Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Ethanol Gasoline

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion << previous || next >>

Posted By Discussion Topic: Ethanol Gasoline -- page: 1 2     c-gor 06-09-2011 @ 2:44 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 130 Joined: Oct 2009 I live in Ohio and have driven my car for over 30 years. It is tuned up regularly and kept in driving shape. This year I have had problems when the outside temperature exceeds 85 degrees. The engine starves for fuel on long drives (>30 miles) To compensate, I turn on the electric pump and the extra fuel provided by the pump solves the problem. It is my opinion that as the gasoline is blended with more ethanol, the standard fuel pump and carburetor cannot maintain the engine fuel requirements caused by the new fuel "perculating" in the carb. This is a first for me. I run a Haney coil, have clean fuel lines from tank to carb and ignition is to spec. Again, this car had no problems in North Carolina (2010 ENM) last year. Are other folks (OH, VA, NC, TN) experiencing the same issue? FlatheadTed 06-09-2011 @ 2:54 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 14 Joined: Apr 2010 Give the fuel pump a going over look at the length of your push rod .Most of the ware is often in the elbow joint just on the inside of the cup that sits over the push rod .In the old days we used to use bits of lead etc to lengthen the rod ,A new kit should solve it .You could put a new rod in but unless you set it up properly with the right gasket under the stand it wont work.To set it up rest your hand on the stand to compress the arm spring and turn it over and measure the gap between the stand & gasket and manifold ,this should be 2 tenths of a I" or just over 1/ Stroker 06-09-2011 @ 3:05 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 Besides Ted's excellent advice, you might try using a fuel with a higher Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP). As a "test" go to your local airport and pick-up (they generally won't allow you to fuel a car due to road tax issues) about 5 gallons of 80/86 octane av-gas. Run your fuel tank down to almost empty and add the av-gas. This stuff always has a very high RVP to prevent percolation at altitude,so if your problem persists, it's not the fuel. I've had problems like this in the past, and they were generally associated with "Winter Gas" blends that had not been used up in the supplier's tanks. In the winter, most fuel blends have a low RVP to make starting easier. In the summer, these are lowered to prevent percolation. Just a thought. ford38v8 06-09-2011 @ 4:02 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2780 Joined: Oct 2009 Fuel pump kits used to come with a new actuating arm, as the old ones would generally be worn & sloppy at the pivot point, causing a reduced throw of the arm. Farmers compensated for the slop in the old days with a leather spacer inserted into the cup on the end of the arm, and the city boys paid good money for an aftermarket cup insert to take up the slack. It's best, of course, to replace the worn arm, but then, city boys will buy most anything. Alan supereal 06-09-2011 @ 4:31 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Over and over we are finding that alcohol gas is causing problems with the fuel line from the tank to the firewall. Replacement s the only cure. joe b 06-09-2011 @ 6:12 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 389 Joined: Oct 2010 I too live in Ohio. I have found that the first few months of summer driving can cause fuel problems. I agree with Stroker on the winter blend. I have added an electric fuel pump which seemed to help some. Then I checked the flexible fuel line from the fuel tank line to the fuel pump. It appeared to have collapsed inside. It had been on the car for 10 years. I replaced it and my fuel problem that you experience was way better. On real hot days my '41 does not want to start after it is shut off for a short time like at the gas station. Holding the accelerator to the floor while cranking seems to help this. I don't care what anyone says...the new gas sucks. TomO 06-10-2011 @ 7:24 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7264 Joined: Oct 2009 Ethanol will definitively cause problems when it loosens the varnish that had built up over the years in the gas tank and fuel line. It will also cause more rust to build up in the tank and fuel line. You also need to have everything in your fuel system in top shape. Craig, I suspect that your fuel line is well on its way to closing up completely. Check the sediment bowl of your fuel pump. If you see a fine brown or rust colored powder, you should check your tank for rust and replace the steel line from the tank. The fine powder is varnish that has been loosened by the ethanol. If your sediment bowl is clean , then check your fuel delivery using the procedure I posted in "Won't go over fifty when hot" Your fuel line may well have been clean last year, but it doesn't take much time for varnish to plug up the line. I hope that this is not the car that you are driving to Michigan nest week. Tom 37 Coupe 06-10-2011 @ 7:49 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 362 Joined: Oct 2009 I too have had my share of ethanol related problems since getting my car back on the road in 2007,problems I never had before. Luckily I have never had to coat the inside of fuel tank as couple other local guys have years ago to find the goo now in carburetor,but I have had the usual problems with supposedly ethanol proof fuel pump diapragms(must just been 10% ethanol proof) from couple better known rebuilders. I have had (knock on wood) couple years reliability from a new NAPA Airtex USA one and cheaper than the rebuilds. Couple new supposedly great ethanol proof flex hoses failed after only a month or two, but no problems going on two years now with one of the first Bob Shewman hoses. I add the Marvel Mystery oil 4 oz to the 10 gallons and hope that small amount of oil helps keep the alcohol from eating at inside tank surfaces as well as steel fuel line but realistically know it is well diluted. Most of the problems I did have that required a AAA rollback ride home two seasons ago was rubber diapraghm bits in the carburetor complexing the already shot fuel pumps, I now run a filter between fuel pump and carb. Some people claim they do not put ethanol fuel in their tanks but I think most of Ohio pumps you have no choice and no one seems to know if it is 10% or 30% or more. supereal 06-10-2011 @ 10:21 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 It is safe to say that 99% of all gasoline sold today contains some alcohol. Even though the pump says otherwise, alcohol is picked up in the transport trucks and by the multigrade pumps. The drive increase alcohol to 15% from 10% is likely to increase the problems with old cars, lawnmowers, chainsaws, and othe engines not desined to handle the strong solvent. c-gor 06-10-2011 @ 10:30 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 130 Joined: Oct 2009 Thank you all for your comments. The fuel pump & pushrod as well as the rubber line are all new. The issue is a fuel issue not an equipment issue. I also installed a set of Skip's pumps that brought the temp down about ~5 degrees. The engine ran about 170 when very hot and now is a shade cooler. Typically, the temp is 160 degrees (the thermostat effect) I was wondering if other members around the country had the same problem. Incidentally, 3 other V-8 ers that live near by have experienced the same problem on very hot days. I do like the avation fuel answer, however it would be difficult to implement on long trips. This message was edited by c-gor on 6-10-11 @ 10:37 AM

<< previous || next >>

PAGE: 1 2

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

EFV-8 Club Forum Home | Back to Home Page | Contact the Webmaster

Copyright © 2009 - EFV-8.org
Powered by < CF FORUM > v.2.1