Trouble Running

Discussion in '1947-1954' started by Wolf, Aug 2, 2009.

  1. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    Paul you are too nice

    Paul you have a deal! Would you like my old 2 or 3 piece rims in return?? I can't wait to see your truck now too its been quite a while. I just sent ya a PM so check that out and we can schedule a trip to come see ya!

    Thanks again Paul, man the parts from you will make this truck half yours by the time its all said and done:D

    GMC all the way
     
  2. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    Update:

    See my post for my brand new shinny rims!!! Got that taken care off.
    I got my new lap only seat belts installed. Check that off my list.
    Got my new water pump from oreilly's water pump installed. Done!!! no leaks and i actually have bearings!
    Got insurance on it!

    Now off to registration and inspection right? Nope still having trouble with the carb :confused:
    Same one as before, ya never know when it will cut out on me, cold, hot, all the time, sometimes, or never.

    Good news is i just got off the phone with Larry Isgro. Got his information from oldgmctrucks website. Awesome guy!!! very helpful. I found out that the nut on the top of the carb is a filter!!!:confused::confused: I had no idea that was a filter, because its metal on the inside too. He told me how to remove that and recommended that i should due to the fact that I have an inline filter already too. And he would be more then happy to rebuild it, but to take out that "filter" and see how it runs first!

    So that's what I will be doing tonight hopefully. Is taking out that "filter" and trying it out for a few days. Wish me luck!
     
  3. bigtimjamestown

    bigtimjamestown Member

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    Ignition problems can fool you. A bad ballast resister or condenser could cause you the problems you have described or even a coil. The ballast drops the voltage from 12 to 9 volts so you don't burn your points. If it was the condenser I don't think the problem would be intermittent. I would lean more towards the ballast resister or the coil. After you put in the new ballast, if your truck is hard to start but runs fine after you get it running make sure that there is a wire running from the "I" side of the starter silinoid to the plus side of the coil. This will by pass the ballast and send a full 12 volts to the coil for starting purposes only. I think the coil or ballast is breaking down under a load and is fooling you. It's happen to me a couple of times. Good luck! I hope this helps. :)
     
  4. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    thanks for the information. I still haven't totally ruled out the ignition either. Like you said it can do the same type of thing! My ignition is all new, doesn't mean that it is right, but it is new. The one thing that makes me think its not ignition is the fact that it does it cold, hot, sometimes, never, all the time.
    Also when it would act up i would pull the choke out and it would keep it running barely. I would then either pull that what i thought "nut" off the top and spray carb cleaner through it and in the opening and it would sometimes run just fine for as long as i drove it. But i still haven't ruled out the ignition system:)


    I pulled off the nut on the top of my Zenith carb, and pulled the metal "filter" off. I haven't had a chance to drive it around tonight, and will be out of town until friday. But I am hoping that this will resolve it. If not
     
  5. bigtimjamestown

    bigtimjamestown Member

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    One last thing that comes to mind is if your gas tank is not vented properly it will create a vacuum and make it starve for fuel. Just for the heck of it pull your gas cap off and drive it around for a while and see if that helps.
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2010
  6. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    This is still very much a possibility! Every time i get out to go pull the gas cap it runs better, then i get back in and it runs bad, and i get out and it runs better, and i get in and it stays running better!!!:rolleyes: Go figure, but i am hoping to have a small amount of time to try to drive it this weekend. With the carb "filter" off. but its snowing yet again so who knows. i will post some pics of the filter and but soon!
     
  7. bigtimjamestown

    bigtimjamestown Member

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    Check and see if you have a vented cap, if not I think you need one. If the cap is vented then you need to see if it's working properly If you drive around with it off for a while it might tell you the whole story. I think you're getting close.:)
     
  8. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    Here are some pics of the "filter" on the top of the carb. The brass colored thing is the filter. It is made up of a lot of very very thin washer type things. Its really unique.

    Has anybody seen anything like this? I fairly confident this is what my fuel problem has been. If the weather ever clears up and if i ever get a free moment i will verify!!!
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]



    This is the gas cap i got http://www.classicparts.com/1947-70-Gas-Cap-Stainless-Steel/productinfo/23-107/
    Not sure if its vented or not? This is sure still a possibility
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2010
  9. ol' chebby

    ol' chebby Member

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    Never seen anything quite like that......
     
  10. 51 HHR

    51 HHR Member

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    carb horn

    I had issues last spring with my truck stalling everytime i stopped Nate suggested the air horn was warped as had happened to him once in the past I backed off the screws and retorqued them all evenly on the air horn and the problem went away. Not teh same symptoms that you ahve but justa thought
    Bill
     
  11. bigtimjamestown

    bigtimjamestown Member

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    I would just use a in line filter and leave the guts out of that one.
     
  12. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Filter Pic ?

    Where'd it go ? it says ' moved or deleted ' :confused:

    I'm keen to look.
     
  13. Zig

    Zig Member

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    A blown 6???

    Big James~ I need to learn to look closer at things. I've seen the avatar you use, and always assumed it was an 8 block you had stuck in there.
    However, "upon further review" that is a 6 holer!:eek:
    Guess I need to take a trip to the photo gallery and check that bad boy out. I hope you posted pictures of it there!
    What size/type of engine is that?
     
