Technical 63 impala died while driving, help.

It did this shit bout two months ago so I changed the fuel filter and all was well till now. I was at a stop sign and when I went to give it gas it just started getting sluggish then died. Electrical seems to be fine. It cranks over strong and I just trickle charged the optima battery over night a week or so ago. Any ideas?

 

Will it start if you pour gas in the carburetor?

 

Fuel gauge reads about a 1/4 tank but I don't fully trust it even though float has been changed

 

I'm fixing to try that as soon as my ride gets here. I'd walk to the gas station but it's pouring rain

 

Check for spark with a timing light?

 

Change the filter.
Again.

 

Check for spark. Check to see if it's getting gas into the carb.

 

If the filter is plugged again, it is time to drop the tank & clean it out.

 

if you are mechanical inclined there's plenty of helpful people on the here. Put more gas in it and see what happens and then we can go from there.

 

Because of my puny gas can(one gallon)it's all I was able to put in it. I dropped some in the carb as we'll but nothing. Would the filter still have fuel in it if it were out of gas?

 

It could have a little left in the filter. Mine used to this, it was sucking the screen in the tank up into/against the line and would starve it. If it didn't fire pouring gas down the carb, your trouble is elsewhere.

 

If it won't start by pouring gas in the carb then it isn't a fuel issue, check to see if you have spark.

 

Check the rubber hose from tank to steel line.if its got a pinhole it will be air bound( no suction).Happened to me on a 66 ponchio.

 

Might be weak fuel pump. Changing the old half-clogged filter allowed it to pump a little longer, but now it's too tired/dirty to pump with only 1/4 tank of gas or less.

It's easy to tell if it's not out of gas. Look down the carb and pump the linkage until you see gas squirt. If it squirts the accelerator pump then there's gas getting to the carb.

EDIT: If the accelerator pump is bad/disconnected, the car will start OK then just die every time when you step on it.

 

YOU NEED THREE THINGS FOR A ENGINE TO RUN. #1 FUEL #2 SPARK #3 COMPRESSION. CHECK FOR ALL THREE IF ANY OF THE ONE IS NOT THERE IT WON'T RUN. IF YOU POURED FUEL DOWN THE CARB AND IT WON'T RUN TRY TO SEE IF YOU HAVE SPARK AT THE PLUG. TO CHECK THAT TAKE WIRE OFF THE PLUG ANY ONE WILL DO, GET A PHILIPS SCREWDRIVER PUT IT WERE THE PLUG WOULD GO INTO THE SOCKET AND HAVE SOMEONE CRANK THE ENGINE WHILE YOUR SCREWDRIVER IS A 1/16 OF A INCH FROM ANY GROUND (ENGINE VALVE COVER PERHAPS) HAVE THE PERSON CRANK IT IF YOU SEE A SPARK JUMP FROM THE SCREWDRIVER TO THE VALVECOVER THATS GOOD. IF NOT THEN THATS YOUR PROBLEM NO SPARK. IF YOU DO THEN DON'T EVEN INSTALL THE SPARK PLUG WIRE BACK ON TAKE ALL PLUGS OFF AND DO A COMPRESSION TEST. IF YOU JUMPED CHAIN BECAUSE OF TIMING CHAIN IS LOOSE (WORN OUT) THEN YOUR COMPRESSION IS LOST NEED TO CHANGE THE TIMING CHAIN. Knuck From Indiana.

 

Un-stick the float needle.

 

it could be caused by many things. but it sounds like electrical.

check for a loose wire at the coil or dizzy

 

Thanks guys lots of good info right here. I'm going to check it tomorrow. I'm soaking wet and miserable right now. Was able to get a tow home.

 

Ps did notice what seemed to be fuel on the ground under the engine as the flat bed pulled it up.

Again thanks all. Very grateful for the info.

 

^^^^^^^^^ what !!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^

 

where you at in northern California?

 

I know. Something might of come loose or something.

 

Impala59 I'm born and raised in lodi, but live in the modesto area now

 

The old car quitting in the rain is just a checkbox on your lifetime old car addiction membership form.

Welcome.

 

Lol

 

It's raining? Is it possible the distributor got wet? Even condensation will mess it up.

I used to have a car in high school when raining, pull rotor out, dry it off, car would start.

 

if you were closer i would come help you today as im going to san jose area and then sacramento airport, so did you put more gas? coil or electronic ignition? sometimes your wiring from firewall to distributer-coil is old, might look good from the outside, if gas is not your issue run a jumper wire from coil to battery and see if it starts.

 

old rubber fuel line could be rotten at the tank, the pickup in the tank could be corroded,and not picking up the last bit of fuel, the ballast resistor could be bad, the terminal at the coil could be broken, the metal fuel line could have a hole worn in it, the gas tank to fill tube line could have a hole allowing water into the gas, even the points or condenser could be bad. There is 25 years of walking home in the dark and cold fixes I've dealt with.

 

I checked the carburetor, it's getting fuel. The electrical seems fine cause the engine cranks over pretty good. I still need to check for spark but need to get a spak plug for that. Someone mentioned it maybe the fuel pump. What are symptoms or how can you tell when it's going bad? I had the same thing happen a few weeks back as I mentioned yesterday, coming out of a parking lot starting to go up a hill it just died out on me. Later that night I changed the filter and it fired up like nothing had happened.

PsI replaced the distributor cap, rotor, wires and plugs about a year ago. Also it's electronic ignition.

 

electronic ignition...might be the issue right there.