|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
I have made progress again on my car but after installing a new fuel tank and cleaning out the carb and the line /with a new fuel filter, after a minute or so of running it starts to miss a little then progressively gets worse until it chugs to a stop. Is this a sticking float or needle and seat deal. this thing has performed perfect until now. clean it again? whats next?
|
|
By pegleg - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Alan, Check and see if you have fuel in the bowl when it stops. It's very possible you've a plugged fuel filter.
|
|
By Tom Compton - 17 Years Ago
|
|
As Pegleg says, sounds like it is starving for fuel. If not, see pages 34 and 35 of this link. TC http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/misc/tech_center/install/1000/1406_manual.pdf
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
ok, thanks guys I'm going to get back into it this morning. It's only going to be 105 degrees today!
I've changed the filter a couple of times but I'll check it again.
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
ok, went all back thru the carb this morning. starts runs better-but still stumbles at idle after a minute and chugs along-doesn't die, but doesn't want to accelerate. Could my fuel pump be going out? I have the old style glass with a new filter and can see it trying to fill but it not exactly packed in there. Seems like I remember it being full when it is running?
I guess this is where I need a fuel pressure gauge?
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
It appears I still have dirt in the fuel line somewhere.
As a test I took off the line Before the filter and it still has some sediment in the fuel after I pump out about a half pint in a clear glass.
I have one remaining line from the tank to the inline fuel pump that hasn't been replaced. So I guess I can replace it easy enough with a rubber fuel line.
Will my stock fuel pump retain dirt or residue or will it eventually flush out or through with enough new gas?
|
|
By 55Birdman - 17 Years Ago
|
I had same problem when I first got my TBird. It had gunk in the tank and a piece got loose and got stuck in the inlet to the fuel pump. Had a nightmare trying to figure out what it was. I tried everything and resigned myself to replace everything in the fuel system . When I took the pump and line off I saw the blockage. Been great ever since.  message previewed 08-04-08 1930 hrs
|
|
By GREENBIRD56 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Al - does the Edelbrock carb have some sort of an integral fuel strainer at the bowl inlet like a Holley? How about the suction setup you installed in the new tank? Suction problems can absolutely kill pump capacity.
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
AZ28 (8/4/2008)
Al - does the Edelbrock carbhave some sort of an integral fuel strainer at the bowl inlet like a Holley?
How about the suction setup you installed in the new tank? Suction problems can absolutely kill pump capacity.
Yes, Steve the eldebrock does have two strainers at the fuel inlets-all those have been cleaned now.
I've isolated the problem down to the last piece of old remaining hard line. ( the most difficult one to replace!) It goes from the tank over the diff and between the body and down along the outside of the frame rail. Must have ben installed before the body went on.
Anyway trying this morning to get a braided line locally today to get this thing rolling. ihra and nhra only allow 10" of rubber hose and I don't think I can manage bending up the hard line to get back in there. the original line is available but, still same problem.
I can't believe how bad this line looked inside-all was working fine before I started this project. time takes it toll.
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
btw, the test glass of premium fuel I had in the garage overnite had about an inch and half in a 16oz. jar. It completly evaporated overnite leaving aome very fine grit at the bottom.
|
|
By pegleg - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Alan, Can you tell what the "grit" is. Might tell you where it came from. As far as the total evaporation, seems like you live where it's hot and at a higher altitude, right?
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
pegleg (8/5/2008)
Alan,
Can you tell what the "grit" is. Might tell you where it came from. As far as the total evaporation, seems like you live where it's hot and at a higher altitude, right?
I call it grit? looks like a fine reddish gray powder. Seems like rust to me.
It was supposed to be 105 yesterday so that made it a balmy 95ish in my garage. Only going to be a 100 today.
Elevation is 650
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
thanks for all your suggestions, guys. I disassembled and cleaned the carb 4 times I think!, lost track. But was finally able to "clear the idle screw adjustment with compressed air while the carb was on the car. I would have done that first I just couldn't locate the problem.
I had to replace the other old fuel lines to get it to run clean. even added fuel strained thru a sock, trying to get things straitened out
All at the same time I was getting weaker and weaker spark???
So once the carb got strait I put a timing light on it -No advance! Pulled the distributor and checked it on the machine-no advance AND something was rattling around in there! A buddy's shop will fix that for me I hope in the am, probably a loose screw or something and will reset the mech advance.
Nothing has been simple on this redo.
Still trying to make it run again to get to the tranny shop for the AOD adjust and check.
Still trying to make it drive to Columbus
Hopefully this dist. issue will be sorted out in am and I can move on. Still a ton a stuff to get done.
|
|
By pegleg - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Alan, That does sound like rust, keep watching the filter for a while, might even carry a spare element with you, if it's possible to change easily. Eventually it'll slow down or stop. I got so frustrated with mine I finally went and bought a new tank, I could NOT get the old one clean. Used bolts and shook it washed it out about ten times, kept on clogging up. Very frustrating.
