Hot Rods Anybody else a habitual "gun jumper"?

I didn't really drive my 51 this last summer. Just a stumbling farting lurch across the shop to get it out of the way. I remembered it not running overly smooth the summer before and after having to drain the tanks and rebuild the carbs on 2 others I cussed the panther piss, corn juice bullshit "gas" that I'm forced to use. So, off comes the carb and a kit goes in. After seeing the rusty bits in there I decided to add better filter. Turned the tank petcock off and pulled the line. Positioned a bucket and opened the petcock. Nothing. Blew air up the line- air out the cap.
Probably needed rebuilt anyway -- but it's not like I'm short on available/necessary projects.

It's a good reminder for me to check the basics and not jump to conclusions.

Any other dumbasses like me?


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Made a few hasty mis-diagnoses as well. Sometimes embarrassed and sometimes happy it was something easy after all. Either way- you aren't alone.

 

Yes. That describes me to a tee.

 

I've been the other way lately. I've got one out here that has gas that is so bad the varnish smell knocks you over when you get close to it. Truck sat too long without being worked on.

 

Oh Mr48-- trust me. There's plenty not getting attention. Is that the Cad powered pickup project sitting/stinking and waiting for you?


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More than once for me, especially now that I've reached Senior status, have learned to let it sit for a while and think it over and try not to over engineer the solution to a problem. Check for fuel and spark #1 & #2, should run, if no, it's easy, or at least you know what/where to look, nothing worse than a high/low, random speed miss, IMO several items come into play. Back in the day, racing a Midget, flipped it, rang my bell, Dad put car back together, had to strip car, new cage hoop, etc. OK 2 weeks later, jump back in and engine blubbers off corner when runing hard, change mag, change fuel pump, same deal, take car home and check everything, fuel lines for a flapper, sent mags out, flowed fuel pumps, check tank pickup, all good, get to track, same $hit, WTH, look at it, park it and take it back home, Dad had put return fuel line next to aluminum seat 2x, when we built car, I plumbed it, just did'nt catch his rerouting , when I used brakes, seat flexed, pinched line, loading up engine, I/we spent ALOT of time and effort for something so simple, moved line, ran like Jack the Bear like always, Sesco Chevy racing engine. Guess my point is, we've all learned things and sometimes the simple thing gets overlooked.

 

I once changed the rear end in a ot car, pretty simple. Slide the axles out a ways, pull the drive line and set aside. Drop out the hogs head and re assemble.
Road test and exact same issue.

Step on the gas and the car would go ok, noisy and vibration, let off the gas and rear end would start wheel hopping and skid to a stop.
I thought for sure it was the ring and pinion.

Back in the air and look at the driveline, nice and tight, pull it out and the u-joint was so dry and disintegrated that it would not rotate.
When I returned the pricey rear end to the wrecking yard, they laughed and put it back on the shelf with a note. "road tested"

 

Yep. With my old Camaro back in high school. Pulled into a gas station to get a pop or something, come back out, won't start. Went through checking everything i could think of, decided it must be the fuel pump. Come back later that night, change the fuel pump in the parking lot. Still nothing. My buddy goes around back and taps on the gas tank. " I think you're out of gas" "No I'm not, the gauge says 1/4 tank." Well it was empty, gauge stopped working. Ran out of gas AT the gas station. Got a new pump out of the deal though, probably would have needed it sometime anyway.

 

My car acted like it ran out of gas.Gauge showed 1/4 tank.No gas in carb.Must be the fuel pump.Change fuel pump,now heres where I shoot myself in the foot.I dump some gas in the tank and try to start it.Runs like a champ.Couple months later same thing runs out of gas.Shows 1/4 tank on gauge.Get towed home and figure something else is wrong.Bang on the tank,It's bone dry.Drop the tank,pull the sending unit and the sock filter on the pickup tube has a right angle bend and is laying under the float.For 20years I always put some gas in when it got near 1/4 tank.Don't have any idea how many times I was running on fumes