Can a young guy get some help?

Hey guys, just looking to see if I can get some help troubleshooting a problem I'm having with my '49 shoebox.

My dad helped me get this car about a week ago and I'm just starting to learn about it.

It has a 350 SB chevy in it with only 1600 miles on it. I've taken it out for the last two days, and I've only got about 4 blocks from home before it just stalls out and dies on me. I've let it cool down and unscrewed the gas cap , and after about 30 minutes of letting it sit, I was able to start it up and make it back home.

I have a feeling it's just vapor locking, but I'm not sure how to fix the problem. Doesn't vapor lock usually occur after driving the vehicle for long periods of time? I believe the fuel pump is working fine, and the lines don't seem clogged. Just not sure whats going wrong.

I'd appreciate any help you guys could offer. Take it easy on me, I'm learnin'.

 

Sounds like a fuel problem to me. Do you know if the gas tank is clean? Maybe try running a line from a clean gas container to your fuel pump and seeing what happens then. Good luck and we are here to help one another.....

 

Sounds like dirt or something in the fuel line to me.

1shot

 

Vented or un-vented gas cap?

Check your fuel filter. HRP

 

When it stops running, check for spark and see if the accelerator pump is working, and go from there. Also, as it starts to cut out, pump the pedal and see if it perks up for a second. That would suggest a fuel issue as it gets a little left over gas from the accelerator pump.

 

electric or manual fuel pump?
my electric kept fading out like that, i put a inline pressure guage in the truck and was able to see that it would stop pumping, but still make noise...

 

Thanks pug man, that is definitely a possibility. I talked with my dad, and he said that while he had it, that was an issue, but supposedly the guy he had work on it cleaned out the tank. Maybe I should second guess that guy's work and check and see if the tank actually was cleaned out.

Here is a picture of it by the way:

 

Must be your location, it appears to be upside down! How the hell did you do that? As to your fuel problem, it's probably bad gas, how long was the car sitting before you got it? how old was the gas? These days, gas is only fresh for thirty days or so. Gotta use the blue sta-bil all the time now.

 

It must be a fuel issue, because it does sputter when I pump the accelerator. It acts like it wants to run for a few seconds, then eventually dies. I'm not sure if it has to do with the pump, but it seems to be getting gas to the carb just fine. When I manually pull the linkage, gas shoots in the bowl just fine.

 

I'll check into this too, but if it stopped working would there still be bass running to the carb?

The old or bad gas thing is a possibility too, but the gas in there shouldn't be more than a month old...

 

I was having the same type of problem with my Buick. I but in a adjustable fuel regulator and it seemed to fix it. Not sure if you are running an electric fuel pump as I am. Always a good idea to check the filter that's on the carb. Good luck

 

Not sure, I'm guessing it's un-vented, it's the original '49 cap. The filter seems fine though.

 

Sweet looking ride and i wouldn't take anybody's word when it comes to a car that you got from somebody else. Check for yourself and see if that tank is clean. If it is full of crap, clean it out good or replace it.....

 

I keep forgetting to mention...yes it's an electric fuel pump. I'll have a look at all the things mentioned and I'll let you know what I find. Thanks for all the help so far guys, I'm sure the source and cure for the problem has been listed here from someone. I love the HAMB.

 

if you have a edelbrock carb and a heated maniold you can boil the gas in carb too
insulator block 2 in high and some insulating gasgets can help
these are a ongoing experiment especially in the heat of this summmer

 

One of the guys in the club had the samne problem last weekend. SBC in a sixty Caddy w/ electric fuel pump.
The first time it happened we thought it was vapor lock since it was 104 degrees outside and he just filled up the tank about 25 miles earlier (which we razzed him about because he's notorious for only putting in ten bucks). We checked it, vented the cap and away we went. after another 15 miles it happened again. In line gauge was reading 0 lbs. of pressure. Took out the fuel filter to see if it was dirty and it was a bit. Thought since we were taking a break we might as well replace the fuel pump (an old hot rodder taught us to keep an extra in the trunk a long time ago, easy enough). Back to six lbs. of pressure and away we go once again. Another 15 miles in and back 0 lbs. of pressure. Called a wrecker to pick up the car. Him and his wife rode back with the wrecker, grabbed another car and met back up with us a few hours later at the show.
Turns out that was the first time he'd ever filled the tank up in the few years he's had it. Some crud was in the tank and kept getting sucked into the screen, blocking any fuel from passing by.
Making memories...

