| 46coupe | -- 03-24-2022 @ 3:30 PM |
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My 46 Ford vapor locks after driving 15 minutes and shutting down the engine. New high flow water pumps were installed and I wrapped the fuel line with special heat resistant tape. Nothing has helped. I bought the spacer that goes under the carb so it will be raised up and plan on installing that next. If that doesn't work what other options are available? When the lock occurs and I try to restart, the engine turns over very slowly which will not fire. The battery is fully charged. Suggestions welcome.
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| JayChicago | -- 03-24-2022 @ 5:49 PM |
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My first thought on this is: "How do you know it is vapor lock" ? Coil failure after getting warm (about fifteen minutes driving) is also a common problem with our cars. And there could be several other things. When engine fails, have you looked down the throat of carburetor while pumping the throttle linkage? Normally you should see two squirts of fuel. If problem is vapor lock, carb will be starved of fuel, no squirt. If squirt is visible, problem is probably elsewhere.
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| marko39 | -- 03-25-2022 @ 6:09 AM |
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Could be a starter issue if it turns slow when warm.
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| 37RAGTOPMAN | -- 03-25-2022 @ 6:20 AM |
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46 COUPE on vapor lock, check you gas cap and make sure it is a VENTED CAP, and make sure you do not have any clogged vent lines, if you have them ALSO start you 46 and let it run for 15minutes, to get it up to operating temp shut it off, and see if it does not start, if not try a ICE pack, on the coil, for a few minutes, if it starts it is the coil I have done this more then once, might be a not a bad idea to send to Skip to have the coil rebuilt, how old is the coil you are using, ? hope this helps 37Ragtopman , Maine just remember people if you want new car performance it might need new or rebuilt parts to perform like a new car, you would not put 50 year old parts on a new car and expect it to perform like new,
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| 1931 Flamingo | -- 03-25-2022 @ 7:11 AM |
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Just for HA-HA's...........................try replacing the condenser. Paul in CT
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| carcrazy | -- 03-25-2022 @ 2:37 PM |
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One way to isolate an ignition system problem is to use starter fluid to see if the engine will fire after it is hot and has experienced "vapor lock." If the engine does not even try to start when using starter fluid, there is no spark and further inspection of the ignition system is warranted. Many times when a coil is going bad, it will start and operate until it warms up. Once warm, the coil will no longer provide a reliable spark. If the spark plug wires have been replaced with "radio resistance wires", these can fail when they get warm and no longer pass enough current to provide sufficient spark. The wires can be checked with an ohmmeter to determine the resistance cold and hot. When these wires go bad, they can indicate infinite resistance when hot. To check for vapor lock when the engine is hot and refusing to start, remove the air cleaner and look down into the carburetor to see if you have fuel squirting down into each barrel of the carburetor when you operate the throttle lever. If no fuel is seen squirting into the engine, there is no fuel in the carburetor.
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| 51woodie | -- 03-25-2022 @ 4:34 PM |
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When I started my apprenticeship, I was paired with an “old” mechanic to work on a car that had a suspected ignition problem. He told me to put my hand on the fender and hold onto the coil wire. I said, “I’m green, but not crazy, you hold the wire and I’ll hit the key.” More conversation followed, but he held the wire, I hit the key, and he hit his head on the hood. After he quit with the expletives, he said, “Yup, it’s got good spark!” He never tried any more tricks on me after. If you suspect no spark…… hold the coil wire!
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| TomO | -- 03-25-2022 @ 7:10 PM |
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If your engine cranks over very slow when hot, your starter is probably dropping the voltage to the coil causing a very weak spark. Have you made any changes or repairs lately? Did this problem just start or have you been living with it and now it has become so bad that you can't live with it? If you have been living with the problem, it could be 12V cables or bad grounding cables. If it just started, then it is probably time to have your starter serviced. Tom
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| 46coupe | -- 03-26-2022 @ 2:24 AM |
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Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I'll start checking all areas as time allows. The starter was looked at a few years ago. It was ok. I don't know how old the coil is so after I check fuel flow I'll check the coil and resistor. I probably won't get to it for the next few days, but will let you all know what I find.
