Engine Stalls - Fuel Pump Question...

[skk0819]

My newly-done 62 red has taken on a couple of weird problems....Keep
in mind I am not as mechanicly-inclined as many members of this
group....

The car suddently loses power, and with a couple of sputters/chugs
stalls. AFter a few moments it will restart. Sometimes it happens
in bunches, but it seems to be getting worse.

Does this sound like a fuel-supply problem? That is my guess over an
electrical (distributor/rotor) problem.

Is there an easy way to tell if the fuel pump is functioning properly?

Is this a part that can be purchased at auto-supply stores, or if
needed, should I go thru Gordon?

Any suggestions would be helpful

Thanks,
Scott

 

[WB6WSN]

----- Original Message -----
From: skk0819
To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 7:49 AM
Subject: [amphicar-lovers] Engine Stalls - Fuel Pump Question...


My newly-done 62 red has taken on a couple of weird problems....Keep
in mind I am not as mechanicly-inclined as many members of this
group....

The car suddently loses power, and with a couple of sputters/chugs
stalls. AFter a few moments it will restart. Sometimes it happens
in bunches, but it seems to be getting worse.

Does this sound like a fuel-supply problem? That is my guess over an
electrical (distributor/rotor) problem.

Is there an easy way to tell if the fuel pump is functioning properly?

Is this a part that can be purchased at auto-supply stores, or if
needed, should I go thru Gordon?

Any suggestions would be helpful

Thanks,
Scott



Electrical doesn't seem probable, what with your describing the stall happening
in clusters. Sure, it could be something very rare, like the coil intermittently
failing as it gets warm. Check you points dwell and the timing; it's easy and
ought to give you some easy peace of mind.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to check for vacuum leaks around the carb to manifold
gasket and the manifold to head gasket. Take a can of WD-40, with the nice long
plastic tube in the nozzle, and lightly spray the gasket edges as the engine is
idling. Any sudden variations in idle speed means you have a leaky gasket.

I would suspect fuel flow first. One quick check would be to remove the gas tank
filler cap and see if the problem persists. The tank should be vented, to allow
air to flow into the tank as fuel is pumped out. If the vent is plugged, the
pump will not be able to suck gas after a short while. The engine will starve &
stall. Then, after some air leaks into the gas tank, you can start the cycle all
over again.

Secondly, I would look for something restricting fuel flow into the carb float
bowl; either a bad fuel filter or a sticky float bowl valve. Or a very weird
fuel pump problem. If fuel isn't flowing into the float bowl to match the rate
that the engine needs, you will again reach a point where the carb jets suck the
available fuel out of the float bowl, and the engine will starve and stall.

Ordering a fuel pump from Hugh is fast and easy. NAPA ought to have an Airtex
1437 or a Carter 1437 (both never used by me, but mentioned in postings);
cheaper, but you may have to special order it.

Ed
El Cajon
67 Rust Guppy


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

 

[skk0819]

That was a great answer - exactly the detail I needed! Thanks!

--- In amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com, "WB6WSN" <wb6wsn@c...> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: skk0819
> To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 7:49 AM
> Subject: [amphicar-lovers] Engine Stalls - Fuel Pump Question...
>
>
> My newly-done 62 red has taken on a couple of weird
problems....Keep
> in mind I am not as mechanicly-inclined as many members of this
> group....
>
> The car suddently loses power, and with a couple of
sputters/chugs
> stalls. AFter a few moments it will restart. Sometimes it
happens
> in bunches, but it seems to be getting worse.
>
> Does this sound like a fuel-supply problem? That is my guess
over an
> electrical (distributor/rotor) problem.
>
> Is there an easy way to tell if the fuel pump is functioning
properly?
>
> Is this a part that can be purchased at auto-supply stores, or if
> needed, should I go thru Gordon?
>
> Any suggestions would be helpful
>
> Thanks,
> Scott
>
>
>
> Electrical doesn't seem probable, what with your describing the
stall happening in clusters. Sure, it could be something very rare,
like the coil intermittently failing as it gets warm. Check you
points dwell and the timing; it's easy and ought to give you some
easy peace of mind.
>
> Also, it wouldn't hurt to check for vacuum leaks around the carb to
manifold gasket and the manifold to head gasket. Take a can of WD-40,
with the nice long plastic tube in the nozzle, and lightly spray the
gasket edges as the engine is idling. Any sudden variations in idle
speed means you have a leaky gasket.
>
> I would suspect fuel flow first. One quick check would be to remove
the gas tank filler cap and see if the problem persists. The tank
should be vented, to allow air to flow into the tank as fuel is
pumped out. If the vent is plugged, the pump will not be able to suck
gas after a short while. The engine will starve & stall. Then, after
some air leaks into the gas tank, you can start the cycle all over
again.
>
> Secondly, I would look for something restricting fuel flow into the
carb float bowl; either a bad fuel filter or a sticky float bowl
valve. Or a very weird fuel pump problem. If fuel isn't flowing into
the float bowl to match the rate that the engine needs, you will
again reach a point where the carb jets suck the available fuel out
of the float bowl, and the engine will starve and stall.
>
> Ordering a fuel pump from Hugh is fast and easy. NAPA ought to have
an Airtex 1437 or a Carter 1437 (both never used by me, but mentioned
in postings); cheaper, but you may have to special order it.
>
> Ed
> El Cajon
> 67 Rust Guppy
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]