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
I still haven't been able to fix it.
I thought I had it when the dist. was recurved and we found a small piece of the weld broken off, put it all back together ran great for awhile then started to sputter again.
Also I rubber hose rigged a fuel filter and temp ditched the stock one so I could keep checking it or changing it.
I don't know what is next?? carb has been off about four times now.
|
|
By GREENBIRD56 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
When I recently struggled with pump capacity - finally dumped the T-bird stocker for the Airtex 362 (428 FE) pump - I rigged up a jug on the floor to absolutely eliminate the fuel tank and plumbing as a problem source for the starvation situation. The old "double action" vacuum pump on mine was a loser. You aren't sucking an internal fuel leak up into the vacuum port? You installed your new tank and the outlet tube flows easily? Your electric booster pump isn't a suction problem is it? Does it have an internal screen? And you've got the old style glass bowl filter out of the line by now, right? And extended idle causes the carb to flood? or starve? You don't have a "Titanic" (sinking) float? I know all of the goofy questions can be annoying - got a friend with a carb you know works?
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
Steve, thanks for the response.
I think I have adequate fuel out of the fuel line after the filter(still may not be clean enough?)
So the carb may be dirty again.
the sinking float is one I hadn't thought of.
Gonna try another replacement carb in the am
The good news is when it WAS running I backed it in and out of the garage a few times with the new trans!
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
AZ28 (8/10/2008)
When I recently struggled with pump capacity - finally dumped the T-bird stocker for the Airtex 362 (428 FE) pump - I rigged up a jug on the floor to absolutely eliminate the fuel tank and plumbing as a problem source for the starvation situation.
The old "double action" vacuumpump on mine wasa loser. You aren't sucking an internal fuel leak up into the vacuum port?
You installed your new tank and the outlet tube flows easily?
Yourelectric booster pump isn't a suction problem is it? Does it have an internal screen?
And you've got the old style glass bowl filter out of the line by now, right?
And extended idle causes the carb to flood? or starve? You don't have a "Titanic" (sinking) float?
I know all of the goofy questions can be annoying - got a friend with a carb you know works?
I just reread your post.
Are you saying that my stock pump might be drawing fuel back from the carb because of an internal leak? Pump is a few years old and come to think of it it wasn't used in the dyno test
I should also eliminates all the fuel line with a gravity feed system tomorrow. thanks for the help.
|
|
By GREENBIRD56 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
I was thinking that it might be posssible for the old style fuel pump to have an internal leak - that allowed additional fuel to be pulled up the vacuum line. It would make the intake system go over rich - like flooding at idle. There is an Airtex 362 on ebay this evening: Item number: 250280280366
|
|
By GREENBIRD56 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
I finally ended up with the bigger pump and a big AC canister filter on there - rubber jumper hose to the original fuel line. Had to "clock" the pump outlet port around to the front a bit. 
I drilled out (as much as I dared) and radiused every flow stopping edge of the brass fittings. The inlet hose was sized up to fit over the end of the original double flared 5/16 fuel line. This arrangement puts out some serious flow at the carb inlet fitting (at least way more than the original T-bird part). Good luck finding your gremlin - Its getting close on making the run to Columbus!!!!
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
went thru the carb again. hooked up a gravity feed fuel line. Checked and reset the floats.
Runs a couple minutes then starts breaking up and eventually dies.
I put it on a trailer and sent it to the shop. 
|
|
By pegleg - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Alan, check the coil or the spark.
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
FIXED IT.
ok if you go back thru this thread you'll see the wild goose chase of a gremlin I was after.
What I forgot about…was that after I burned up the pertronix and put in a new set of replacement points is…
I didn't GO BACK to running a Ballast resistor or a coil with a ballast resistor built-in…
oops
I haven't had one on my car for about ten years or so or whenever I started running the petronix. So it was burning up the points in a minute. duh
The carb was dirty though and there was dirty fuel too.
When it rains, it pours.
The good news, problem solved and the car is on the way to the tranny shop as I type.
Thanks for all your suggestions.
|
|
By charliemccraney - 17 Years Ago
|
|
That's kinda weird. I've been running my points without a the resistor wire for several years now with no problems. I think my coil is 12v, though. It's whatever the local parts store sold me - nothing fancy. Now, the ignitor II coil and points, that's a bad idea - but it'll run great for about 10 miles.
|
|
By bird55 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
could be be your coil has a built in resistor. obviously, you shouldn't ask me. I need to leave certain things to the experts, problem is that's getting to be more and more things!
|
|
By charliemccraney - 17 Years Ago
|
|
That is a possibility. I'll take a look at it when I get home. I'm curious now.
|