Engine losses power as I pull out of driveway

[drumyn29]

I took it out last week and gave my friend the time of his 10 year old life, then, it all started.

It runs great in the garage but as soon as I pull out on the street that Damn car dies out on me!

I have changed condensor, tightened battery cables, sanded area where ground strap bolts to transmission, ran a rubber mount off of bellhousing for main power wire, checked points, checked timing, sprayed carb cleaner to find vacuum leak, inspected ignition switch and wires near. Before this drama I did change out the fan blade and waterpump. I have the headlight wires disconnected with tape covering the ends but I can''t see how that would be an issue as the light switch isn't on.

OOPS, LOSES POWER ,NOT LOSSES POWER!!

This car is about to earn a for sale sign!!!

[drumyn29]

One more thing, it now backfires.

[Tom Wesenberg]

My friend has a 29 Tudor for sale for what I think is a bit low. It was restored about 19 years ago.

[JBill]

It sounds like it could be fuel starvation. Have you checked fuel flow with the gas line disconnected from the carburetor?

[drumyn29]

One thing that I forgot to add is that I unscrewed jet and inspected and sprayed air hose in carb as well.

[drumyn29]

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Originally Posted by JBill

It sounds like it could be fuel starvation. Have you checked fuel flow with the gas line disconnected from the carburetor?

I have not, yet.

[Jim/GA]

Originally Posted by JBill

It sounds like it could be fuel starvation. Have you checked fuel flow with the gas line disconnected from the carburetor?

I agree.

Confirm gas cap is venting. Try backing out of driveway without gas cap on.

Remove fuel line from carb (gas valve off), put a can below the line and open the valve. Fuel must flow out in a clear full stream. If not, fuel filter or screen is clogged, inlet to valve is clogged with trash (we see it all the time).

Is it backfiring out of carb inlet? That's a lean condition (short of fuel). Try manually partially choking it to force enough fuel to flow to keep it running.

Backfiring out of tailpipe (exhaust) is the opposite, excess fuel and/or incomplete combustion (poor ignition, fouled plugs, etc.) dumping unburnt fuel into exhaust system. It burns in exhaust system as explosions.

Hope this helps.

[Patrick L.]

How does it quit ? Does it stumble or just up and die instantly ?
When it quits, immediately get out and check for spark. Set a plug wire 1/4" from a plug or ground and crank the engine. There should be a good spark. If not, you know where to look. If there is a spark, then you know to look at the fuel system.
Make sure the gas cap is venting. Remove the fuel line from carburetor. Make sure line does not extent more than a 1/16-1/8" beyond ferrule. Open shut off and run fuel into a container to check for good solid flow.
If all this checks out, then the carburetor probably needs to be cleaned.

[drumyn29]

It dies out like someone shut the key off or the gas stopped. As soon as it dies I start it right up and it runs a bit rough then dies out again, and so on…..

I took fuel filter and cleaned, no blockage anywhere in the fuel line. I'll try the gas cap idea.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by drumyn29

It dies out like someone shut the key off or the gas stopped. As soon as it dies I start it right up and it runs a bit rough then dies out again, and so on…..

I took fuel filter and cleaned, no blockage anywhere in the fuel line. I'll try the gas cap idea.

Sure sounds like fuel starvation.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Sounds so normal to me for an 80+ year old Model A.

Without "seeing" what is happening & without "hearing" what is happening I would not hesitate a split second at the very least to try this:

1. First, please forget about the "For Sale" sign; your Model A does not want to change owners ........... yet ....... don't make him/her cry.

2. If everything checks out electrically, please forget about electrical issues; your Model A is talking to you; but, we never learn his/her language ....... try thinking like a veterinarian who can cure without using our languages derived from either Greek or Latin.

3. If you've thoroughly cleaned the carburetor several times, please quit cleaning it -- no silly comment offered here.

4. At this point, all above fuel starvation comments appear correct; however, you have already disconnected the fuel line & gas flowed, but guess what ...... in medical terms, maybe your bladder did not empty -- a catheter may have worked, but parts vendors don't offer them -- the blockage is commonly way up & above in the bladder or the fuel tank.

5. Save the $5.00 or so for the "For Sale" sign, please go on line & under fuel tanks please order a "fuel tank filter screen". When it comes in, insert it in the tank where it can help to prevent future blockages all the way down through the urinary tract, even in the carburetor jets.

6. I could have written this more seriously, but appears we always listen & remember jokes & humor; but, always forget & never "listen" to more serious things like our Civics Classes.

Model A's stalling on today's highways are dangerous & life threatening -- plus you sound like a great guy spending Model A time out with a 10 year old.

Sincerely hope this helps.

[drumyn29]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

Sounds so normal to me for an 80+ year old Model A.

Without "seeing" what is happening & without "hearing" what is happening I would not hesitate a split second at the very least to try this:

1. First, please forget about the "For Sale" sign; your Model A does not want to change owners ........... yet ....... don't make him/her cry.

2. If everything checks out electrically, please forget about electrical issues; your Model A is talking to you; but, we never learn his/her language ....... try thinking like a veterinarian who can cure without using our languages derived from either Greek or Latin.

