The Ford Barn

MGG · 08-15-2015, 06:38 PM

My 1934 V-8 is all stock with the 6 volt positive ground. It starts when I just look at the floor switch and runs great until warm up, which usually is about a mile, then it quits. It usually will start after a few minutes and then I am able to limp it back to the garage. It has done this the last 5 times I have driven it. I do not take it far pending resolution of this problem.
I have installed:
A new NAPA condenser.
A fairly new re-built Skip Haney coil.
A fairly new resister.
New points, rotor, caps, plugs and wires about a year ago.
New wiring from top to bottom.
When it quit today:
The coil was warm, not hot.
The carb and fuel lines were warm.
The resister was cool.
The switch terminals were cool.
Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

Willit Stop · 08-15-2015, 06:58 PM

A wild guess here.....are you using a non-vented gas cap? It should be vented. It could be that it's running out of gas.A non-vented cap will cause a vacuum in the tank.Try driving it without a cap.Or....drive it till it quits and take the cap off.If you hear the sound of air rushing into the tank you have the wrong cap.Just a thought.

colin1928 · 08-15-2015, 07:09 PM

May be lack of fuel

Bob C · 08-15-2015, 07:13 PM

When it quits do you have spark??

Bob

4t8v8 · 08-15-2015, 07:18 PM

Sounds like fuel problems. Many years ago I had a '35 Cheeby pickup. Did what your car is doing. The gas tank and filler were under the seat. After much head scratching I finally unscrewed the gas filler cap and looked into the tank. Somehow a flat steel ruler from a tri-square had gotten into the tank and would vibrate over the fuel pickup hole and cut the fuel off. Just saying don't overlook anything. Murphy's Law never fails. I would check the carb when it happens to be sure it's getting fuel.

JM 35 Sedan · 08-15-2015, 09:12 PM

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I just posted a few things to check over on the EFV-8 Club forum. One thing that doesn't sound normal to me is the resistor is cool. This resistor is usually warm to hot while engine is running and right after shutdown, unless it is developing a high resistance connection or completely opening as the wire turns heat up.

Charlie ny · 08-15-2015, 09:21 PM

MGG,
You should BBQ'd your finger on the resistor.......I'm w/John Mason. It is also possible that your Skips coil may have have been hurt.
Charlie ny

Scott H in Wheaton · 08-15-2015, 09:36 PM

Is the choke off?

MGG · 08-15-2015, 10:56 PM

Good suggestions, all. Thanks. Awhile ago I had a revelation. My symptoms have occurred on my other modern cars and trucks in the past when there was moisture in the fuel. I bought a bottle of HEET tonight. Monday I will drain out the gas, put in new gas with the HEET and see if that solves it. It has worked before on my other vehicles. If that does not do it I will dig deeper.
The choke is fine. The gas tank is vented thru a tube attached to the hydrostatic gas gauge sending unit. I will also take a hard look at the resistor and check spark if it quits again. I will keep you posted what I find.

koates · 08-16-2015, 04:49 AM

Hi there, That's right, a 34 ford does not need a vented fuel cap as it has a vent pipe on the fuel gauge tank unit. Next time it stops leave the ignition ON and check with a test light for power at the coil terminal. If no power I would guess very worn contacts inside the ignition switch which is often overlooked. Regards, Kevin.

JM 35 Sedan · 08-16-2015, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koates

Hi there, That's right, a 34 ford does not need a vented fuel cap as it has a vent pipe on the fuel gauge tank unit. Next time it stops leave the ignition ON and check with a test light for power at the coil terminal. If no power I would guess very worn contacts inside the ignition switch which is often overlooked. Regards, Kevin.

I have had the vent tube on top of the hydrostatic fuel sending unit obstructed in the past. If the cap is a non vented design it may be a good idea to at least try removing the gas cap temporarily to see what happens.

MGG · 08-16-2015, 08:05 PM

I have a Fun Projects voltage regulator on the generator in place of the cut-out. I have the generator third brush set so that after the battery's starting charge is replaced, the charging amperage settles in at about 1-2 amps steady, regardless of the engines' speed. Could this be the reason that the resistor did not fry my finger when I touched it? Also, I thought that the engine would not run at all if the resistor was broken because does not all of the current to the coil go through it?

JSeery · 08-16-2015, 08:13 PM

The generator should not make any difference to the resistor one way or the other. It is seeing somewhere around 6.5 to 7.5 volts and dropping it down to ~3.5 to ~4.5. The resistor should be hot, it is similar to a light bulb, but not sure how quickly it cools down.

supereal · 08-16-2015, 08:16 PM

We are finding the fuel lines from the tank to the firewall filled with rust. This prevents adequate delivery to the carb once the vehicle is on the road. My '47 would buck and quit, and even the electric pump didn't help. After all efforts to deal with usual causes were exhausted, leaving only the fuel line, we pulled it put and straightened it so we good put a wire into it, and got a pile of rust and crud out of it. Apparently, the high moisture contact of alcohol bearing fuel has attacked the copper line where there were voids.

