car dies going up hill after 45 min.

[Larry Ciganek]

I am having a problem with an early 1949 (still a P-15). Car starts runs fine for 45-50 min. then when going up grade dies. Have Good fuel pump, coil, new points and condenser, timing set, float level in carburetor is set, dwell correct. Car will run at fine idle for hours. What’s wrong?

Is there a filter in the gas tank that could be chocking fuel supply going up hill? Does float level need to be changed for today’s gas? Any sugestions greatly apreached.

[Don Coatney]

Is your gas cap vented?

[Larry Ciganek]

Yes indeed! Have even run without gas cap. Same problrm

[Niel Hoback]

  First, follow Don's advice and make certain that your cap is vented.  Drive for 45-50 minutes, stop, leave the motor running and then listen for a sucking sound when you open the cap.  Even if you don't hear anything, drive a while longer to see if that made any difference.

  Next, if there is an in-line filter, change it.

 There is a filter on the end of the pick-up tube in the tank.  You could blow through the line back into the tank to see if that helps.  I took mine off the line and use external filters now. 

[Larry Ciganek]

How did you remove the internal filter?

[MarkAubuchon]

You have to remove the tank.  Its really not a filter rather its almost like a flattened pice of piping.  My guess is that (and this happened to me)  their is some crud in the tank, dpending on the fule level and the angle of the car its blocking the pickup.  If you havent done it I would drop the tank and have it cleaned and resealed.  Then you know

[Larry Ciganek]

Thanks for the help. Sure sounds like my problem is the in tank filter.

[jeffsunzeri]

When there's no traffic on the road, with a friend along, make the car die (with the filler cap off) and immediately pull safely over.

1. Remove the top of the carburetor to check the fuel level in the float bowl.

2. After checking the carb, check for spark. Pull a spark plug and lay it on the head while your friend engages the starter with ignition on.

Does the car start right up after it dies, or does it take some time to come back to life?

[Larry Ciganek]

The car restarts after a min. or 2. I have been able to get home without a tow ; but it is no fun stalling in traffic!

[Don Coatney]

When the engine dies is the coil hot to the touch?

[Larry Ciganek]

Yes. The coil is hot ton the touch.

[Don Coatney]

May be defective. Replace it.

[Joe Flanagan]

I've had coils go bad on me and that's exactly the way it happened. I could drive for a while but in time, the engine would die. After sitting for a while, it would start back up. The coil was hot to the touch. Strange, but the last time this happened, I was going up a hill. 

[Dave72dt]

2. After checking the carb, check for spark. Pull a spark plug and lay it on the head while your friend engages the starter with ignition on.

 

If you decide to do this test, take a spare plug with you and usethat for the test.  The ones in the engine will be hot.
 

[ptwothree]

If the car runs well except on hills, check the rubber flex hose that feeds the fuel pump.  If it's cracked it can let the pump suck air instead of gas.  This happens on hills because that is when the pump is working hardest.  If it looks the least bit deteriorated, replace it.

The same thing happened to me many years ago.  Only on hills!

[Ricky Luke]

Not really related to this, apart from it happening to my dad's(1929) Plymouth. Vacuum to the fuel vacuum tank had been swapped from the oil pump to the inlet manifold. When going up a long, steep hill with the boot buried to the floor, it would sputter and stop. The reason - not enough vacuum to suck the fuel through. The fix - a 6v fuel pump...

 

Plus the float corks were saturated, and had become sinkers.

 

Rick

[Merle Coggins]

If the car runs well except on hills, check the rubber flex hose that feeds the fuel pump.  If it's cracked it can let the pump suck air instead of gas.  This happens on hills because that is when the pump is working hardest.  If it looks the least bit deteriorated, replace it.

The same thing happened to me many years ago.  Only on hills!

 

This is my thought as well. When pulling a hill there may be some extra flex in the engine mounts under load that lets the flex hose draw more air if it's cracked.

[suntennis]

You said after going 45 minuets and going up hill the engine fails. Does this mean the engine will stop only if you are going up hill? Does it mean that the engine will stop after 45 minuets regardless if going level or up hill? Time related failures do happen with electrical break downs. The coil as Don mentioned would be a good place to start. Had a Valient once that had a resister in the line going to the coil that would cause the engine to stop after about 20 minuets. Found out the problem was not that uncommon.

[Larry Ciganek]

I have changed out the coil twice. One of the replacement coils was an Echlen from NAPA (6volt no external resistor required 904). As far as time related I ran the car for an hour and a half in the driveway yesterday and it did not die. I am leaning toward the oillite gas tank filter being plugged when going up hill. Plan on blowing compressed air through the fuel line and then draining the tank. Will report results.

[Don Coatney]

Echlen from NAPA (6volt no external resistor required 904). As far as time related I ran the car for an hour and a half in the driveway yesterday and it did not die. I am leaning toward the oillite gas tank filter being plugged when going up hill. Plan on blowing compressed air through the fuel line and then draining the tank. Will report results.

All coils are 6 volt. I searched the NAPA web page and could bot find the 904 coil. Usually when it says "no external resistor required" it means the 12 volts will be reduced to 6 volts internally. So if you connect that coil to 6 volts the internal resistor will still reduce the voltage to something less than 6 volts. Try a coil with external resistor required (such as pictured) and it will work on a 6 volt system.

 

[Larry Ciganek]

Problem finally solved.   Removed gas line  from fuel pump and blew compressed air blew air into gas tank. Then drained fuel tank. Found about a shot glass full of salt and pepper colored crud upon straining gas. Added five gallons of fresh gas and drove up the biggest hill with no problems. I have been chasing this problem for at least a year. Changed coil twice, condenser twice. Put heat shield above fuel pump. Installed a spacer and heat shield under the carburetor all the time blaming today's gas for my problems.  I mention these things in hopes saving someone time and grief.

[Jerry Roberts]

Glad that you found the problem . If it happens again , you will know where to look first . In other words , there might be more junk in the tank . 

[Don St Peter]

Larry

Did you find out what was causing the problem you reported here? I am following with interest as My P-9 does the same thing all of a sudden.

Tx

Don

[Don St Peter]

sorry. I now see the final results.

Don