3. If you've thoroughly cleaned the carburetor several times, please quit cleaning it -- no silly comment offered here.

4. At this point, all above fuel starvation comments appear correct; however, you have already disconnected the fuel line & gas flowed, but guess what ...... in medical terms, maybe your bladder did not empty -- a catheter may have worked, but parts vendors don't offer them -- the blockage is commonly way up & above in the bladder or the fuel tank.

5. Save the $5.00 or so for the "For Sale" sign, please go on line & under fuel tanks please order a "fuel tank filter screen". When it comes in, insert it in the tank where it can help to prevent future blockages all the way down through the urinary tract, even in the carburetor jets.

6. I could have written this more seriously, but appears we always listen & remember jokes & humor; but, always forget & never "listen" to more serious things like our Civics Classes.

Model A's stalling on today's highways are dangerous & life threatening -- plus you sound like a great guy spending Model A time out with a 10 year old.

Sincerely hope this helps.

Thank you I'll inspect tank and buy a screen.

I have one thing to add. I took the gas cap off and the car didn't change. BUT, it seems like as it's dying out at full advance if I retard, it seems to regain somewhat of an even idle.

Theere is a lot of rust in the tank, which is why I installed a clear glass fuel filter right under the tank inside the cab.

[modelAtony]

Originally Posted by drumyn29

Thank you I'll inspect tank and buy a screen.

I have one thing to add. I took the gas cap off and the car didn't change. BUT, it seems like as it's dying out at full advance if I retard, it seems to regain a somewhat of an even idle.

Theere is a lot of rust in the tank, which is why I installed a clear glass fuel filter right under the tank inside the cab.

Your clear fuel filter under the tank inside cab , could be your problem. This wouldn't happen to be a modern fuel filter would it ? If it's modern filter this will probally be the problem. REMOVE IT. have fun modelAtony tony white.

[Fred K-OR]

Most comments above seem to say you have fuel problem. And they are likely correct because I am no expert. But I had a similar problem with my coupe a year or so ago. It would just stop dead like you turned the key off. I would coast to the side of the road, put the spark lever up and try to start it. It would start right up and would run for quite awhile.

So I changed out the coil and since then have had not problems. But after changing the coil and a little later, I thought it would be good to check the distributor. I found the wire under the top plate that connects the points to the bottom plate was rather frayed. So I fixed that.

Thus the point of all these comments is that I did not verify that it was the coil, which it could have been or if it was the wire in the distributor. The reason I keep thinking about the wire in the distributor is that when the rig stopped, and I pulled to the side of the road, I put the spark lever up. This would move the top plate around and also move the wire under it. Thus it could have been the wire shorting out or getting a disconnection.

I know this does not give you a direct course of action but may give you a couple of other things to check.

[Mitch//pa]

it could be either a fuel or spark malfunction. instead of guessing lets do a diagnosis to see which it is. after many responses you mention about rust in the tank and an add on filter inside the cab. anything else we should know? when its not starting lets hold the coil wire and see if we get some spark.

[drumyn29]

Originally Posted by Fred K-OR

Most comments above seem to say you have fuel problem. And they are likely correct because I am no expert. But I had a similar problem with my coupe a year or so ago. It would just stop dead like you turned the key off. I would coast to the side of the road, put the spark lever up and try to start it. It would start right up and would run for quite awhile.

So I changed out the coil and since then have had not problems. But after changing the coil and a little later, I thought it would be good to check the distributor. I found the wire under the top plate that connects the points to the bottom plate was rather frayed. So I fixed that.

Thus the point of all these comments is that I did not verify that it was the coil, which it could have been or if it was the wire in the distributor. The reason I keep thinking about the wire in the distributor is that when the rig stopped, and I pulled to the side of the road, I put the spark lever up. This would move the top plate around and also move the wire under it. Thus it could have been the wire shorting out or getting a disconnection.

I know this does not give you a direct course of action but may give you a couple of other things to check.

One of the first things I checked was the dist. wire I triple checked it and made sure it was tight and right. It idles fine at high and low rpm in the garage, it's only when I take it for a spin is when it acts up.

[noboD]

How did it drive the last time? How long ago? How old is the gas?

[drumyn29]

Originally Posted by noboD

How did it drive the last time? How long ago? How old is the gas?

Brand new 5 gallons of gas, I drove it last week.

[jmeckel]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

it could be either a fuel or spark malfunction. instead of guessing lets do a diagnosis to see which it is. after many responses you mention about rust in the tank and an add on filter inside the cab. anything else we should know? when its not starting lets hold the coil wire and see if we get some spark.

Yes Mitch I agree. Time to start, in a logical approach, shotgun approach only increases frustration and spends $'s with poor results. The trouble shooting needs to start when the issue is occurring, not after the fact when all is working. A quick check of the "strap" on the points to make sure when it gets hot it does not touch the case of the distributor. I for one spent a lot of time tracking this issue down on my A. New points are not all made as they used to be.

On the testing spark front, here is the best tool I ever spent $5.00 on, use it on old tractors, old stationary engines, and old cars. It helps to see if there is spark under load, when running. And you can test the spark by yourself.

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[drumyn29]

I watched the glass fuel filter and the gas stayed the same as it died. As soon as it started dying out I gave it full throttle and a KABOOM came out of the tail pipe. I did notice the generator seems a bit noisy but I don't see how that could affect engine because even if the generator failed the battery would keep it running until battery drained(I think).

Maybe I should re visit the points again.