MGG · 08-16-2015, 09:10 PM

When I had the gas tank out for cleaning I filled the existing fuel line with Sea Foam for about a month. Before installing the tank, I flushed the line out well with gasoline and it seemed to run clear. Since then I have only run non-ethanol gasoline. Could some previous damage be resurfacing? I am running a later model fuel pump with the glass sediment bowl. Should I see evidence of rust in it?

MGG · 09-10-2015, 01:12 PM

Problem solved. It was bad gasoline. I drained it all out of the system and installed new non-ethanol gasoline treated with HEET to purge any remaining moisture. Today I drove it about 10 miles back and forth in my driveway without even a sputter. Thanks to all for the replies.

Capt Kirk · 09-10-2015, 06:12 PM

Wow...wish I had a 5 mile long driveway {jealousy sets in}.
Congrats on getting the problem fixed...good information from others to learn by. Your resistor being cool raised my eyebrow...you could cook a steak on mine!

Terry,OH · 09-11-2015, 06:14 AM

The solid state cut out has instructions for setting the third brush. Suggest you look them over. After the proper battery voltage is reached the cut out should put out Zero on your amp gauge.

MGG · 09-11-2015, 11:00 PM

I have a voltage regulator that looks like a cut-out and is on top of the generator where the cut-out was. The instructions that came with it say that after setting the third brush, as the battery nears full charge, the rate will taper off to 1 to 4 amps. I am reading about 1 1/2 amps on the meter so it appears to be set correctly. It only takes about 3 minutes to replace the battery's starting loss. Thanks

koates · 09-11-2015, 11:34 PM

I would say your Fun Projects round voltage regulator is working exactly as it should. Make sure the third brush is not set beyond the safe maximum amps output of your model generator. The 34 ford generator is OK for 18 amps according to the Ford service bulletins BUT I would set it no higher than 14 amps. Regards, Kevin.

08-15-2015, 06:38 PM	#1
MGG Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 285	My engine will not keep running My 1934 V-8 is all stock with the 6 volt positive ground. It starts when I just look at the floor switch and runs great until warm up, which usually is about a mile, then it quits. It usually will start after a few minutes and then I am able to limp it back to the garage. It has done this the last 5 times I have driven it. I do not take it far pending resolution of this problem. I have installed: A new NAPA condenser. A fairly new re-built Skip Haney coil. A fairly new resister. New points, rotor, caps, plugs and wires about a year ago. New wiring from top to bottom. When it quit today: The coil was warm, not hot. The carb and fuel lines were warm. The resister was cool. The switch terminals were cool. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

08-15-2015, 06:58 PM	#2
Willit Stop Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Eureka Calif. Posts: 969	Re: My engine will not keep running A wild guess here.....are you using a non-vented gas cap? It should be vented. It could be that it's running out of gas.A non-vented cap will cause a vacuum in the tank.Try driving it without a cap.Or....drive it till it quits and take the cap off.If you hear the sound of air rushing into the tank you have the wrong cap.Just a thought.

08-15-2015, 07:09 PM	#3
colin1928 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Australa Melbourne Posts: 878	Re: My engine will not keep running May be lack of fuel

08-15-2015, 07:13 PM	#4
Bob C Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: So Cal Posts: 8,749	Re: My engine will not keep running When it quits do you have spark?? Bob

08-15-2015, 07:18 PM	#5
4t8v8 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: NW Arkansas Posts: 524	Re: My engine will not keep running Sounds like fuel problems. Many years ago I had a '35 Cheeby pickup. Did what your car is doing. The gas tank and filler were under the seat. After much head scratching I finally unscrewed the gas filler cap and looked into the tank. Somehow a flat steel ruler from a tri-square had gotten into the tank and would vibrate over the fuel pickup hole and cut the fuel off. Just saying don't overlook anything. Murphy's Law never fails. I would check the carb when it happens to be sure it's getting fuel.

08-15-2015, 09:12 PM	#6
JM 35 Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Near Rising Sun, Maryland Posts: 10,858	Re: My engine will not keep running Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I just posted a few things to check over on the EFV-8 Club forum. One thing that doesn't sound normal to me is the resistor is cool. This resistor is usually warm to hot while engine is running and right after shutdown, unless it is developing a high resistance connection or completely opening as the wire turns heat up. __________________ *John* *"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts". Albert Einstein* Last edited by JM 35 Sedan; 08-16-2015 at 09:37 AM.

08-15-2015, 09:21 PM	#7
Charlie ny BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 3,019	Re: My engine will not keep running MGG, You should BBQ'd your finger on the resistor.......I'm w/John Mason. It is also possible that your Skips coil may have have been hurt. Charlie ny

08-15-2015, 09:36 PM	#8
Scott H in Wheaton Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Wheaton, IL near Chicago Posts: 861	Re: My engine will not keep running Is the choke off?