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| TomO | -- 03-26-2022 @ 12:07 PM |
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Fuel flow is not going to fix a slow starter. Check your battery for good capacity (650 CCA or more), check that the battery is fully charged, check all of the cables in the starter circuit for condition and capacity( pay particular attention to where the cables are soldered to the connector, green or gray corrosion means the cable is failing. Do NOT use 12v cables), check that all connections are clean (battery posts, grounding studs, solenoid connections and starter connections), make sure that all connections are tight and not over tightened (over tightening the starter connection can lead to broken wires inside the starter) Answer my questions about changes and when the problem started. Once you get the slow cranking speed problem repaired, you can do a fuel delivery test to see if your fuel pump and lines are operating correctly. Tom
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| 46coupe | -- 03-27-2022 @ 4:08 AM |
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Thanks Tom, I have tightened everything and had correct cables made for this car. Thanks to you and others who posted about cables a long while ago. I'll recheck everything again. I had a problem with the starter a year after I bought the car. I took it to a generator rebuild place who checked it out to find that the brass inside had tarnished to the point of not making good contact. He cleaned everything and it worked great. He said it was from lack of use. The car had not been started most of that year. Now I start and run/drive the car a couple of times a month for 20+ miles. That helps other components as well Brad
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| TomO | -- 03-27-2022 @ 9:29 AM |
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Did the slow cranking problem just start? Tom
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| 46coupe | -- 03-29-2022 @ 2:22 PM |
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No. It's always done it. Drive to a show, everything cools, and it starts. Go to the gas station, shut the engine off and it cranks so slow that it won't start. The car club guys figured it was vapor lock. no one ever mention anything about coil, condenser, etc. I always disconnect the battery after driving and trickle charge it for a few hours before driving. The starter turns over fine. I rechecked the connections after your last post and they are tight.
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| wmsteed | -- 03-30-2022 @ 10:03 AM |
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46coupe; You have stated that "the terminal are tight" Are they clean and tight? When I was a teen working in service stations it was SOP while lubricating/servicing a vehicle to remove the battery cables from the battery, clean the battery posts and cable ends with a wire brush tool, when the cables were reconnected to the battery we put a red non-corrosive coating on the cables/posts. I have a running battle going with the clowns that service my RV's batteries, a total of six 6v and two 12v when I have the annual service work done. Most of the time when I pick the RV up I open the battery compartment door up, generally finding dirty batteries which results in a trip back into the service department to have a talk with the service tech. Bill 36 5 win delx cpe
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| 46coupe | -- 03-30-2022 @ 1:29 PM |
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Yep clean and tight.
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| TomO | -- 03-30-2022 @ 2:42 PM |
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Brad, what is the make and rating of your battery? How old is it? Can you take the car to a battery store to have them check out the battery? In situations like this it always good to start with a clean slate, so having the battery checked will give us a good starting point. In August of 2020 you replied to a post : "I went to a welding supply with my old 12v cable and he cut me one out of #1 cable. Bought two terminal ends from NAPA and it works great. Based on what Tom and some others told me on this forum. I went and got all my cables replaced with #1 cable. They didn't have OO or O. WHAT a difference. Car starts on a crank and a half. No pumping the gas pedal or choking the carb. Turn on the switch, pull the choke to half throttle and hit the starter button. Vrrrooom. " If you bought clamp on terminals, it is likely that they developed some corrosion over the past couple of years. NAPA sells 6 volt cables, but I recommend that you buy your cables from a vendor that supplies our cars, like Dennis Carpenter C&G Ford or third Gen. because they sell cables that are made the correct length and rating. Vapor lock is when the fuel going into the fuel pump vaporizes before it gets to the pump. The pump cannot suck the vapor so the sediment bowl and carburetor bowl empty making the engine starve for fuel. A quick fix for vapor lock is the cool the fuel line going into the fuel pump and the fuel pump. Tom
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| 46coupe | -- 03-31-2022 @ 3:43 AM |
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Thanks Tom, It'll be awhile before I can follow up on everything I need to check. I'll get back to everyone when I have some answers.
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