Sputtering to a Stall

[Marshall]

So I was driving along and the engine started to loose power, felt like I was out of gas. I thought maybe I was, it really felt like that and none of my gages work yet, (including the odometer, so I have a glass log book to keep track of fuel level). Anyway, it did this loss of power, like no fuel was getting to the engine three times, each time about 1 or 2 seconds, then it would rev back in. I stalled at the next light, but it started back up luckily. I was keeping the idle a bit higher hoping it wouldn't stall, but then scared I would run out of gas. I made it to the gas station, it turned off normally and didn't stall. I put in gas and started it back up. I let it run for a bit in the station, and check undercarriage for leaks, and under the hood. I left the station and started to head home a few miles away. The same problem started happening, this time the intervals closer together. I sputtered into an alley where it died fully and wouldn't start back up. Being that I am collecting tools right now and going to pack them in this, as suggested, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DK ... dp_summary - I didn't have any tools. So, trusty AAA to the rescue and a 3 mile free tow.

Being this is really my first project vehicle that I've started working on and learning on, I called my brother for some of his best guesses. #1: Check for fuel leaks. I did this at the station hoping not to blow up. #2: Check for any other leaks. Good there. #3: Check spark plugs. I pulled them and they all seem fine, and the wires. #4: Check distributor cap for any clogs, oil, or anything out of the ordinary. Looks good there. #5: Pull the full line - first before the inline fuel filter, check flow, then after - see if its got good gas flow. I haven't done this yet, I will tomorrow.

Any guesses on what might be the problem?? Any other things for me to check, either after the fuel line flow check, or before, to eliminate possibilities. THANKS!!

Oh, and I took off the roll cage today in between trying to find this problem, as a fun project in the midst of bad news -

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[r1lark]

Check for debris in the fuel tank that can temporarily block the fuel inlet. 'Been there, done that' on one of my Studebakers, and had to clean out the tank.

[RiverPatrol]

^ What he said. Also check your fuel filter.

[broncb2b]

Vaporlock?

The E10 fuel we end up with these days has a pretty low boiling point.

More info.... http://www.offroadadventures.com/articles/view/id/474

"E10 causes a carbureted engine to run leaner than gasoline. It might require carb and timing adjustments (possibly even rejetting) to get the engine running well. An older fuel injected engine without oxygen sensors may have the same trouble. Vapor locking in hot weather is very common with carbureted engines on E10 because it has a lower boiling point. Raising the fuel pressure via an electric fuel pump stalls off vapor locking in the fuel lines but you"ll need a pressure regulator at the carb because it can only handle low pressure input. Sometimes E10 boils in the float bowl when the engine is shut off on a hot day, so the engine may start hard. A phenolic insulator under the carb helps, as well as blocking or reducing the exhaust crossover in the intake manifold. Vehicles built before 1975 switched to a steady diet of E10 may see a rapid increase in fuel hose failure, fuel pump diaphragm failure and internal carb problems. By "75, car manufacturers had updated soft fuel system parts from Neoprene to Nitrile (a.k.a. Buna-N) that made them resistant to low levels of ethanol. In even older engines, leather is largely resistant but cork and cork/neoprene gaskets are not. The metal parts in the older fuel systems may corrode more rapidly, particularly soldered brass carburetor floats and zinc-plated (or galvanized) parts. Fortunately, there are cures for most of these issues. Transitioning your rig from straight gas to E10 is fairly simple. If it was built after "75, trouble is unlikely unless you used cheap non-Nitrile replacement parts. With pre-"75 rigs, plan on replacing all the fuel hoses and fuel pump. NOS (New Old Stock) parts used for restoration are not ethanol-safe. The cure for brass carb floats is to paint them with a moisture-cured urethane. This type of urethane works also as an internal fuel tank coating to protect from corrosion. Recently, manufactured soft parts from a major retailer or manufacturer are most often E10 compliant and Viton material is an improvement over Nitrile. Viton is most often seen where E85 or methanol racing fuels are used. Even ethanol-certified vehicles can have problems when a region changes over to E10 from straight gas. Refiners should clean their transport and storage tanks, pipes and pumps in a specific way at the changeover. If they don"t, partially dissolved varnish and gum is pumped into the customer"s fuel tank. Once the ethanol has dissolved the gunk, the problems are largely over. According to industry insiders, many of the horror stories related to E10 happen during the transition if retailers don"t follow procedure. "

[Cameron110]

Reading the post about the junk in the fuel tank, which is a great thought, it made me wonder if it would be good move your inline fuel filter. It is currently between the carb and the fuel pump which only protects the carb. If you could move it to be between the gas tank and the fuel pump it would protect your recently rebuilt fuel pump as well as the carb.

[moore_rb]

Agree with others here- sounds fuel related. I'm guessing you will be replacing fuel filters very regularly until all the fine rust and debris from the fuel system is captured

The next time it dies like this, also be sure to also put your hand on the coil and feel how hot it is...

cool/warm coil- good. Hot coil bad.

HEY! you took the roll bar out! Looks better without it (to me anyway... )

Welcome to the forum, Cameron and Broncb2b...!

[moore_rb]

Reading the post about the junk in the fuel tank, which is a great thought, it made me wonder if it would be good move your inline fuel filter. It is currently between the carb and the fuel pump which only protects the carb. If you could move it to be between the gas tank and the fuel pump it would protect your recently rebuilt fuel pump as well as the carb.

I think an even better suggestion might be to run two filters - Get a large, see-through style Universal filter (so you can visually see when it gets clogged) and install that in the line between the tank and the fuel pump, then put a smaller one between the pump and the carb...

[Marshall]

Awesome, thanks all for the input! I'll post updates once this rain stops and I can work on it.

Rob - yeah, we like it better without the roll bars as well, more Patrol looking that's for sure. Maybe less people will tell me at stop lights: "cool old Jeep!" (probably not) Oh, and Cameron is my brother, who wired you the money to buy the truck

[Marshall]

So I've pulled all fuel lines after the glass bowl and made sure all parts up to the carb are working properly. Lines seem to be free, and filters are now clean and free of debris (glass bowl emptied). I did a manual plunger to check fuel line from tank forward as well. The fuel pump is working, as I disconnected after it and turned the starter and fuel pumped into a bucket. Should it be flowing dramatically after the fuel pump with a lot of pressure, or just a bit of constant flow? I have the latter.

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I moved the inline fuel filter to between the glass bowl and the fuel pump to protect my newly rebuilt pump. I will add in another new one after the pump before the carb as well.

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I pulled the spark plugs one by one and checked sparks, good there. The distributor cap looks fine as well. The engine started with a bit of starter fluid, but only lasted as long as the starter fluid allowed the engine to run, (about a second). So my conclusion is there is something wrong with the carb. Maybe some blockage? The fuel is making it through the filters and pumping through the fuel pump, but not making it out of the carb.

Is this a good assumption and a logical place to turn next?

[moore_rb]

Did you replace the inline fuel filter? or just move it? you should see the fuel pump shoot into the bucket with each stroke of the pump rod while the engine is cranking....