Hi all,
As some may recall, about 5 weeks or so ago I came to the list asking for
help with my engine which stalls after highway runs.
As I've been quite busy, I haven't been able to work on it until today,
where I cleaned, adjusted, and replaced the 2 seals for the temperature
compensators on the carbs. Of the 4 total seals, one was missing, 2 were in
terrible shape, and the last was in OK shape. The compensators were sticky
and very hard to move. I cleaned them and using a pot of water with a
thermometer, adjusted them to open around 150 degrees F as suggested to me
by others.
The engine still does not keep running however. I think the problem is
related to ambient temperature as the problem seems worse at colder temps.
I just drove the car tonight. A bank I passed had 28 degrees F as the
temperature. The car was an absolute bear to drive - it was hard if not
impossible to keep it running. After the run tonight I don't think the
issue is stalling after highway runs, but more of stalling in cold weather
as it stalled at every stop.
This is a listing of everything I've done since October when the problem
started:
Checked ignition timing
checked spark plug wires
replaced spark plugs
checked distributor cap and shutter (we run a Mallory)
Checked for vacuum leaks - found a few and fixed them
replaced fuel filters
replaced fuel pump
replaced carb diaphragms
added hose clamps to every hose in the vacuum system to eliminate leaks in
those places
checked mixture - looks good
replaced 20W-50 oil in the dashpots with 10W-30
repair and refit of temperature compensators
Just to note, a few have suggested that maybe the fuel tank is not venting
correctly. Tonight I drove a portion of my trip with the gas cap open and
it made no difference.
I have 2 other issues which may or may not be related. First is bad gas
mileage. I'm only getting around 16 mpg and most of my driving is highway
miles. 2nd is sometimes the car "hiccups" while I'm driving. I hear kind
of a puff sound from the engine, the car kind of jerks real fast, and I can
audibly hear the engine drop in rpm for just a split second. This sometimes
happens, sometimes it doesn't. Again, as with the engine stalling, this
happens more when the ambient air temps are cold.
At this point I am asking for any and EVERY suggestion, as wild or as dumb
as it may sound to you, it may be my solution. I have been fighting with
this since October and more and more the idea of getting rid of these
Strombergs is looking like a better idea. These carbs have treated me well
for 6 years but these past 5 months have shown me why some people like to
switch to other carb set-ups.
Thanks for any suggestions (and reading this long message if you made it
this far)!
Steven Altomare
1974.5
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