1) It is amazing how hard it is to turn the manual steering wheel

2) It is amazing that I survived with these bad brakes, I kept locking up one wheel..and dragging that wheel to a stop.  I didn't expect much since all I did was break the drums free and bleed the brakes and it has been sitting for 30 years.

3) It is amazing that the engine happened to die close enough to the driveway that I coasted up the slope to the flat spot in front of the garage door.

So, yeah, the engine died...still had oil pressure, temp was maintained around 230 based on metal temp behind the t-stat housing, never went over 231.  I think it is a fuel problem because if I sprayed some starting fluid in the carb she would catch and stubmle a little.

Everything in the entire fuel system is brand new except for the fuel pump and the line bewteen the fuel pump and the carb.  The fuel pump looks newer..I think my grandpa might've replaced it at some time in the last decade.

My biggest fear is that some piece of debri made it up into my newly rebuilt carb.  If that were the case how would I confrim this?  How do I go about clearing a piece of debri in the carb?

Any other ideas?  She drove fine for about 5 minutes of driving (and I had warmed her up completely before leaving) then stumbled and died pretty quick.

10-4 on the brakes, the brakes were scarier than I thought they'd be...I promise to get those done, but it would be a lot easier to work on them if I could get the car home to my house, and driving it home (6 miles) would be easiest.

As far as engine temp, thermostat is new, new coolant, and from what I can tell, the stat isn't opening until I get the 230 temp, again this is the temp of the metal at the stat housing using an infrared thermometer, I assume that is a pretty good indicator of coolant temp since it is in direct contact with the coolant.

The fuel system is all new. New tank, new sender, new fuel hard line all the way from tank to the fuel pump,(no flex hoses), and the carb is completely rebuilt and ran wonderfully before this drive.  The only think not brand new in the fuel system is the pump itself and the hard line from the pump to carb.

Since it would stumble with a little starting fluid, i assume ignition is working, and fuel delivery is the problem.  Is this a safe assumption?  Haven't had a chance to try and start it again after it has cooled (had to get home) so don't know if it is heat related.  But again, since it would almost start with some starting fluid...seems fuel is a good suspect.

I agree with your use of the infrared temp test on the thermostat housing - and yes 230° is just a bit much. If you are using a new thermostat and it isn't opening until 230° - you need another thermostat. I usually test them on the bench with a heat gun - keeping it an honest distance away - then looking at it with the infrared.

Stuck with just trying to get the car home - take the thermostat out and battle with the carb - save that for another day.

I thought about the heat too...like maybe the fuel is boiling fuel in the bowl and vapor locking the floats.  But I thought that usually happened after you shut the car off and try to restart it.  When your'e running fuel pressure in the bowl helps prevent boiling I was told.  Also seems wierd that it took three laps around the block for this to happen as the car was maintaining the same temp the entire time.

It definitly was holding 230 steady...this was idling in the garage, but didn't notice much drop while driving (never over 25 mph).  Upper radiator hose didn't get hot until I was getting the 230 reading at the housing, so I assume that is when the stat opened.  And I checked again right after the car died and infrared thermometer said 230 still.

First things first -- SAFETY. Make sure those brakes are working right. If you can't get to every wheel, then by all means make sure that your front wheels have good working brakes. But, don't forget that the original master cylinder only had one line going out to all wheels...so if you have a leak at the rear, essentially you are affecting the operation at all wheels. Make sure there are no leaks, and adjust those shoes properly.

On the fuel issue (good point on using the starting fluid to see what you would get for combustion), is there any chance that you may have run out of fuel? Don't know how much you put in initially, but odds are after you put in that new tank you didn't fill it up with 17 gallons, right? How much have you been at idle, tuning the car, turning over the engine and pumping fuel, etc? I don't mean to sound stupid,,,, but this very thing happened to me one time. I thought it was a fuel pump, etc., but on a whim I went underneath the car and tapped the tank with a hammer...EMPTY! Arggghhhhh! My fuel gauge was way off...

just a thought before you go checking everything else out.

Dan, yes thanks for pointing out the often overlooked simplests solution...I will eagerly go back to check this weekend, but I put in 3-5 gallons and haven't run the car that much and the gauge seems to be working, but like you said...maybe the gauge isn't really working. (keep fingers crossed...I know how to fix it if she's out of gas!)

I am also eager to see if she starts up now that she's cooled all the way down.  I would much prefer a heat issue over something clogged in my carb passages.  But I'm doubtful as she was all warmed up and had been sitting at that temp for qutie a few minutes before I started driving (I wanted to be sure it held the temp before I went out in the street), you'd think a heat problem would've shown up idling in the garage.

They are never going to work like the giant front and rear discs on her Charger.

Since you don't really want to take the thermostat out to see if it's backward, just take off the top hose and reach in and feel the thermostat.  You should feel the relatively uncomplicated front of the valve itself, not the spring and associated parts to keep it in place. 

I did kind of inspect the brakes, I took the drums off the rear, and I bled the entire system and it seemed to go well.   However, in order to get the drums off I had to really back the shoes off using the start adjuster thingy, I backed front shoes off quite a bit before learning they are incorporated into the hub.

