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Old 01-27-2013, 06:50 PM   #61
Gary WA
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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Originally Posted by Stretch Cab View Post
It's an 84 year old truck, maybe it just needs to pull over and rest awhile.........
New Motor 1000 miles on it!!
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Old 01-27-2013, 06:52 PM   #62
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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Originally Posted by SteveB31 View Post
I think it is vapor locking.

Take it for a long ride and make it quit running. After it quits, raise the hood, and pour a bottle of water on the carb.

If it starts back up and runs, then it was vapor locking.

Now......to fix that , can be a chore, depending on the caus (several of whcih were described in this thread.)

Whats the prize?

Steve
Not in 3 miles at speeds of 25 or less!
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Old 01-27-2013, 06:54 PM   #63
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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I will go with this.

I had exact same problem.

Powerhouse was charging 18 volts in a 12 volt system.

It turned the points blue and they misfired.

After checking fuel and carb because it sure sounded like that, I simply hooked a timing light up to the coil lead.

As soon as it started misfiring it was obvious.

You can even drive with the light permanently hooked up, if it may take 100 miles for it to happen and you have the diagnosis instantly.
New Generator built by The Tom Wesenberg It' Good Not overcharging!!!!
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Old 01-27-2013, 07:14 PM   #64
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

Coil
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Old 01-27-2013, 07:45 PM   #65
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

This happened on a car i drove, it was a combination of bad coil, internally fractured distributer cap that shorted out 2 plugs and had poor connections to the other 2 only when it was hot. Cold it was fine. Bad condenser and to finish it off the generator cutout was faulty and caused voltage spikes somehow (bad connections inside). Had to fix the lot of them before it would run properly for a length of time.
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Old 01-27-2013, 07:52 PM   #66
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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Knew an elderly, proud highly educated gentleman, (college graduate), who died about 50 years ago at age 80.

He never owned a car; but when he died he still had two (2) loyal mules & a 1930's bicycle.

Every time he saw a stalled car, he would go to the driver to tell him he knew why his car would not start.

His explanation of the cause of engine failure, even on modern cars, was "Classique" and always the same:

"Your magneto is damp!"

On this particular occasion, with all of Brent's lovely "Holy Cows" etc., poor soul would definitely be worthy of at least an honorable mention if he would not have been first & won "The Prize."

Last edited by H. L. Chauvin; 01-27-2013 at 07:53 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 01-27-2013, 07:57 PM   #67
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

I think this group has covered pretty much all the snafus possible. One time on a fall tour, a member was having similar problems, and so I disconnected his gas line from the carb, swung it up so I could blow on it, and problem solved. When Mr Wilson does solve the problem, and he will with all this expertise at his fingertips, I would like him to tell us what exactly the problem was for sure. We are all dying to know.
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Old 01-27-2013, 08:26 PM   #68
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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Coil
Changed out with two different known good coils
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Old 01-27-2013, 08:31 PM   #69
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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I think this group has covered pretty much all the snafus possible. One time on a fall tour, a member was having similar problems, and so I disconnected his gas line from the carb, swung it up so I could blow on it, and problem solved. When Mr Wilson does solve the problem, and he will with all this expertise at his fingertips, I would like him to tell us what exactly the problem was for sure. We are all dying to know.
Removed the gas valve, gas line sediment bowl, line to carb,gas tank spotless,gas flows are all good! Don't dye yet we will find the cause and report so we can win the Prize,what ever that might be. We have special forces coming in next week to do it all over.. RESULTS to Follow!!! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.
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Old 01-27-2013, 08:54 PM   #70
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

I had the same Backfiring situation happened to me, when the engine came up to normal operating Temps. Recently installed a Modern Upper Plate w/Chinese Parts.

I first changed out the condenser, same problem it would backfire when it got Hot. Drilled out another hole in my Re pro Gas cap, no help.
I ordered another set of Points Echlin, installed them, solved My Backfire Problem. Took the first set of Points Reinstalled them, to make sure that was the problem, started backfiring again, removed the Chinese points and Garbaged them.

