Trying to figure out why the motor is cutting

[47heaven]

Was on the freeway two days ago going about 70 mph when all of a sudden the engine cut out on me. It sounded like the engine was still running, but no power. So I coasted to the side and tried starting the car again, but the motor wouldn't kick in. So I turned off the ignition, waited 10 seconds, turned on the ignition, pushed the starter and it started, and it didn't stall anymore after that. Any speculations or ideas what this could be a sign of or cause? Again, I'm running a Stovebolt 12v electronic ignition on my car.

[Don Coatney]

Contact Tom Langdon and see what he has to say.

[claybill]

fuel starved..? float bowls could be empty at that mph. takes a minutes to re-fill and then ok. i installed an electric pump for my dual carb set-up. going up a hill at full throttle at the top it will sputter and be starved for fuel..click!, and it fills up and away i go.

bill

[Reg Evans]

fuel starved..? float bowls could be empty at that mph. takes a minutes to re-fill and then ok. i installed an electric pump for my dual carb set-up. going up a hill at full throttle at the top it will sputter and be starved for fuel..click!, and it fills up and away i go.

bill

That would be my guess too. I had a 47 Dodge truck with a 251 that would quit in the exact same spot on a hill. 30 seconds later it was up and running again.

[47heaven]

fuel starved..? float bowls could be empty at that mph. takes a minutes to re-fill and then ok. i installed an electric pump for my dual carb set-up. going up a hill at full throttle at the top it will sputter and be starved for fuel..click!, and it fills up and away i go.

bill

So, Bill...what you're saying is an electric fuel pump should solve this problem? When the stalling out was more common, a few months ago, we tweeked the needle on the float up a little and it seemed to go away. Only very seldom does it happen. But because of this, I tend to stay in the slow lane in case I have to pull over, like this last time. Also, I wasn't going up a hill nor was I at a high elevation...just on a level freeway.

[claybill]

65-70 mph uses a lot of fuel.....when empty you flutter ans stop. then is a few minutes it fills up and ok. it might be a weak fuel pump. i am not a good at diagnosing mechanic but same thing haPPENED TO ME, and it was fuel related, not electrical. elec pumps can be hooked up in line with regular pump with an added switch. when needed, like starting after a week or ..?

just a thought..

bill

[47heaven]

Bill...if I were to hook up an electric fuel pump, I would take out the old-style one and just run a straight line through and have it turn on when the ignition is turned on or would that be too much fuel pressure to the carburator?

[Plymouthy Adams]

first order of business would be to determine at time of failure if you lost ignition or fuel source...anything else is merely a guess..

[Cpt.Fred]

i had a fuel related issue like this earlier this year, the float bowl got too dry when climbing a long hill or stepping on it real hard, and when i released the throttle the engine would run on normally. just like bill said.

it was a clogged filter in the end...

but: you say you have "no power"... when i had this, it was more like short, fastpaced, hard cutouts, shaking the whole car rapidly.

do you mean this by "the engine cut out on me" or do you mean a loss of power, like someone threw an anchor out of the back window slowing the car down?

i run an electric pump and a normal b&b carb, the pump has an operating pressure of 0,3 bar at 6V operation. i don't have any problems with the float bowl valve (pressure too high) or fuel stavation (pressure too low), so i guess that's just fine. i'm not having a return line to the fuel tank.

link to my threads concerning these problems:

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=21631&highlight=electric+fuel+pump

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=17231&highlight=electric+fuel+pump

good luck!

best,

fred

Edited August 5, 2010 by Cpt.Fred

[47heaven]

i had a fuel related issue like this earlier this year, the float bowl got too dry when climbing a long hill or stepping on it real hard, and when i released the throttle the engine would run on normally. just like bill said.

it was a clogged filter in the end...

but: you say you have "no power"... when i had this, it was more like short, fastpaced, hard cutouts, shaking the whole car rapidly.

do you mean this by "the engine cut out on me" or do you mean a loss of power, like someone threw an anchor out of the back window slowing the car down?

i run an electric pump and a normal b&b carb, the pump has an operating pressure of 0,3 bar at 6V operation. i don't have any problems with the float bowl valve (pressure too high) or fuel stavation (pressure too low), so i guess that's just fine. i'm not having a return line to the fuel tank.

link to my threads concerning these problems:

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=21631&highlight=electric+fuel+pump

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=17231&highlight=electric+fuel+pump

good luck!

best,

fred

Fred-

The cut out is just that...cut out...as in the engine stops running. No sputtering or car shaking...just dead engine. This happened again today, but this time after it did it, I coasted in motion, took it out of gear, turned the ignition off and on and then pushed the starter and it started back up and ran. I drove into the parking lot and went into a store for 20 min. Came back out, started the car and let it idle. After a min. it died again. With the ignition still in on position, I tried to start it and nothing. Turned it off for two seconds and then back on and it started back up. The fuel filter was replaced 2 months ago. Is it ready to replace again, you think? The gas tank has been recoated and have new gas lines, so I can't imagine too much junk getting in there, but you never know. I just don'tunder stand that after restarting the ignition it runs fine.

Tim, I don't know how populated and congested it is or isn't where you live, but where I live, one just can't pull over and start doing diagnostic tests in the middle of the road or freeway, where this mostly occurs, especially when I don't know what tests to perform. Thanks for advice anyway.

[Niel Hoback]

I think I'd be taking a real close look at that ignition switch. After running out of fuel, the motor won't just "start right up". Kind of sounds electrical, like a bad connection somewhere, worn igntion switch or even a bad coil.

When the motor dies from a lack of fuel, it isn't a sudden stop or an instant restart.

[Mark Haymond]

I think you are getting closer to solving it. Like Neil, I suspect the ignition switch. Your symptoms in the parking lot indicate that. The last two things you touched were the ignition switch (off a couple of seconds and back on) and the starter switch. If it was my car I would hot wire it to test the theory. I would run an extra wire from the hot side of the coil to the passenger compartment. Run a wire from the hot side of the battery to the passenger compartment. Connect both wires to a toggle switch, the kind that is either OFF or ON, not a momentary push button kind. Available from a hardware store. Put it within reach while you are driving. Heck, just tape it to the dash or something. Next time it dies on the road turn the switch on and see if you get your spark back. You can test the switch at home by turning the switch on and pushing the starter button. The engine should start.

WOW, NOTE: Don't forget to turn you toggle switch OFF before you leave the car. You don't want to drain the battery.

[Young Ed]

Another thing to try is wiring a light bulb into the ignition system. When it starts to studder if the light goes out you know it was electrical.

[Cpt.Fred]

47 heaven,

if the engine just dies, without any shaking and coughing, i wouldn't think

of fuel starvation any longer as well.

if it would be the coil, the car would not just restart right away, i guess.

listen to those other guys, starting switch or a loose contact somewhere else

in the ignition could be the problem.

have you checked the resistance in your coil-to-dizzy wire?

try moving or shaking the cable while you do, maybe the core is broken

and disconnects from time to time due to engine vibration?

just guessing here... had that exact problem on another old car once.

ed, your idea sounds great, i'll have to remember that for future issues.