Vacuum leak?

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone,

It has been a long time since I posted here, but I have a problem and was hoping that the expertise on this board could help me. I have a 1966 Ford Falcon Futura with the 200 cubic inch inline six and a one barrel carb.

The trouble I have been having is this: The car will start and idle very smoothly, however, after putting the car into gear and accelerating the car bogs down and will either die or spit and sputter. If the car has not died, however, and I have gained some speed, the car will accelerate somewhat and but have minimal power.

The first thing I thought was that maybe this was a carb problem. After messing around with the carburetor and having a shop tell me it was the carb, I ordered a rebuilt carb and installed it. However, the problem remained. I then thought that I received a faulty carburetor so I sent it back and had another one shipped to me. This again did not solve the problem. With the new carbs, the car did exactly the same thing, it idled perfectly but under acceleration it will bog and die.

Now I am thinking that it is either a problem with the distributor, or the vacuum advance. However, I do not know and am becoming increasingly frustrated with this problem. I am asking for any ideas, suggestions or other useful input that could help me solve this problem. Also, if it is the distributor, how difficult is that to replace?

Thank you for any help, it is greatly appreciated.

Matt

 

[JackFish]

Does it spit and sputter when you rev it up in neutral also?
If so, it might be a fuel pump problem. I would also check/replace the fuel filter.
And don't go back to that garage.

 

[Anonymous]

What happens if you snap the throttle in neutral?

Do you by chance happen to have a rusty muffler?

Can you get the engine to race if you accelerate very slowly?

Are your points set correctly? What is your dwell?

If you remove a spark plug wire and hold it near ground, how big a spark do you get?

Have you checked the spark plugs? Clean, fouled, burnt, wrong gap?

If the engine can run at a high rpm then the distributor is probably not the problem.

With the engine running, remove the vacuum line to your vacuum advance unit at the carburetor end and suck on it. the engine should sound different as you suck on it. And after you suck on the line hold your tongue against the hose and see if the vacuum in the line stays. If it doesn't, then the vacuum advance unit is bad.

Check your timing. If it is retarded, then you would have acceleration problems.

I know it sounds silly, but see if your emergency brake is sticking (does the car roll easy).

Let me know what you find.

Doc

 

[Anonymous]

In response to the most recent replies:

The muffler is rusted.

I recently replaced the fuel pump and filter.

The engine will race in neutral, with no strain on the engine it easily reaches high rpms.

The points are set correctly and were very recently replaced and the car timed, unfortunatly I do not no the dwell, but the timing is not retarded.

The spark plugs are clean and gaped correctly and a decently sized spark is observed when grounding the spark plug wire.

The emergency brake is not sticking.

I will check the vacuum advance tomorrow.

Thanks for the help, I'll post tomorrow after seeing if the vacuum advance is bad.

 

[JackFish]

Maybe it's not getting accelerator pump shot for some reason.
Look down the carb bore and give a flip of the throttle, there should be a visible jet of gas squirting in. Obviously, too much gas would also be a problem.
Reman carbs have a notorious reputation on this forum.

 

[johnnyzoom]

I can attest to the reman carb problems. My Comet had similar symptoms, I was so focused on ignition and fuel flow that I didn't notice the automatic choke wasn't opening, I'd check that, should be open wide after running a while. I'd open up the carb, make sure float level is set correctly, needle valve isn't stuck, and that everything's in there, this worked wonders for me. Good luck.

-- Johnny

 

[Anonymous]

I just checked the vacuum advance by the way that drpepper recommended; when I suck on the line the engine does make a different sound, and when i hold my tongue against the line the vacuum remains.

I was hoping that it was the vacuum advance. This is the 4th carb that has been on the car, and I have been getting the same resutls with each one. I honestly don't know what the problem could be. I have been away at school, and today I started the car for the first time since November and it started after three cranks. After letting it warm up I revved it up in neutral and she ran like hell. However as soon as I put it into gear and try to accelerate the car misses, spits and sputters.

