Okay...This is a recent problem I have had with my Tbird, and I was wondering if anybody knows what it may be. After it warms up and its driven for a bit...if you come to a stop and hit the gas to take off it will sputter and most of the time stall. Now, I was thinking it could be crap in the fuel lines or bad fuel filter, but why would it do it after it's warmed up? And my next guess was the carb...maybe something is wrong with the choke? Its a standard Autolite carb (it was on there when I bought the car - haven't changed it yet). But I was thinking rebuild or change out completely, because Im not a huge fan of the Autolite carb. And the vacuum advance is fine. I tested that...So, any suggestions? Thanks for any help Niki
Could be several things... 1. Vacuum leak. 2. Bad accelerator pump in the carb. 3. Idle speed set too low. 4. Needle & Seat in carb. 5. Bad points (not likely, but possible). 6. Ignition timing retarded. 7. Throttle shaft in carb sloppy (will cause a vacuum leak and poor idle). 8. Float level. 9. Idle mixture screws set wrong (too lean). Just some ideas to get you started...hard to say more without seeing the car.
I'd be thinking carb too. Wire the choke open so it can't close and give it a try. It could also be too high a float setting .What year Bird and is it 2 or 4 bbl?
If you car has a dashpot, that could cause it to do that. My 1962 thunderbird acted like that on the way back from buying it. When I got back I removed the dashpot and it ran fine after that.
Hey Niki...had the same once on my 64...carb overhaul and no more problems..easy to get the whole kit.
Rich, its a 64 Bird, 4 barrel. And thanks for all the input guys! It really helps me think of what needs to be done. I will definitely look into all of the suggestions given though....anything to stop this (Cuz its embarrassing!) hahah...drivin down the road, and lookin cool, hit a red light and wait...when it turns green you hit the gas and you stall...jeez (its happened a few times). I'll tell you what though, if im at a red light and I put it in neutral while sitting, then switch it to drive before I take off, it wont do it. Thats why im thinking carb. But I can always check everything else too. Never hurts...(anything but the wallet) hahah
Niki, if it runs ok in neutral at a light, what rpm is it running at in gear? Maybe just the idle set too low?
Im not sure offhand, but I think it would be a good time to check....Im getting it delivered tomorrow to me out here in Tennessee. So I will have to give it a once over. But when it gets resolved, I will be sure to update this thread and let you know what it was. Thanks so much!
something that has not been mentioned......vapor lock. see how close to the motor your fuel line is run. is it near the exhaust manifold when leaving the pump. i had this happen to me so many times its not funny usually to factory type of cars running metal fuel lines.
Check idle mixure screw settings, Idle speed setting, put in new accelerator pump. Also look for vacuum leaks, hoses cracked.
"I'll tell you what though, if im at a red light and I put it in neutral while sitting, then switch it to drive before I take off, it wont do it." I would not overlook the transmission. I had a 62 Cadillac that would sometimes not downshift to low when I stopped for a light. I'd give it the gas and it would sputter and cough since the trans was still in high gear. I'd manually drop it into low and off I'd go without a problem. does it do it every time??? drive around and manually shift into low at every light and see what happens. if that "fixes" it you know where to look.
Niki, It sounds as if it's loading up. I'd advise you to rebuild or replace that carb, replace the fuel filter and recheck the timing. .....Bob
From my experience with my '66 Tbird with the Autolite 4v, it's a great carburetor if it's tuned properly. I daily drove my Tbird all through college, everyday, everywhere, all the time. I noticed you're in TN, but I had a great experience with "Tbirds by Nick" in Southern California; he has rebuilt carb's ready to exchange with yours. I took my car in, and he noticed that a piece of the linkage was missing, and not adjusted quite right, fixed it up and it ran great for years after. One thing those carburetors are famous for is fuel overflowing the bowl when parked after a long drive and the engine's very warm. I was thinking of putting a phenolic spacer on it to help keep the heat isolated from it; however it's hibernating right now as I'm focusing on my Model A currently. http://www.t-birdsbynick.com/ http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182/ (join this forum, it's full of FE guru's that'll be happy to help you out.)
I had a Ford coupe with a SBC and it was doing the same. It ended up being a electrical issue. I don't remember exactly what it was.
Another source for Great Thunderbird info is the Vintage Thunderbird Club International (VTCI). They have a forum (free) and are a great source of info. Good Luck with the problem your having. It does sound like a carb problem.
Yeah, I know of Nick's. Im originally from California (born and raised)....I picked up a few things from him. And I wasnt a huge fan. He pretty much laughed at my car before it got its paint job. Anyway...To answer the questions...yes, It does do it every time. But it is something that just began after (oh..lets say ) 5 years of driving the car. It just seemed odd that it would be an issue out of the blue...I know that it does run a bit rich sometimes, and I had heard from a good friend that that can cause issues too. So I think Im going to start by checking the mixture...and it that doesnt do it, I guess I'll move on to timing. Im gonna have to check out VTCI too. Im always open to new places...Last time I checked (which wasnt long ago) I didnt have a vacuum leak, and I have replaced my hoses already..so they are fairly new. Dunno about vapor lock...but Im gonna look around and make a few adjustments so hopefully she'll be running like a champ again. Thanks for all your help!! Niki
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