VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Loss of power '38

I have finally been able to make a couple of test drives and I have a problem. I was driving along about 5 minutes after starting the car when there was a sudden loss of power. I down shifted and made a quick turn around. The power came back a little but only for a few seconds. The power loss seemed like the car had come out of gear and the gas pedal had ceased to function.

It sort of chugged along for maybe 200 feet then died. If I tried to start the car it would turn over for a second, then die. I could hear the sound of liquid squirting when I pushed the accelerator but I couldn't keep it running. Both the filter bowl and the pump bowl seemed to be about half full though. Which made me think that the fuel pump was faulty. The engine was rebuilt 3 years ago and has been setting since then.

I got it home, with the help of a neighbor, and after pushing it into the garage I thought I would try and look at the problem with more light. I started the car and it ran fine, idled fine, accelerated fine.

Does this make sense to anyone?

Brian

It is normal for the fuel pump bowl and filter bowl to be half full.

May be an obstruction in the fuel line.How old is the gas in the tank?If over a year amy have "gone bad".

Loose eletrical connection?

I would try it again and just keep going around the block.When it dies check for spark=eletrical or take a gas can along and pour a few drops in the carb. and see if it starts up.

Several other things to check out would be carb. flooding, plugged fuel filter or plugged screen in the fuel pump, or the dip tube in the gas tank being periodically plugged by some floating debris.

You might also drop a couple of drops of oil down the accellerator pump hole. Perhaps the leather on the pump has dried out some.

The gas is only about 3 months old and the gas tank was cleaned, new lines installed, the fuel pump rebuilt, the filter cleaned and the carb rebuilt. There is some fines in the bottom of the fuel filter bowl but I don't know if they are large enough to plug anything. The filter may be a little old but I don't think it is plugged.

I hate to do the around the block till it dies but that may be the only way.

Thanks
Brian

Seeing that you heard the carb. plunger squirting in gas (you should have looked with a flash light) I am more inclined to think you have an eletrical problem-do you have a different coil to try.Are the wires to the coil and dist. tight?is the condenser clamp screw tight?

After it stalled the first time, it would start, run for just about 2 seconds then die. It did this repeatedly, more than four times before it finally stopped starting completely. I tried to use the throttle to keep it going but it didn't work. I was afraid I might run down the battery so I gave up.

UPDATE-

I ran the car last night for about 15 minutes then it died. There was no fuel in the carburetor because when I moved the throttle there was no fuel from the accelerator pump. Unfortunatly I didn't put a pressure gage in the fule line before running the test otherwise I would know if there was fuel pressure at the carburetor. I suspect that at temperature the fuel pump ceases to function but that doesn't make any sense as the fuel line was not that hot when it died.

Does anyone know of something that happens when the car is warm that would stop the function of the carburetor/fuel pump?

Thanks,
Brian

Your problem sounds familiar to me. My 3100 truck ran for about 10 miles and then died. The gastank was also cleaned. I thought it was a vapor lock, but it turned out to be a disfunctional fuelpump because of all small durt coming out of the gastank. Try another fuelpump.
Jos

I agree completely with Jos.New dosen't mean good.

I would buy a new pump and install it.If it turns out not to be a pump problem you will have a spare to keep in the trunk.Just one of a dozen things to keep for back=up.

Alright, I'll go with the new pump. I still don't understand how the pump could stop working at about the same time everytime you run the engine. I may take the carburetor off and take a look at it in the mean time.

Sorry for the delay, I had the BSOD (blue screen of death) from Windows yesterday.....

Thanks,
Brian

To check if pump is working remove line from carb....place a container over end of line while someone cranks the engine ....should squirt gas out of line in good volumn.Do this test after it quits running.
Also the fact that it runs for a while and then stops sounds as if there is a blockage in the pick-up in the bottom of the tank.Have you removed the gas line from the fuel pump and blown compressed air back into the tank?

I agree with Che Nut, my experience with an old tank took a lot of diagnosis as the car would run then stop, then start up and run again, all about the same length of time, I had an inline filter placed higher than the tank outlet. When the car stopped, the fuel would run out of the filter it would open up and the engine would run again for a short time. I did not check the filter at first as I had just changed it and the old filter was in pretty good shape I just had a bunch of rust decide to cut loose all at once. Had to have the tank cleaned and eventually had to replace it.

I forgot to mention that I solved most of the dirt problem by putting a fuelfilter between the tank and the fuelpump. Saves you a fuelpump next time.
Good luck.
Jos

I have cleaned the tank, though it was in good shape anyway. I have all new gas lines. I should have a new pump soon but this weekend I am going to put a pressure gauge in the fuel line and run the car until it stops. That might give me some useful information.

Brian

Check the vent for the tank also. If it is plugged or the hose from the vent is kinked it can create a vacuum in the tank after it runs for a while Been there and done that and it drove me nuts when it quits take the cap off and listen for vacuum. I know this sounds crazy but here in Fla we have a little flying wasp that we call a mud dauber and it builds nests out of mud in any open hole, I have had this problem on several school busses that I maintain!

I'll do that this weekend!

Brian

I don't remember if we mentioned the condenser earlier.Last week I put a used condenser in a distributor -thought it was good.Car went for a block -began to miss-power dropped off- and I ideled it back home.Just made it.

I know we're all focused on the fuel issues, and that's probably the cause. Yet it may be wise to consider a vacuum leak around the carb and manifolds. As they heat up and expand the gaskets may not seal up. Several heat-up/cool-down cycles will loosen up lots of fasteners, so be sure to check your carb to intake connections and the intake to head connections.
This may not explain the "sudden" loss of power but a vacuum leak is not a good thing!

I'll be in there digging around and it never hurts to tighten things up so I'll put a wrench to everything just to rule it out.

Brian