The Ford Barn

H. L. Chauvin · 01-30-2013, 07:57 PM

1. It was reported some time ago on a rebuild with "all" newly painted parts, that the metal gas line from the sediment bowl/firewall to the engine was incorrectly acting as a ground from the chassis to the engine.

2. Because of the gas line's small amount of metal, (which can be indicated as a small hollow tube in a cross sectional view of same), as opposed to a large solid battery grounding cable with more metal, the small gas line was heating, thus causing a rare case of vapor lock.

3. When some owners experience grounding problems, (mainly because of fresh paint acting as electrical insulation), they provide a separate ground to the engine in lieu of relying solely on the original ground strap from the battery to the chassis, then from the chassis to the engine -- especially when they do not have metal pans on both sides of the engine.

4. If you would add a battery grounding strap from bare metal on the chassis to bare metal on a starter bolt, you would eliminate this reported "rare" vapor lock condition; or, you could try to implement paragraph 5. of message no. 136 above to elinimate this gas line grounding condition.

5. If one chokes an engine & it helps the engine to run a little better, this is most likely a fuel problem; & maybe in this rare case, the "fuel" problem "may" caused by "electrical" heat which causes vapor lock.

6. I did not think the other distributor would make a difference because of what appears to be intermittent fuel starvation.

Keep reporting your experiences -- it will be something simple.

01-30-2013, 07:57 PM	#11
H. L. Chauvin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4,179	Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize? 1. It was reported some time ago on a rebuild with "all" newly painted parts, that the metal gas line from the sediment bowl/firewall to the engine was incorrectly acting as a ground from the chassis to the engine. 2. Because of the gas line's small amount of metal, (which can be indicated as a small hollow tube in a cross sectional view of same), as opposed to a large solid battery grounding cable with more metal, the small gas line was heating, thus causing a rare case of vapor lock. 3. When some owners experience grounding problems, (mainly because of fresh paint acting as electrical insulation), they provide a separate ground to the engine in lieu of relying solely on the original ground strap from the battery to the chassis, then from the chassis to the engine -- especially when they do not have metal pans on both sides of the engine. 4. If you would add a battery grounding strap from bare metal on the chassis to bare metal on a starter bolt, you would eliminate this reported "rare" vapor lock condition; or, you could try to implement paragraph 5. of message no. 136 above to elinimate this gas line grounding condition. 5. If one chokes an engine & it helps the engine to run a little better, this is most likely a fuel problem; & maybe in this rare case, the "fuel" problem "may" caused by "electrical" heat which causes vapor lock. 6. I did not think the other distributor would make a difference because of what appears to be intermittent fuel starvation. Keep reporting your experiences -- it will be something simple.