  14. bigtimjamestown

    bigtimjamestown Member

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    I'm guessing that you are talking to me, The engine in my "54" is a 261CI. with .030 9 1/2 to 1 Jans pistons. It has .125 shaved off the head with resessed valves and the block was decked .08. The center weight was cut off the crank and the crank was balanced, The rods were shot peaned and I beam ground with ARP rod bolts installed. It has a custom ground Crowler cam shaft and an Alum. fly wheel made by Clifford Research. The ignition is an old Mallory duel point "YC" Dist. with an MSD 6A box with timing control and 8.8 mm Accel plug wires. The tunnel ram was custom built by me and has two 350 CFM Hollys with 50cc pumps. The S.S. fender well headers were also custom made by me. I'm useing a Borg Warner super T 10 4 speed Trans. with a vertical gate shifter and a narrowed 9 inch Ford rear end with a Detroit locker , 456 gears and Willwood disk brakes. The front end under the truck is a Jim Meyer cross member with tube a arms, coil over Avo shocks, a Mustang rack and GM disk brakes. The rear suspension is 4 link with American coil overs and a panhard bar. The tires are 18.50 x 31 x 15 Micky's rear and 235 x 60 x 15 front on Weld double knuckle wheels. All fabrication was done by me. The engine was built by Larry Neville of Neville Bros. Automotive Modesto Ca. and myself. Thanks for the compliments Zig....Big Tim
     

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    Last edited: Feb 7, 2010
  15. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    Sorry bout that i was messing around with my photos and messed up the links. here they are again. Nate take a look and tell me what you think.

    James: I am going to leave the guts out of this one and just stay with my inline filter.
    PS that is a sweet looking truck!!! 6 cyl too Nate will be more then proud!!!

    Ol Chebby: I never knew it was a filter until i talked to that carb guy on the phone.!!
     
  16. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Fuel Filter

    O.K. , that's a standard typ of old tech intake fuel filter element and I can see it is fully clogged by the same sort of red rusty crap you show in the cast part ~ this is why you shouldn't delete it but I also don't know where to get them anymore ~ Mack and other Big Rig's used to use them in the air lines to stop water...

    As it's crap now , maybe you can soak it in White Vinegar overnight to dissolve the rust and calcium deposits , it this ruins the element , it's junk now so no worries .

    Clearly if the cap is full of this much rust , your entire fuel system is nowhere near clean yet ~ stop right now and remove the gas tank & clean it @ home using a dilute solution of Phosphoric Acid and distilled water , mixed one quart of the acid to each gallon of distilled water , I use three gallons , it'll take some time to dissolve all the rust , add two packages of BB's (Sporting Goods Store) and shake the beejeebers out of it until your arms ache then shake it some more , let sit over night and do it again , when you can peer into the inlet and see clean grey metal , drain it all out through a big funnel lined with felt or other medium and save the liquid , let the fine rust silt settle out of if and re-use it to clean some more , this takes time and LOTS of labor but YOU will do a better home job cheaper . if you peer in and see rust , drain the solution and strain/filter it , re-fill the tank and do over again and again until it's clean .

    WARNING ! DO NOT let any well meaning person tell you to use Muriatic (swimming pool) acid ! it's BAD and will eat unrusted metal ! :eek: .

    Many will say they did it but they're wrong . period .

    Use the saved & strained mix to clean any and all of the _steel_ parts of the fuel system including the screws & stamped steel linkage bits . if the jets are black or dark brown , soak them for 30 minutes or so then rinse and be amazed at how clean they get .

    DO NOT let this mix touch the sender nor the carby , fuel pump or other pot metal or alloy parts ! .

    I guarantee the steel fuel lines are all full of rust too , cap them and fill up , let soak 24 hours them drain and blow dry , rinse with fuel not water...

    If you're rich , InLine Tube sells nifty pre-bent steel tubing kits with the correct fittings installed , go for it .

    You're really close now , we see the problem .
     
  17. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    Nate you are just full of knowledge!!!

    I actually have taken care of the things you suggested already;)
    I have a brand new fuel tank as mine was so bad that it was so thin on the bottom and rusty that I bought a new one.
    I also have new SS fuel lines as my lines where sooooo rusty on the inside so I just replaced them. Not a bad buy at 85 bucks.
    I have a new fuel pump also that pumps great!!! Verified many times into an old soda bottle!

    Have rebuilt the carb with my uncle, the only thing we didn't touch was this cap/filter. Due to the fact we didn't know what the heck it was. :confused:

    I will try your vinegar trick for cleaning the cap up. I have cleaned it up a bit by soaking it in seafoam and scrubbing it with a scotch pad. Looks much better now.

    If the weather ever clears up here I can't wait to take it for a spin!!!

    Thanks for the help guys!!!
     
  18. sidewynder

    sidewynder Member

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    in carb filter element

    I was able to find a paper element that fits in place of the old school brass filter at my local FLAPS a few years back. If worse comes to worse and you cannot get it to clean up. I would remove it and add an inline filter.
     
  19. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Wolf

    I'm certainly full of *something* :rolleyes:

    As long as the're this sort of crud in the carby inlet , the carby isn't clean .

    Rust has the ability to become a fine silt & pass through filters then join up with it's buddies again once inside your carby and clog things...
     
  20. Wolf

    Wolf Member

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    Yep already have an inline filter. Clear so i can see any gunk that gets by!
    Thanks!!!

    That is what i am worried about!!! I did run the truck with old fuel lines for a bit! However since that time I have had the carb torn off and torn apart again and found nothing in there, not saying that there isn't anything in there, i just found nothing.

    I did however find gunk in my new fancy in line clear filter! So i changed the lines and all is clear. Can't wait to give it a drive to find out if this fixed it or not! This is the last thing keeping me from driving it to the DMV!:D
     

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