Hiking the roadways helps in finding answers

[Reg Evans]

I just discovered something strange with my 38 Dodge coupe. I have run out of gas 3 times since I've owned it. The gauge doesn't work so I keep track of the mileage and fill up after about 100 miles. Three times now I thought I'd travel maybe 150 miles cause the tank holds 16 gallons and I should be getting at least 15 mpg's. I should be able to go 200 miles easily before running out of gas right ?

Well.....The last time I ran out of gas was in my brothers driveway after only traveling about 120 miles. I thought it must be a bad fuel pump so I installed a new one. Still no fuel to the carb so I bummed 4 gallons from him and it started up after priming the carb. I then drove right to the gas station. It only took 4 more gallons meaning it's only running on the top 8 gallons at about 15 mpg's.

I guess a previous owner did something strange to the pick up tube.

Oh yeah......I really dislike unplanned hikes.

[John Burke]

Reg, walking is good for your health.....so they say...John

[Norm's Coupe]

Reg,

I had that problem after installing my new poly tank on the car. Was a 17 gallon tank but I could never get more than about 10 gallons into it for a long time. About a year ago, the station I go to all the time closed so I started going to another one. At that gas station the gas really comes out of the pump slow. All of a sudden my gas tank would take more than 10 gallons. Try pumping the gas slower to allow more fumes to escape. If you build up too many fumes in the filler tube, it'll shut off the pump before the tank actually fills up.

[Reg Evans]

That's a good idea Norm but I'm not having that sort of problem with my 38.

When I topped my tank off with the 4 gallons the filler neck was 1" from overflowing.

[Norm's Coupe]

Another couple possibilities.

Could you have air lock in the tank somehow? Also, I've taken a couple of P15 tanks apart. Both of them had the ceramic filters at the ends of the filler tube inside the tank. In both tanks, that filter just crumbled in my fingers when I touched them. Could be that you might be getting a stoppage in the tube or at the end when the gas gets moved around or below a certain level. Then when you pump more gas into the tank, the force of the gas coming in the tank causes the blockage to open up again. Or.........could be just rust (or old tank sealer) inside the tank doing the same thing. Sounds like it almost has to be something like that since you've ruled out the fuel pump and carb.

Just another thought. What about the gas cap on the car. Is it vented or non vented? Next time it acts like it's out of gas, take off the gas cap and see if it will start.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Norm..I think Reg was tring to say that he always had the gas in the tank..just unable to suck it out do to short/damaged pick up tube..else I misread this also

[Norm's Coupe]

Tim, I got that too. However, if the pickup tube is the stock tube in the stock tank, it runs on the bottom of the tank, whereas my poly tank takes it from the top down. If the tube was dented so bad as not to suck the gas through, seems like it would not pull any gas through it. Thats why I was thinking rust or the ceramic filter flaking off. That is, unless the previous owner somehow got the tube bent upwards and it's no longer on the bottom of the tank.

Sounds like either way it's time to drain the tank and have a look see inside it.

[Reg Evans]

Yup....time to drop the tank I guess. Does everything always have to happen in 3's? My 35 is on the rack right now with a leak in the tank on top. My 59 is in line for the rack with a gas leak it developed on the way back from the Pilot House BBQ. "Take a number 38 Coupe"

[Don Coatney]

Yup....time to drop the tank I guess. Does everything always have to happen in 3's? My 35 is on the rack right now with a leak in the tank on top. My 59 is in line for the rack with a gas leak it developed on the way back from the Pilot House BBQ. "Take a number 38 Coupe"

Easy fix Reg;

Buy more lifts:cool:

[Plymouthy Adams]

Wish I had room for another lift indoors...I don't plan building another section with 13 foot ceilings..would be nice though

[Reg Evans]

Easy fix Reg;

Buy more lifts:cool:

Thanks Don....dang....the answer was right there staring me in the face the whole time.