I appreciate all the helpful responses I have recieved, I guess I can check the carb, but more and more I am begining to think that isn't related to the carb. If anyone has any good ideas I would be more than appreciative.

Thank you

 

[JackFish]

I honestly don't know what the problem could be. I have been away at school, and today I started the car for the first time since November and it started after three cranks. After letting it warm up I revved it up in neutral and she ran like hell. However as soon as I put it into gear and try to accelerate the car misses, spits and sputters.

Probably have last fall's water in the gas tank.

 

[Anonymous]

It isn't the gasoline, the car had the problem before I put it away last fall.

 

[johnnyzoom]

Sounds like you've got just about everything correct, until the engine needs more air and fuel mixture to accelerate, which happens in the carb... Maybe sitting for a while caused some junk to get in there?

 

[Anonymous]

If the muffler is severly rusted internally it is blocking the exhaust. Try feeling the exhaust coming out of the pipe with your hand. Then with someone racing the motor try it again. You should feel quite a bit more coming out (if it is OK).
If the engine runs at high rpm in park, I would suspect that the ignition system is OK. Even if the vacuum advance were bad, the car should accelerate OK. You would just get worse mileage.

What you seem to be looking for is some cause for preventing your car from accelerating under load. If this is the case, then a faulty fuel pump will do it (Do a volume test and pressure test on your fuel line at the carburetor).
I had a car that under heavy load sucked the insulation from under the hood into it's air cleaner choking the motor (man talk about troubleshooting).
A fuel filter put in backwards will not pass enough fuel into the carburetor to allow hard acceleration.
Can you look into the throat of your carburetor and see if fuel squirts into it when you open up the throttle? If not, you have a problem with your accelerator pump. (A definite cause of poor acceleration)
Have you tried accelerating the vehicle with an air cleaner on the carb?
When you open up the throttle rapidly in park does the engine respond without hesitation?

 

[LEROY POLL]

HELLO FALUDE


.....WHAT DIST. DO YOU HAVE? THESE YEARS OF CARS ARE WHERE THE MISSMATCH OF CARB. AND DISTRIBUTOR ARE THE PROBLEM.

.....YOUR ARE SAYING THAT IT'S OKAY WITH NO LOAD...BUT RUNS BADLY WHEN UNDER LOAD. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MISSMATCH AND YOUR PROBLEM. CHECK TO SEE IF YOU HAVE SPRING ON TOP OF YOUR DIST. IF YOU SEE SPRINGS..... YOU WILL NEED A CARB. WITH A SCV ON THE SIDE .

.....ALSO LOOK FOR LEAKING VAC. AT BOTH END OF YOUR LINE. THE CARB. END MAY LEAK. PULL OUT AND CHECK TO SEE IF IT IS SEATING.

.....STAY WITH IT YOU WILL GET IT TO WORK AGAIN.

LIVE IN GRACE

LEROY POLL

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the help, I haven't checked the fuel pump yet or the muffler, but I just wanted to add that when I accelerate hard the car will often stall. I don't know if that makes a difference.

 

[Anonymous]

I wanted to add something that might be of some importance. When the car is warming up, that is when the choke is engaged, these problems do not exist. The car will accelerate as soon as the pedal is punched and willl not mis, spit, or sputter. However, after the car is warm and the choke has kicked off, the car will immediately begin acting up.

I hope that this means something. I am becoming increasinly frustrated with this car.

Thank you

Matt

 

[JackFish]

I think Leroy was trying to say you might have the wrong carb for your distributor, if you have the Loadmatic dizzy.
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15522

 

[Anonymous]

There are springs on the top of the carb. What I need to know, is how do I tell if the carb and distributor are mismatched. The reman carb I have on the car looks identical to the original carb that was on the car. Also I was wondering if it was of any importance that the car runs fine with the choke engaged, but begins to act up as soon as the choke kicks off.