Puzzling Problem need help

[rommaster2]

Ok, well my vehicle is a 65 ford falcon that is currently (for at least another month) running a stock 200ci with pertronix and autolite 1100 from pony carbs. Everything has run well, slow but well, until the past two days.

Basically what happens is if i start the car in the morning it starts right up and everything is fine and dandy, it warms up and drives great no stalling or hesitation. Well today and yesterday both times when i stopped it (one for food, the other for gas) without letting it cool down to restart it will start and idle roughly but it appears normal. Then after driving it for a little if you put it in nuetral it will just die no if ands or butts.

Now when i try and turn it back over nothing, it is just dead and wont restart. I thought maybe i didn't have fuel, so i checked, both the fuel pump has pressure and the carb has pressure. When i press the accelerator linkage though it does not squirt gas into the carb like it should.

Now the most obvious thought to me is that the float is off, but how do i check it and how do i set it. I ask because the chilton guide seems a little confusing to me as they kinda don't cover much on the autolite 1100. Do i need to get a carb rebuilt kit just to adjust the float level?

I need to fix this fast because as of right now this is my daily driver until i can fix the headgasket on my DD (probably mid to next week).

Also on a sidenote when i stop it i can hear a ticking coming from under the car, could this be related?

 

[aahsac]

Does the car have a temp gauge? A hot engine will be noisy after shutoff and the symptoms suggest vapor lock.

 

[addo]

Are you still getting spark when it won't start?

 

[rommaster2]

Yes i am still getting spark, basically there is just no fuel actually in the carburator. There is fuel going up to it (and it will spray everywhere) but none actually inside when you press the accelerator.

The temp guage says its hot but thats because i just stopped the car and am starting it again. Plus it never used to have this problem doing that and nothing has changed temp wise.

 

[PaulS]

If the fuel pump is working properly and there is no gas in the carb then you have a problem that has to be between the fuel line and the float bowl. A stuck needle or a clogged filter is about all it could be.
I would try a different carb and see if that solves the issue. If you don't have and can't borrow a carb then get a rebuild kit and carefully rebuild the carb.

 

[frogmn666]

The float level is not going to change from hot to cold. Watch the accelerator pump lever where it goes to the carb (4 screws) on the valve cover side and see if it is moving. If not, the hole in the air horn where the fuel comes out is plugged. Happened to my 66 Stang. Just remove the air horn and run a wire through it several times.

The float level from `63 to `69, 144, 170, 200, 223, 240 is 1 3/32", measured from the gasket surface (gasket removed) to the top of the float with the air horn inverted. The fuel level would have to be almost zero for the pump not to work.

 

[grocery getter]

Yes i am still getting spark, basically there is just no fuel actually in the carburator. There is fuel going up to it (and it will spray everywhere) but none actually inside when you press the accelerator.

The temp guage says its hot but thats because i just stopped the car and am starting it again. Plus it never used to have this problem doing that and nothing has changed temp wise.

the float is sticking or you're getting vapor lock.

p.s. some 1100's have the filter at the carb. where's yours ?

p.s.s. when you say: "no gas inside" are you saying the bowl is empty?

 

[frogmn666]

I find it hard to believe that the float would stick after driving it unless there is heat related warpage that prevents the float from moving. I've seen it on a side-draft Weber on a sandrail.

 

[rommaster2]

Yes i am still getting spark, basically there is just no fuel actually in the carburator. There is fuel going up to it (and it will spray everywhere) but none actually inside when you press the accelerator.

The temp guage says its hot but thats because i just stopped the car and am starting it again. Plus it never used to have this problem doing that and nothing has changed temp wise.

the float is sticking or you're getting vapor lock.

p.s. some 1100's have the filter at the carb. where's yours ?

p.s.s. when you say: "no gas inside" are you saying the bowl is empty?

Well basically when i press the accelerator pump it makes a dry wheezing noise and no gas shoots down like normal. I run a filter before the pump which has gas, the fuel filter in the pump, and then there is a filter on the carb itself which i havent checked to see if thats clogged but it shouldn't be as the fuel pump one is clean and the other i just cleaned out and it wasn't too dirty.

More of an update, yesterday while driving it it did it again (i hadn't driven it for three days because of this) drove fine to my friends house, i turned it off went inside came back out started ok, little rough, but started. I then drove it out, about a quarter of a mile down the road it died while rolling up to a light. The only way i could get it to go was to start it and keep it revved at the green, then it died while driving like it was out of gas but it would start again if i compression started it. After a while of sputtering it just ran normally and drove.

If it was a consistent sputter i would assume something is clogged but the fact that it happens consistently and consistently fixes itself after driving a bit seems to me as though something isn't clogged.

 

[JackFish]

Have you got a spare "known good" coil you could swap out?

 

[frogmn666]

It could be the fuel pump even if you get gas at the filter. The amount of gas makes a difference. Sounds like it is starving. Also, try tapping on the top of the carb the next time it does this and see if it gets better.

 

[grocery getter]

check the accel. pump when it's cold.just to make sure it's working at all.

there might be a possibilty of water in the gas. but that's a stretch since it only happens when you shut it down,then restart.

if the accel pump checks out i'm still looking for heat soak on the carb while it's sitting.

 

[falcon fanatic]

Yeah, sounds like vapor lock. however, I had a similar situation once and it turned out to be a bad coil that would fail when hot. Of course, in my case the accel pump did work.

Try wrapping your fuel line in a few layers of tinfoil and see if that makes any difference.

 

[BIGREDRASA]

Yeah, sounds like vapor lock. however, I had a similar situation once and it turned out to be a bad coil that would fail when hot. Of course, in my case the accel pump did work.

Try wrapping your fuel line in a few layers of tinfoil and see if that makes any difference.

I found my coil problem by pouring cold water on the coil to cool it down fast. You could also have a degraded plastic float. Before aything else, punch out the filter screwed into the carb, or at least blow compressed air from the outlet side to blow out any debris. Also, when it fails to start, spray a little carb cleaner down the throat. It will act like a shot of gas or starting fluid, and also help clean things out.

Remember the old mechanics' adage: If you think it's a carb problem, it's probably ignition, and vice-versa.

 

[grocery getter]

the coil would be a likely problem. look at the accel pump cold. I have an extra coil if you want to try that. i'll be around this afternoon and early tomorrow.

 

[rommaster2]

I will check the coil, if it is that then i will need a new coil. Either way i should be upgrading to a ds2 in the near future, and a two barrel in the near future.

I should have the DD back togethor this weekend assuming the head has no cracks and is not warped then i can focus once again on fixing my baby .

 

[falcon fanatic]

the coil can be tricky to diagnose because even when "failing" it still makes spark. I'd pull off a wire and check for spark using a screwdriver and there'd be spark. It wasn't enough to ignite the mixture, but I couldn't tell by looking. having a unit to swap in will really help

 

[frogmn666]

rommaster2,

If you are not getting a squirt of gas from the accelerator jet, it is a fuel problem.

 

[rommaster2]

Well i figured out the problem, the needle and seat is bent . Now i have to hope tommorrow in the morning before work i can get one at autozone since thats the only online place that lists a rebuild kit for my carb so i know for sure they would have it. So much for staying up late to fix my other car now i need to wake up early.

 

[Lazy JW]

Well i figured out the problem, the needle and seat is bent . ......

That would certainly cause problems.

FWIW, I have driven enough old junkers in my life to have actually plugged up a number of fuel filters (multiple times on a couple of vehicles). They ALWAYS give trouble at high speed such as climbing a hill with a load, never at low speed. Think about it.
Joe