well i finally got my car back on the road, it ran fine for about a week then started to do something weird. everytime i come to a stop the engine will cut out like it is out of gas but it's not, no weird noises or pings. the idle gets really weak then it's off ( no sputtering just off ) then it wont start for a couple mins. i though that it might be my fuel filter so i changed it, but the problem is still going on. could it be my fuel pump or vapor lock i dont think that my lines are near anything that could be getting it hot enough for that. This is my first old car so i am learning as i go.
Could be fuel sloshing out of the float bowl, spilling into the manifold and flooding it. Does it do it if stop real easy?
I doubt that it's the fuel-pump, because there should be enough fuel in the fuel-bowl to run the engine for a minute or so, even if the fuel-pump stopped working. To check for fuel-starvation: When this happens, immediately pull the air-cleaner, and pump the throttle-lever on the carb while checking to see if the accelerator-pump is squirting some fuel into the venturi of the carb...not just a dribble, but a good, healthy stream of fuel. No fuel-squirt?...Then at least you know that it's a fuel-delivery problem, and I would bet there's dirt in the fuel-bowl. In that case, pull the fuel-line and the drain-plug from the bowl, and blow compressed air into the inlet. Then squirt a LOT of carb-cleaner into the inlet, and again blow into the inlet with compressed air. Repeat 3-4 times. Replace the drain-plug, and fuel-line, and see if that helps. Be careful to not over-tighten the drain-plug, and strip the threads. If the accelerator-pump still pumps fuel into the carb when this happens, you don't have a fuel-delivery problem...it's probably electrical. After the engine has run for a few minutes, check to see if the coil is pretty hot. If it is, it might be borderline, and needs replacing. Also, check to see that the wire leading to the points in the distributor is not grounding out somewhere, especially where it enters the body of the distributor. There should be a rubber grommet there. I had a '70 Torino years ago, that would stall when I stopped or turned. The distributor-wire insulation was worn through, and grounding out on the body of the distributor. Also check to see if you have a nice, strong spark to the plugs. Pull a sparkplug-wire, and hold it away from the plug an inch or so, while the engine is running, and determine if it's a strong, bluish, "snappy" spark as opposed to a weak, pinkish or orangeish spark. Hint: It's easier and safer if you pull the plug-wire before starting the engine. I think you have dirt in the carb, though. In my experience, when an engine stalls, and then starts again in a few minutes, it's usually that. The dirt migrates to the jet-inlet when stopping, then falls away, and to the bottom of the bowl after the engine is stopped. Good luck.
P.S. - If you determine that the spark is weak, it may be the fault of the condensor, and needs replacing.
Sounds like you and JasonSeaver might be having the same kind of problem...on the same kind of car. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=520178
Cool,you're 60 years ahead of the times,these new Hybred Prius cars do the same thing,shut off when stopped to save fuel............... Sounds like the carb is flooding at idle,kills the engine,then it's difficult to start.
it's a fairly new distributor. I'll try the fuel line thing i checked and changed the fuel filter and i didnt see any dirt in it and it was flowing well through it..
You said you just got it back on the road, how long did it sit? Did you recently fill up the gas tank (junk in the tank clogging something in the carb) or use old gas (varnishing clogging things up)? Dealing with a similar problem myself.
she sat for a while but but we had drained all the old gas out and put new in so i wouldnt think it had something to do with old gas, im going to try carb cleaner see what that does.. it's just an odd thing i would think that it would stall out when i was driving if something was getting clogged up but its only when i come so a stop.
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