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Fuel pump? No, vapor lock.

To: british-cars@Alliant.COM
Subject: Fuel pump? No, vapor lock.
From: mit-eddie!pwcs.StPaul.GOV!phile@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Philip J Ethier)
Date: Fri, 18 May 90 10:56:06 CDT
> 
> Philip J Ethier writes:
>
> >the car.  Like it will only do 3000 RPM!  I leave the hood open a lot
> >at autocrosses.  If I moved the fuel line to the other side of the
> >engine, away from the exhaust, or fitted some sort of heat shield,
> >that might help.  How did these cars run in 1966?  You could get Super
>
> Are you sure this isn't a fuel pump problem?  Does this car have a
> mechanical pump?  I know there's been an on-going discussion about this
> but not owning one of these cars, I haven't been following too closely.
> Anyway, this was a common symptom on older American cars with mechanical
> fuel pumps driven by a push rod off of the cam shaft.  The push rod
> would wear down (similar to the clutch rods mentioned in other postings)
> resulting in fuel starvation at higher RPMs.  Maybe something in your
> pump is just worn out.
>
This may be a good example of a message I gould email and not clutter
the list.  But I can't.

No, it is not the fuel pump. It is totally dependent on fuel line
temp.  That is why it took so long to figure out. After a hard day
at the autocross and a drive home through heavy traffic on a hot
afternoon, there it is again!  Open the hood, the filter is empty.
Just walk away.  Half hour later, come back and look at it and there
is fuel in the filter.  The vapor condensed and the fuel siphoned up.
The heck of it is, my RV-mechanic-I-never-drive-anything-but-Chevys
brother-in-law told me what was wrong the first day and I didn't
believe him.  I am trying regular leaded gas now, and not using any
boosters. I used to be get 104 racing gas up the street for $1.80, but
its not available anymore.  The same company sells 108, but only way
over in MInneapolis and its about $3.50.  R&T or C&D just had a blurb
that racing fuel is getting popular around the country and that one of
the advantages is low vapor pressure.  Makes for hard starting and
poor winter performance, but won't vapor lock.  Sounds good to me, but
avialability here is poor.

phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov
Login name: phile        In real life: Philip J Ethier
Phone: 298-5324


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