Hey guys. I've got a 1950 Buick that I can't figure out. It's been hesitating/stalling/completely turning off as in driving down the street. I'll pull over, pump the gas for a bit to get her to start, she'll fire up & I'll drive a few seconds & it will start again. I've rebut the carburetor & put it back in & I've also installed the new fuel pump. It seemed to fix the problem, drive & work properly for a few short drives (so I thought), but today I took it out for a drive & the hesitating & dying started happening again. At this point I guess I need to give it a tune up & see what happens. Is it possible that the ignition coil or distributor condenser is bad & could be causing these problems. I just really want to figure out the issue so I can start enjoying the car without stressing out while I drive it. Any help here would be appreciated. Thanks
In regards to the ignition system, what parts are new and what parts are old? New fuel pump, but what is the condition of the tank? When was the last time you cleaned the carb or checked/replaced the fuel filter?
Carb is freshly rebuilt. Fuel filter freshly cleaned. Fuel lines were blown out with air before carb was reinstalled. I've never removed the fuel tank so I have no idea regarding the condition of the tank. Regarding ignition system no parts have been replaced that I know of & I'm unsure how old the ignition parts are. Thanks for replying.
Here's how I diagnose those kinds of problems. I grab my fuel pump tester [doubles as a vacuum gauge...check your vacuum gauge to see if it's calibrated for fuel pressure] a brass "T" and about 6 feet of appropriately sized fuel hose. I'd bet yours is 5/16ths. I tee into the fuel line between the pump and the carb and clamp the gauge on the other end. I put the gauge under my driver's wiper so I can see it while driving and put a small block of wood next to it so the hood won't smash the fuel line flat..close the hood gingerly without bending it. Drive the car while watching the gauge. If it looses pressure and dies of hesitates, remove the gas cap and try again. If it's cured.....buy a new cap. If it dies again, trace the line back to the tank to look for damaged line, plugged filter, sucking air. No problem with the line???[suck on it to see if it leaks] Then drop the tank to see if something may be inside it, blocking the fuel pickup. If all parts are good and the pump maintains good pressure and still dies, I go looking for electrical problems
But wait.....there's more! Leave that gauge under the wiper, substitute a vacuum line for the fuel hose and hook the vacuum line into a "T" similar the the one used for your fuel pressure test. Make sure you show vacuum on the gauge at idle and note the reading...........rev the engine to about 2500 RPM and note the reading. The reading should be the same or a little more than a idle. If the needle had a steady decline to almost zero while reving the engine, you have a plugged exhaust system. If you can't tell, drive the car a while while watching that vacuum gauge. If the reading goes really low and the engine dies, it's got a plugged exhaust system. Fix it.
Could be a number of things but i hate old fuel lines and gas tanks. A flake floating around near the fuel line in the tank may be acting like a check valve and cutting off your fuel. Let it sit and line opens up again and so the cycle continues. Change your fuel filter is the cheapest and most obvious. I'm never convinced a old gas tank is clean.
Ok. Thanks for all the replies guys. I think I'm gonna drain & drop the tank & hope it fixes the problem. What's the cheapest way to clean the tank out before I put it back on. Is it going to be necessary to use one of those tank resto kits or can I just clean it & throw it back on. I'm trying to do this on cheap. Thanks.
I had a similar issue and was told to use a chain or gravel and some denatured alcohol to knock out the flakes. No experience myself but I read a lot about the tank sealer flaking after a few years.
Hey guys. Thanks for all the replies. I'm almost 100% sure it's the fuel tank now. I disconnected the fuel line and blew air back through it again. Hooked the line back up & the old girl fired right up with no issues or symptoms. Looks like I'm either buying a new fuel tank or somehow cleaning this one. I prefer to not buy a new tank if I don't have to so I'm gonna try cleaning this one on the cheap first. Hook it back up & see how it goes.
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