Van Voodoo (what the hell is goin' on!?!)

[Anonymous]

i've got a ford falcon van 1962, straight six 144. it keeps having starting problems and overheating problems (likely related.)

it used to be, if i drove it for over an hour and then parked it, it wouldn't restart. if i let it cool down for about an hour, it restarted. now, she wants to quit on a long drive -- heat related. she seems to be suffering to some degree from vapor lock.

took it to a mechanic. he tested compression: A-okay on all cylinders. he said it was fine. drove it away and it quit that day, had to tow it back. the tow truck brought it in and it started right up! :x these guys said it ran fine (which it does run well for a 62' i spose.) but they couldn't figure it out.


recent work i've done:

new air and fuel filters
new fuel pump
removed the thermostat altogether

i am about to drain and refill the radiator (didn't have time when i pulled the thermo.) other than that i'm kinda stumped. it did overheat one time at the beginning of summer when i first got it. the valve cover wasn't on properly and all the oil ran out before i figured out what was going on. hasn't run as well since. it coughs alot now too, and backfires, which it didn't when i first got it. exhaust trouble?

any ideas?

 

[pedal2themetal45]

OK First WEclome to the board.
second put a thermostat back in it... It may be over heating more than you think.. the gage may be wrong... make sure you refill the radiator check it a couple of times when its cold it should be full or no more than 1" below the cap ring when its cold.. a bad rad cap can cause it to push out water when you shut it off due to the prusher in it then your back to low water level and it well over heat again...
As for the chugging I'd say tune up .... Plugs, points, condenser check the points cam in the dizzy there may be a build up of gunk causing the points to jump around causing it to miss (been there done that).. once its running again spray carb cleanner down the inside of the carb (while its running) to clean out some of the passages. You'll have to keep the idle up as it well want to die when you do this.
Good luck
Tim

 

[Anonymous]

tim,

thanks for the welcome.

as to the radiator fluid. it's quite full. has been. as far as plugs, etc: new plugs and wires, gaps fine, points fine. distributor in good shape.

a question about the thermostat. i thought it sent fluid back to the pump before it opened up at it's operating temperature. so no thermostat means all the fluid is going into the radiator where it is being cooled. am i wrong about this?

i'll check the carb, but i really think the performance thing is related to the overheat thing. although would a too-rich mixture cause coughing?

really i'm more worried about the over heat. where's the temperature gauge in the engine? maybe replacing that will give more info.

 

[wsa111]

First, you said it did not restart after driving for a while or heat soak??

Need a lot more information than you gave.

Does it crank over but will not fire or will just not crank over????

Second, you need to do a cooling system flush, pull the radiator & have it flow checked at a radiator shop.

If that checks ok you need to use a cooling system flushing chemical or use a part mixture of muritiac acid to clean the water jackets of years of crud??

Also check fuel pressure, with that old of vehicle the sock filter in the fuel tank could be clogged up.

???? Let us know what you find.

Do you have spark after continious driving?? William

 

[rbohm]

8) overheating on those early vans can be caused by a couple of things;

1: air not getting to the radiator. remember that the radiator is well back out of the airstream, and if you dont have something to direct the air to the rad, then your will have overheating issues.

2: poor radiator flow. likely due to age, the radiator is partially plugged and as a result has reduced cooling capacity.

3: bad hoses.

4: bad cap.

after you have had the radiator restored or replaced, install a new thermostat and a new radiator cap as well as new hoses.

as for the starting problem, likely it is just heat soak that is causing the problem. once the overheating goes away, the starterworks fine as electrical resistance is reduced. at this point i would also replace the starter as well, since it likely has been there quite sometime and is starting to die anyway.

 

[MercuryMarc]

When you mention "won't start" do you mean the starter turns over and the car will not fire or that the starter willl not even turn over?

marc
63 Comet
69 250/C4

 

[pedal2themetal45]

HI

a question about the thermostat. i thought it sent fluid back to the pump before it opened up at it's operating temperature. so no thermostat means all the fluid is going into the radiator where it is being cooled. am i wrong about this?

really i'm more worried about the over heat. where's the temperature gauge in the engine? maybe replacing that will give more info.

The thermostat holds water in the motor to heat up when its cold OR out of the motor so it has a chance to cool down, and it also slows the flow down some to give it a chance to cool down ... with out the thermostat the water contenues to flow throuout the motor at full speed and it doesn't have a chance to cool down.

I beleve the temp unit is in the back of the head on the drivers side. it well have one wire on it and it is screwed into the head...

carb adjustment with motor warmed up turn the idle air/mixture screw (screw in the base plate of the carb) in untill the motor starts to die or miss then back it out untill you get a smooth idle. A little goes a long way with this screw...

 

[Junk-Falcon]

my van would

 

[jimarlie]

Make sure you have the belly pan on and the air dam in the top of the dog house over the radiator. Junk-falcons solution is a good one as is having the rad routed out. If you are running rubber line from the fuel pump to the carb try switching to an insulated metal line, this has helped others. Almost everyone who drives an Early Van/Pickup in warm climates has had these problems. Hang in there, every thing is solveable.

Jim