I never did anything after backing-off all of those shoes, I thought it was good that they wheel spun freely with no resistance...I assumed that after stepping on the brake the shoes would go back "into position"...but thinking about it, that is probably not true.  So I need to google "adjusting drum brakes" to see what is involved in setting them back up, I assume I could turn the adjusting start nut until there is slight resistance to turning the wheel by hand or something like that?  But right now I bet the shoes are backed way off the drums, and the one wheel that is grabbing I just happened not to back the shoes off as much.

Someone once told me that when you back up and step on the brakes your brake shoes "self-adjust" is there any truth to that?

Just kiddin', you're safe.  Yes I probably deserve a bit of your fear, but to try and earn back some safety points, I did stop the car multiple times in the driveway before heading out to ensure I could stop, and then when I did drive around the block I went very slowly.   With one exception (where I might have gone 25) I stayed below 15 mph, and in first gear, and started slowing down way before I needed to.  I didn't realize the brakes were that bad until the one time I went up to 25 and had to stop a bit more quickly and the one wheel locked up.

The error in my logic happened as follows: When I was messing with the brakes with the drums off I depressed the brake pedal without the drum and saw how much travel the wheel cylinder provided the shoes, I could see that the wheel cylinder could easily still push the shoes out into contact with the drums (and beyond), so I assumed it would be fine since the shoes would still contact the drum.

What I didn't realize is that it isn't simply contact with the drum that matters, but "complete" contact.  I didn't occour to me that by adjusting the adjuster screw I had changed how the shoes would contact the drum, yes the top of the shoe may still reach the drum, but a great deal of the shoe surface area would not since I had changed the lower hinge point.

Yes, might have been a little stupid, but I like to think I was carefully stupid  Still may want to stay out of Madison, WI until I have this car straightened out!

I believe this pump is newer, but still would've been sitting dry for a number of years, is it possible the pump simply failed?  I'm not sure what the diaphram in those is made of.  A clear fuel filter would let me confrim fuel flow too....I should do that soon.

hopefully I'll get out to the car this weekend.

N

Robin Norway

Run out of fuel??  No...no way...that is too simple...there is no way I've idled my way through the 3 gallons I put in there...

Actual yes.  I ran out of fuel.

And even after Daniel pointed it out, I still forgot to check that first, so I went back to the garage tonight first I tried starting her cold, to see if it was a heat/vapor lock issue, no dice, still wouldn't start. 2) Tried again with starter flluid to verify ignition, yes still have ignition she runs on starter fluid.  3) So I disconnect fuel supply to carb, point it into a bottle and crank her...no fuel comes out while cranking...my first thought is that I've blown my fuel pump.  Then...only at this point do I remember Daniel's question "did you by any chance run out of fuel?"...I quickly run around back of the car and tap on tank only to hear the tinny reverberation of an empty tank.

I guess I'm too used to the modern fuel gauges where when they point at empty you still have 3 gallons.  The gauge in my car was just a hair above E, but she was dry as a desert.

Now to get those brakes adjusted!

Keep up the work...it will come along. Here a little, there a little. Definitely go after those brakes next, but now that you know what your fuel issue really was, you can get on that overheating issue as well. I always like to use an aftermarket mechanical gauge to let me know what I've got going on with the coolant. They aren't too expensive, and if you don't like the hookup and want to go back to original, you can always unhook and stow away for future reference.

If I was a betting man, I would say that the radiator is a touch clogged up and may need to be rodded out.

I guess I am one of the oddballs on the forum, I have never had too much trouble with Y blocks running hot, always with them running too cold. go figure.

Most of us have a saga of little problems and mistakes when we work on our machines.  I try and focus on the successes. Your a brave man to admit to all the problems that you are having.

A person who has no dramas whilst working on thier car is either lying or has made a dam lot of mistakes in the past.

The upside is that you probably never run out of fuel again. You'll learn to adjust your brakes and know when they need adjusting again.

11 out of 10 for trying.

Warren

Thanks Grizzly, I don't have anyone in my life (dad or friend or anyone) who works on cars, I learn everything by just trying and making mistakes, I try to learn from all of you (on forums) to avoid as many mistakes as I can, but I can't avoid them all!  I also try to be safe to limit danger from possible mistakes.  I also noticed my mistake rate is increasing since I've been married now a year, probably becuase I have to be more careful to not make mistakes at home, so I have less brain power for my time in the garage.

I appreciate the encouragement, I can't wait to get back out there with my brake spoon and some more fuel.  if I can get all four wheels to grab, then I should be able to go around the block again!!  Which is worth everything!  As rough as the last trip was, it was worth it just from the looks on the faces of the few pedestrian I drove by...I couldn't tell if they were staring becuase it was cool or becuase they were scared, my car looks like it should be under a tree behind a barn instead of driving down the street

Your probably not making any more mistakes, just that you have someone to pick them up  From experience the mistake rate will increase with time

There is a wealth of knowledge and experience on the list but if you don't have relatives with the right abilities why not join a car club in your area. Owning a classic car is as much about socializing as it is the vehicle.

Car club runs and cruise nights is something your new wife should enjoy.

Cheers

Warren