 

If it still has points ignition, change the condenser. They can go for a while, get hot and stop everything. If you have a compressor at home, unhook the fuel line at both ends and blow front to rear into a can to see what comes out. Blow into the tank where the fuel line hooks in, maybe the in-tank screeen is plugged.

 

Another thing to think about, if you follow LANDSEAAIR's advise and check those two items right when the car stops running and you have fuel, check the coil. I have had a couple go bad just like that.

 

Also had the same symptoms happen with a cellophane cigarette wrapper floating around in the tank! A little bit more random though.

 

Take the cap off, go for a ride, if it dies you have eliminated that issue, it is something else......

 

Make sure the choke isn't staying on. Can cause overrich condition once the car warms up.
And if you find after checking spark is no good, dont overlook the ballast resistor. I had 2 go on my Buick to find the gen was overcharging and cooking them.

 

x2 also depending on how hot it is where you are those carbs are prone to heat soak/ boiling gas! when I lived in chicago i never had that issue but oklahoma summer heat needed a fiber spacer ! also make sure your not running lean ! that will just add heat!

 

Hook a timing light to your coil lead and tape the trigger,then tape the timing light to your wing mirror or wherever you can see it and drive.When your car starts to splutter and playup if your timing light stays constant as when you first start driving then it has to be fuel.Theres 50% of your problem solved.I would check along your fuel line also to see if you have 2 fuel filters in line.
I used to strap my timing light to my leg or bars when I had a problem on my bikes and that way I knew straight away weather I had a fuel or electrical problem.
Hope this helps.

 

About 1967 I was working 2nd shift in a factory. I drove home 1/2 mile at a time. The car would die. I let it sit for a few minutes and I could go 1/2 mile or so again.

The rubber line before the fuel pump had deteriated. There was no leaking of fuel, but the pump would suck enough air that the car could not run. Letting it set for a few minutes and the pressure would equalize and the pump could pick up some fuel for a few minutes.

That was a mechanical pump and yours is electric, but I am sure you have at least one piece of flexible hose between the pump and the tank. If the guy did pull the tank to clean it he may have not tightened the clamps enough and you could be sucking air there.

 

So here's something that may make sense to some of you...I left the car where it died about 2 hours ago. I went back to pick it up when my wife got off work, went to start it and it was still not firing up.

While trying to start it, my foot accidentally slipped off the clutch and it lurched forward a little. After that I put my foot back on the clutch, gave it another try and it fired right up. Not sure if that opens any other ideas up or pinpoints the problem at all, but I'm pretty sure the dirty tank/bad gas guess is the right one.

 

take the tank out and clean it out yourself...years ago my 50 Chevy pickup would stall at 1/2 tank...the sediment bowl would be full of rust...had to clean the bowl to get it going...pulled the gas tank...tied it to a tree limb with a strap ...stuck the garden hose into the filler neck. dropped a five foot long piece of tow chain inside the tank. any swung it around to loosen all the crap inside....it took us about 3 six packs to thoroughly clean the gas tank...worked like a champ !!

 

Similar issue with a customer car recently. Had a small Holley double pumper on a 350. electric fuel pump. The car started and ran lovely.. I'd go a mile.. it would die. usually start up again. finally figured it out. The pump was not getting enough fuel to the carb., once the carb was empty, it would die. Bigger volume fuel pump solved the issue.

 

coil?

 

Might have jarred what little fuel remained an it reached the jets?

 

yeah if i were you dude id just get a new tank and run new lines. doesnt cost TOO much and eliminates 50 years of god knows what in the tank and lines. my 54 ford ran like piss for 4 hours on the drive home. switched tank and lines and new filters. y block ran like a top there on out. going through the entire fuel system wouldnt hurt at all