isolate trouble is run it around with clear filter and plug tool. When it dies do you have bright obvious spark on the plug, and is the fuel filter empty, is first one then the other happening? You can remove the test stuff once it's all solved.

 

I doesn't start at all now I burned out my starter solinode. It was a 6 volt. So I need to buy a new starter now?
David

 

Ya know son .. They way your going maybe you need to just take to a mechanic?
Dave

 

I'd check to see if the battery is good and check for loose wires etc. before deciding the starter is no good. Could be a screwed up ignition switch or something.

You should see if you can get your hands on an older "Motors" book. Get one printed in the '50s or early '60s. They have a dark blue cover. They cover all American cars over about a 10 year period and some more basic information for cars before that period, and have a lot of good info on troubleshooting. You can pick one up for about $15 - $20 at a flea market or swap meet or a used book store. They have specific information for certain repairs on specific cars, and they also have a lot of good general troubleshooting information. I think the Motors books are better written than the Chiltons, and the information is more accurate. Sounds like you're just getting into the world of old cars, and one of those Motors books would be great to learn a lot of the basic stuff.

Good luck.

 

Rewire anything? My car would cut out , then restart. Only when the wife was with me. Had disconnected the tach and not taken care of the coil lead. When she moved her feet it would ground out, move again and restart. She told me twice to check the coil, told her I wasn't that dumb. Yea, right. Check the simple first.

 

David:

I think you posted that you were kinda new to old cars and wanted to learn, may I suggest that you "host" some local Hambers to a pizza & beer dinner and get some experianced eyes on the car. That way you make new car buddies, get your car on the road or are headed in the right direction to fix whats wrong, and you learn a whole bunch of stuff along the way. I'd be surprised if there are not a few HAMBers near Hanford......Just a thought and good luck with it, everyone has pretty much covered what I would have suggested.

 

I am new to cl***ic cars but I like the challenge trail by error just trying to get suggestions from you folks because you all seem knowledgable. Is there any HAMBers in Hanford. Would anyone recommend keeping the six volt starter on a 12 volt conversion. When I bought the car it looked like it sat for a long time that is why I feel I should drop the tank and check all fuel lines. Is this a good idea?

David

David

 

I want the satisfaction of doing it on my own.
David