minicooper

How strange, I wonder why, too far away from the cam?

Speaking of brush fired Dodge trucks - read an article a while back about the MASH film location in Malibu Creek State Park. Apparently the vehicles that were hauled up there for the filming were left and then later on burned in a wild fire.

How cool, I saw Tanda62’s engine in another post and commented on the filter housing, and here’s your post about the same thing!

That is one pretty flathead! Curious about that filter housing?

First, thanks for all the advice on solving this, second, I am closer to solving but still haven’t. And I’ve eliminated most everything I can think of. I drained the fuel tank and lines and there was a lot of water in it. Refilled the tank with fresh gas, added some Heet to collect and burn off any left over water. Still Wouldn’t run, would start then sputter to a halt. Rebuilt the carburetor, added new filter. I checked the fuel pump pressure and it was low (about 2 psi) so I replaced the pump with one I had on hand, about 5 years old. Still no go. To eliminate the pump, tank and lines, I set set up an “IV” with fresh gasoline. Starts and runs like a champ. Let it run until it was up to temp the shut it off. Starts right up. Since I had put the output of the fuel pump in a can to collect the fuel whi,e I ran the engine, I measured the output volume and although the pressure is OK (5 psi) the volume is low - 1 oz per minute, a trickle that can’t keep up with the carb. So the new fuel pump seems like it’s no good. Both pumps can’t be bad? Could be something wrong with the lobe or the way I installed the pump? It went in easily and is pumping, but very little, when I increase the throttle, the flow decreases more, so I can’t imagine it would be an install issue. I’ll pull the line from the tank tomorrow and see if it’s plugged, it’s a new line though. -roland

I bought their Flamethrower coil (5 years ago) and purchased a new one, same model.

Thanks, I have a spare b&b that needs to be rebuilt, I will try that one and see if it solves the issue.

Thanks. I replaced it when I cleaned and rebuilt the carb last weekend. I checked the movement and float level before I reassembled it. roland

I put in a new coil last night. Truck started and ran great, smooth - until it warmed up to 180 degrees (on the temp gauge), then quit. It started back up but wouldn't run, it sputtered to a halt after catching - almost like it's starved for fuel, but there seems to be plenty of fuel pressure. I had a new voltage regulator on hand so I went ahead and installed it (and polarized the generator), but still the same. So far I have checked the fuel for water (don't think it has any in it - I couldn't see any separation in the fuel bowls), doubled-checked the fuel pump, replaced the fuel filter, pulled the carb, cleaned and put a rebuild kit in it. I also checked for intake manifold and vacuum for leaks. I really placed my bets on the coil. Could be the Pertronix electronic ignition, or spark plugs - heat making them fail? Or maybe go ahead and drain the tank and fuel system anyway? I also have a spare fuel pump, that I could put in, maybe heat is making it fail? Lastly, could it be vapor lock? Maybe this fuel has a lot more ethanol in it than normal, if excessive ethanol can lead to vapor lock? Any help diagnosing this would be greatly appreciated, Roland

My 52 has the notch cutout on the firewall on the right, but pedal is to the left. -roland

Amazon has a copy for sale for $115.00!

Thanks! I took it off and checked it a couple of weeks back, it was clean. -Roland

Update: I tested the tank for water, and didn't see any (I let a good amount sit in a glass jar and didn't see any separation after an hour or so, then tested the gas in the can I used to fill the tank with, same. I rigged up a gravity feed gas can/fuel tank with fresh gas to check and see if it was the fuel pump (the pump was filling the filter bowl but not sure if there was enough pressure), plenty of flow into the carb from the can. Same behavior, runs normal for a few minutes, then sputters, dies and won't run. I cleaned and put a rebuild kit in the carburetor, reinstalled it, same behavior. Thinking maybe the coil is going bad, since the engine will start cold but die as it starts to warm up. I ordered a new Pertronix II coil since I have their conversion kit installed. Coil is 5 years old, shouldn't have gone this quick. -Roland

Same issue with my 52'. It was missing the support bracket and bushing assembly that goes between the pedals and supports the shaft. There was a homemade replacement in it place. I got lucky and found a replacement from a rusted out 1950 that someone was parting out on eBay. Was also lucky that the shaft wasn't bent from years of minimal support. After installing the bracket, the clutch pedal rubbed the floor plan, had to cut the pan to stop the scraping.

I haven't leapt that far yet. My first thought was water tainted fuel, because the issue started less than 10 minutes after fueling. I mentioned the mechanical fuel pump as an alternate cause in my post (it is Chinese made, about 5 years old), but the fuel seemed more likely. Everything is air tight, from the tank to the carburetor, single steel fuel line, no rubber hoses or clamps, the fuel pump filter bowl stays full and not leaking. I checked the carburetor bolts and made sure they were snug. I plan to let it sit for a few days then check for fuel/water separation, before I drain the tank, not sure I will see that in the small sample in the filter bowl, though. I will check the float and replace the filter just in case. Thanks for the suggestions, -Roland

What mysterious ingredients are in those bottles? ?

Thanks much. I'll try the Sahara and see how it goes, I can't imagine there would have been too much water in that can.

This is frustrating. 6 weeks ago, I put in a new fuel tank, fuel line, filter, and rebuilt the carb after a rusty tank gumped up the system on by B3C. Last night I was going to go for a drive but was low on gas, so I added 3 gallons from a can that I had filled up 2 weeks ago. I think it must have had condensate (water) in it because within five minutes of running the truck, it shut off and wouldn't run - it would startup and sputter a few minutes then stop, I made it home before but finally quit. It doesn't smell like a lot of gas is getting to the carb, so maybe the fuel pump decide to pick the same time to fail? But unlikely. I used the same gas in my mower and it runs OK, but water in the gas seems like the culprit. Can I pump out the gas, drain the carburetor and fuel line instead of draining and dropping the tank? Could I have done damage to the engine in the 15 minutes I fiddled with it trying to get the truck home without a tow? Or is there an additive to get rid of the water, I could use? Roland

If the springs are in bad shape or worn out, Eaton Springs carries replacements, with options, for our trucks. https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/leaf-springs/

JBNeal, Thanks again for posting this information here, so grateful for this site and the knowledge found here. I put the front shocks on last night with the weight on the truck, with no issue. Just had to crank the wheels hard left and right to get to them. It rides so much better - those original shocks were completely gone.

If it's running OK (no coolant in the oil, no oil in the coolant, no blue smoke or white smoke on startup), I wouldn't pull the head, it's fairly heavy to lift out and you'll have to clean off the gasket material carefully and possibly resurface it before reinstalling, IMHO. You could double check with a compression test (wet and dry)? -Roland I mentioned the head being difficult to pull, because when I pulled mine the engine was still in the truck and fenders and radiator were still in and I had no helper. And I had to have mine resurfaced. I didn't realize that you had everything off the truck!

Thanks! I ended up blocking the frame (set it down on concrete blocks) and supported the axle with 2 more blocks. -Roland

Great article, amazing numbers, 11.8 seconds at the quarter!

Detroitsteelwheels.com or mobsteel.com sells clips (they look real close to the originals on my old wheels), I believe the wheels are to be drilled and tapped for these, but I suppose you could tack weld or rivet them on. I put new 16” wheels on my 52 and bought clips from mobsteel.com, for the original caps, but never got around to installing them, purchasing new snap on dishes instead. They were $10.00 a wheel, 5 count.

That's pretty awesome! Isn't there a recreation (the original was dismantled and parted out, I've read) of it out there somewhere where they used original parts that were still on hand? -Roland