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DFOX

Freshman Member
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Hi, everyone

I had a problem on Friday that my mechanic is having a hard time diagnosing. I had just picked up the car from having the master cylinder, dashboard, and windshield replaced. I drove it about 15 miles to the DMV to get the license plates. On the way back (approximately 10 miles) it started losing power and slowly died. After that I was not able to restart it. I called a friend to come get me and tried it again before we left (30 minutes after it died). I still couldn't start it. I had it towed back to the shop. Yesterday it started right up. They said the choke cable is broken (which wasn't when I picked it up Friday). What sorts of things should I have them looking at?

The fuel pump and fuel filter are brand new (replaced right before the MC). The carbs have recently been tuned. It was running great right before it died. No smoke or anything.

Thanks for any advice!
 
"losing power and slowly died."

Fuel delivery is the likely sounding problem, the pump is suspect. If the condition is reproduceable get it to that point and check fuel flow. Another 'possible' is th' coil. Another is a blockage in the carb vent lines to the evap cannister... Those three are my "best WAGs". Good luck! Let us know if any of that turns out to help. :wink:
 
Two days, no info...

Odd fer this place. :confuse:
 
I'm watching but...

Anything after 1960 and I'm afraid I won't be much help.
 
I had a problem very similar to this. Car would run great for about a mile and then slowly die. After setting a a short period it would run great again for about the same time. Found out it was the suction line going to the gas tank, up stream of the pump, and sucking air due to a crack in the hose behind the outer metal shielding. New line, problem solved!
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Do we remember this, Paul?

Bad bit is: when you give the carb end of the supply less resistance (i.e. no needle valve to "push" against) the air sucking problem will be less obvious. Only a visual inspection of the rubber in the line from tank to pump, with some touchy-feely squeezing will divulge cracks.
 
DrEntropy said:
Do we remember this, Paul?

Bad bit is: when you give the carb end of the supply less resistance (i.e. no needle valve to "push" against) the air sucking problem will be less obvious. Only a visual inspection of the rubber in the line from tank to pump, with some touchy-feely squeezing will divulge cracks.
Click to expand...

After I got under the car and looked for something,
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whatever, it was obvious what was wrong as fuel was still leaking out through the braid. Funny thing was, I replaced everything in the fuel delivery system but that line. It was my own dumbness. It was one of those out of sight out of mind things, maybe thinking it would last another 30 years.
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I was just glad it happened close to the house.
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Hello again - still haven't found the problem. I've been out of town so the car is still at the shop. I'm going to have him look at that fuel line. Thanks for the advice.
 
You were not dumb at all. As of a little over a year ago, MTBE was banned from all gasoline sold here in the USA... and this addative was replaced with alcohol. 10% by volume... As a professional Auto Technician, who works on both antiques and modern cars, I and others in the trade have been seeing lots of problems on fuel systems... and the old soft rubber hoses that were perfectly adequate just a couple of years ago no longer are. I retro fit all LBC's in this shop with later design fuel injection hose that is impervious to this alcohol. The stuff is NOT a budget item... it costs about 12 dollars a foot.... depending where it is purchased... but it saves a lot of aggravation.
 
Trying to keep the car as original as possible, it has all the braided fuel lines on it. One I had to make up as it's not available anymore. Will the fuel injection hose fit inside the braid and except the original style fittings?

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The problem was a defective fuel pump (even though it was brand new). Just my luck!
 
Glad you found it. A bad new item can really be a bear.
 
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