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Old 01-27-2013, 09:13 PM   #71
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

If indeed pulling the choke out helps some for a while it sure seems to me you may have a vapor lock. I still say check gasline getting too much heat from exhaust.
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Old 01-27-2013, 09:21 PM   #72
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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If indeed pulling the choke out helps some for a while it sure seems to me you may have a vapor lock. I still say check gasline getting too much heat from exhaust.
This could be the problem, but my 28 had that problem when using 10% ethanol crap gas and setting at a red light. Then it would cough and sputter for a few blocks until the fuel cooled a bit. Pulling the choke about 2/3rds. did help a bit as I pulled away from the light. I never remember having a problem as long as the car was moving over 10 MPH.
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Old 01-27-2013, 09:37 PM   #73
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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Bad ignition switch, especially a rero switch that doesn't have a good positive click to the ON position.
Poor wire insulation on an original popout switch, so it's grounding out inside the steel cable.
Short wire between the upper and lower dist. plates grounding out or broken.
I assume the terminal box connections are clean and tight, and all wire terminals are soldered to the wire.
My Money is on the ignition switch ! - I had the same symptoms when my one went bad - Took me ages to find it -Karl
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Old 01-27-2013, 09:42 PM   #74
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

All these "It must be" comments demonstrate all the solutions problems to a very common problem in 80+ year-old cars. It will be very interesting to find out what it really was in this case!
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Old 01-27-2013, 09:53 PM   #75
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

Did you try puting a carb on from a friends car that does run right? That would totally eliminate the carb.
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Old 01-27-2013, 10:04 PM   #76
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

I suggest checking the fuel tank for moving sediment. I don't think the crab apple comment is far from a possibility. Had a friend whose suzuki 4WD would run and then die, anywhere, anytime. He tried al sorts of things, including blowing air back along the fuel line. After lots of carb replacing and ignition system replacing etc, he pulled the fuel tank out, and emptied the contents. After the fuel came out, there was a rattle in the tank. He chased the source of the rattle, and it was a small petrified skink lizard. It would move around the tank and randomly block the fuel pickup in the tank. After letting the car rest a while, there would be enough fuel getting past the lizard, or the lizard would shift away from the pickup, allowing fuel to flow again. Not say it is the problem, but something to check.
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Old 01-27-2013, 11:09 PM   #77
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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My Money is on the ignition switch ! - I had the same symptoms when my one went bad - Took me ages to find it -Karl
removed end of ignition switch from distributor and replaced with a jumper screwed into distributor clipped to positive side of coil drove did same thing. So I know the switch is good.
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Old 01-27-2013, 11:12 PM   #78
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Did you try puting a carb on from a friends car that does run right? That would totally eliminate the carb.
2 different carbs plus I rebuilt the one on the truck to be sure, It runs GREAT and idles for about 2.6miles on EVERYTHING that we have tried doing each item and then test drive at 2.6miles it has no power but will idle and run in first gear not stepping on the gas pulling the choke does nothing.
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Old 01-27-2013, 11:14 PM   #79
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Default Re: Who Can Diagnose THIS Total Mystery? Win A Prize?

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Originally Posted by dave in australia View Post
I suggest checking the fuel tank for moving sediment. I don't think the crab apple comment is far from a possibility. Had a friend whose suzuki 4WD would run and then die, anywhere, anytime. He tried al sorts of things, including blowing air back along the fuel line. After lots of carb replacing and ignition system replacing etc, he pulled the fuel tank out, and emptied the contents. After the fuel came out, there was a rattle in the tank. He chased the source of the rattle, and it was a small petrified skink lizard. It would move around the tank and randomly block the fuel pickup in the tank. After letting the car rest a while, there would be enough fuel getting past the lizard, or the lizard would shift away from the pickup, allowing fuel to flow again. Not say it is the problem, but something to check.
Fuel tank bright and clean and shinny from the tank valve lines sediment bowl to the carb Gas flows VERY steady.
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Old 01-27-2013, 11:15 PM   #80
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If indeed pulling the choke out helps some for a while it sure seems to me you may have a vapor lock. I still say check gasline getting too much heat from exhaust.
Using the choke when it starts dying has NO effect on performance.
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