Doug&Deb

I was running a rubber line to the carb after I changed the fuel pump. I had been using the wrong pump. The problem never occurred until I made a new hard line. The problem is very random only happening when pulling a hill and even then it’s random. I know most fuel problems are ignition but what is causing it is beyond frustrating. I just checked the tuning with my analyzer and everything is in spec.

I thought I had my fuel problem sorted but it acted up again yesterday. I finally got the correct pump and was running it with a rubber line between the pump and carb to make sure the pump was working properly. Once I made a new hard line that seemed to trigger the problem again. I’m pretty sure I know the answer but I’ll ask anyway. Because of the heater box and my inability to make a tight 90 degree bend at the carb end I installed a 90 degree fitting into the carb. Did I create the restriction? The car is a 52 Coronet by the way.

Rich, I don’t have the number handy but I think it’s 4895. I sourced it from Vintage Power Wagons using the listing for a 58 D100 truck which is what my engine originally came from. I’m not sure about Hershey yet but we’ll definitely stop by if we go.

For anyone who remembers my post about my fuel pump problem I just found out why it occurred. A quick background. I have a 58 truck engine in my 52 Coronet. I got the engine out of a 51 Coronet so it had the correct ancillary components to work correctly. The only thing missing was the fuel pump. I installed the AC588 I’ve always used and had problems for about a year. The solution was a different pump and the reason is that the camshaft is a different part number. I just wanted to inform others to save them from the aggravation I went through.

At some point the pulley width changed and I’m not sure what year that was. I believe it will bolt on with no problem though.

I always just push the panel in by hand and use needle nose pliers to insert the pin. It’s finicky but doable.

I’m not aware of any mechanical issues with them. Just check for rot in the usual areas. I’ll have to get used to you having such a new-fangled car.

Marty, did you say you can come to a stop before it’s down shifting then when you pull away it down shifts? Doesn’t it stall? Mine didn’t down shift at a stop before I rewired it but it would always stall. I’m not sure if cleaning the breaker points on the governor cover would help or not. You may have already done that.

If all else fails call Bernbaums. I’ve found them to be very helpful any time I had a question.

A temporary fix for the hood cables is picture hanging wire. It’s the right diameter and it’s strong enough. I used that when I had a D24.

Marty, check the Imperial club website. They have a troubleshooting manual available for download. I had the same problem with mine and it ended up being bad wiring.

Have you removed the residual valve from the master cylinder? I’m running a Scarebird kit on my Coronet with the original master cylinder. I removed the valve from the master cylinder and added two inline valves to the front and back. Two pounds to the front and ten pounds to the rear. I haven’t had any problems yet in close to 10,000 miles. Perhaps your master cylinder has finally failed from age. A rebuild may fix the problem.

I’m planning on rewiring my 52 Coronet soon. Since much of the wiring runs through the roof area I’m wondering if it’s necessary to remove the headliner or can the wires be pulled one at a time. I’m not planning on buying a pre made harness because of cost. Also how do you get to the instrument cluster? There’s not much room.

Dielectric grease and the felt washers should remedy the problem.

Vince while you have things apart this is a good time to check inner and outer tie rod ends also.

What PA said. You have to order by the distributor number because you never know whether a previous owner changed it over the years.

Rebuild kits are available and it’s not a bad job. Removing it sucks unfortunately. The shaft goes from the box to the steering wheel. You have to get the front end high enough to pull the whole thing out from the bottom. Now would also be a good time to check all the tie rods. I’ve done this and I’m the worst mechanic I know lol.

The tank and lines are new. The air leak is caused by the pump screws coming loose possibly because the pump is wrong for this engine. The cam lobe may be worn by now. The engine was recently rebuilt by me and I didn’t notice any wear nor did the machine shop but I’ve put around 3500 miles on it with probably the wrong pump so who knows. I’m waiting on the hopefully correct pump to come in and I’ll see what the cam lobe looks like.

Are you referring to the length of the stroke from one to the other?

New line from tank to carb. Why is the truck pump different from the car application? The pivot lever is totally different. The pump on the car now worked fine on the original engine and it and two others I’ve tried have all had the same issue on this engine. The screws holding the pump together keep loosening quickly causing a leak and causing it to suck air which I’m sure is causing the starvation issue. I’ve ordered a truck specific pump to try. For now I’m removing the pump and running the electric pump just to keep the car roadworthy.

Now I’m really confused.

I wish I could help. Whatever spares I had are long gone. You are correct. The switch on the front is the electric dash pot and the kick down is on the side. I’ve been able to find carbs at swap meets in the past. Also check eBay and facebook marketplace. If you have any junk yards in your area try them. I would think the shop that lost the parts should be responsible for replacing them.

For my Coronet I drilled a piece of bar stock to match the original hold down. It’s been there for five years now. I do agree with checking for a draw on your electrical system. Also fully charge your battery then load test it.

I have a 52 Coronet but the engine is from a 58 D-100. It has the correct ancillary equipment to work in a car. The problem I’m having is fuel starvation on hills. I’ve tried three different pumps and they all have the same problem. The one on there now always worked fine on the original engine. I should add that part of the problem is leakage from where the pump is screwed together. After looking up the pump for the truck I realized it’s completely different from the car application. I’m wondering if the cam is different and it’s trying to stroke the pump farther than it should. I’ll try to include pictures to show what I mean. I’ve ordered a truck pump to see if it works.

I have a 52 Coronet but the engine is from a 58 D-100. It has the correct ancillary equipment to work in a car. The problem I’m having is fuel starvation on hills. I’ve tried three different pumps and they all have the same problem. The one on there now always worked fine on the original engine. I should add that part of the problem is leakage from where the pump is screwed together. After looking up the pump for the truck I realized it’s completely different from the car application. I’m wondering if the cam is different and it’s trying to stroke the pump farther than it should. I’ll try to include pictures to show what I mean. I’ve ordered a truck pump to see if it works.