08-15-2015, 10:56 PM	#9
MGG Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 285	Re: My engine will not keep running Good suggestions, all. Thanks. Awhile ago I had a revelation. My symptoms have occurred on my other modern cars and trucks in the past when there was moisture in the fuel. I bought a bottle of HEET tonight. Monday I will drain out the gas, put in new gas with the HEET and see if that solves it. It has worked before on my other vehicles. If that does not do it I will dig deeper. The choke is fine. The gas tank is vented thru a tube attached to the hydrostatic gas gauge sending unit. I will also take a hard look at the resistor and check spark if it quits again. I will keep you posted what I find.

08-16-2015, 04:49 AM	#10
koates Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Melbourne Australia. Posts: 2,079	Re: My engine will not keep running Hi there, That's right, a 34 ford does not need a vented fuel cap as it has a vent pipe on the fuel gauge tank unit. Next time it stops leave the ignition ON and check with a test light for power at the coil terminal. If no power I would guess very worn contacts inside the ignition switch which is often overlooked. Regards, Kevin.

08-16-2015, 08:05 PM	#12
MGG Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 285	Re: My engine will not keep running I have a Fun Projects voltage regulator on the generator in place of the cut-out. I have the generator third brush set so that after the battery's starting charge is replaced, the charging amperage settles in at about 1-2 amps steady, regardless of the engines' speed. Could this be the reason that the resistor did not fry my finger when I touched it? Also, I thought that the engine would not run at all if the resistor was broken because does not all of the current to the coil go through it?

08-16-2015, 08:13 PM	#13
JSeery Member Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 16,132	Re: My engine will not keep running The generator should not make any difference to the resistor one way or the other. It is seeing somewhere around 6.5 to 7.5 volts and dropping it down to ~3.5 to ~4.5. The resistor should be hot, it is similar to a light bulb, but not sure how quickly it cools down.

08-16-2015, 08:16 PM	#14
supereal Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	Re: My engine will not keep running We are finding the fuel lines from the tank to the firewall filled with rust. This prevents adequate delivery to the carb once the vehicle is on the road. My '47 would buck and quit, and even the electric pump didn't help. After all efforts to deal with usual causes were exhausted, leaving only the fuel line, we pulled it put and straightened it so we good put a wire into it, and got a pile of rust and crud out of it. Apparently, the high moisture contact of alcohol bearing fuel has attacked the copper line where there were voids.

08-16-2015, 09:10 PM	#15
MGG Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 285	Re: My engine will not keep running When I had the gas tank out for cleaning I filled the existing fuel line with Sea Foam for about a month. Before installing the tank, I flushed the line out well with gasoline and it seemed to run clear. Since then I have only run non-ethanol gasoline. Could some previous damage be resurfacing? I am running a later model fuel pump with the glass sediment bowl. Should I see evidence of rust in it?

09-10-2015, 01:12 PM	#16
MGG Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 285	Re: My engine will not keep running Problem solved. It was bad gasoline. I drained it all out of the system and installed new non-ethanol gasoline treated with HEET to purge any remaining moisture. Today I drove it about 10 miles back and forth in my driveway without even a sputter. Thanks to all for the replies.

09-10-2015, 06:12 PM	#17
Capt Kirk Senior Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Clarkston MI Posts: 830	Re: My engine will not keep running Wow...wish I had a 5 mile long driveway {jealousy sets in}. Congrats on getting the problem fixed...good information from others to learn by. Your resistor being cool raised my eyebrow...you could cook a steak on mine! __________________ 35 Ford Cabriolet 56 Chevy Pickup 63 VW Bug Empty wallet

09-11-2015, 06:14 AM	#18
Terry,OH Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4,750	Re: My engine will not keep running The solid state cut out has instructions for setting the third brush. Suggest you look them over. After the proper battery voltage is reached the cut out should put out Zero on your amp gauge.

09-11-2015, 11:00 PM	#19
MGG Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 285	Re: My engine will not keep running I have a voltage regulator that looks like a cut-out and is on top of the generator where the cut-out was. The instructions that came with it say that after setting the third brush, as the battery nears full charge, the rate will taper off to 1 to 4 amps. I am reading about 1 1/2 amps on the meter so it appears to be set correctly. It only takes about 3 minutes to replace the battery's starting loss. Thanks

09-11-2015, 11:34 PM	#20
koates Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Melbourne Australia. Posts: 2,079	Re: My engine will not keep running I would say your Fun Projects round voltage regulator is working exactly as it should. Make sure the third brush is not set beyond the safe maximum amps output of your model generator. The 34 ford generator is OK for 18 amps according to the Ford service bulletins BUT I would set it no higher than 14 amps. Regards, Kevin.