bondguy

So I went local to my house this morning…car has been driving fine, sounds good. After I left where I was at, started car up and it started fine. Drove around the block and at the stop sign, car just died…it wouldn't kick over…not battery, thought it could be alternator. Guy from towing agency shoed up (said it sounded like fuel pump bad or just clogged)…anyway, flat bedded the car to my garage. After being on a tilt on it's way up and down, he tells me to try to start it up. I do and of course it starts right away fine. He said could be sediment in fuel tank that shifted. So, he told me for starters, add a bottle of dry gas to the fuel tank. Knowing there is something going on that's clogging the fuel line somewhere (sender or fuel pump), I don't want to drive it to the shop. Based on my post, any other suggestions on what could be wrong or what I should check (drop fuel tank and have it cleaned out, blow out fuel lines, change fuel filters, etc). It's a 1965 Corvette with L76 engine (just rebuilt the engine keeping it a solid lifter).

Gary's '66

Quote:

Originally Posted by bondguy

So I went local to my house this morning…car has been driving fine, sounds good. After I left where I was at, started car up and it started fine. Drove around the block and at the stop sign, car just died…it wouldn't kick over…not battery, thought it could be alternator. Guy from towing agency shoed up (said it sounded like fuel pump bad or just clogged)…

First off, that tow truck driver doesn't know s**t about cars if he thought it was a fuel issue. If it WERE fuel related the car may not run but it would AT LEAST turn over!


This is an electrical issue and it sounds like the classic firewall connector pins or large red wire aren't making a good connection scenario, a very common problem.

Gary

65hihp

Gotta to agree with Gary.
I don't know what the problem is, but I know enough to say I don't know.
Which is better than what you got from flat bed knucklehead.
Based upon what I have heard about the firewall connectors on our cars, I would look there first, and follow the advice of tow truck tommy last...

rtruman

Check firewall connectors also check coil connections both sides. ,check wires on inside
of distributor or insulation missing and tight connections. I had to used jumper from battery with clips once to get home.
I all that's good check ignition switch loose bi metal piece inside switch.

MikeM

It would help if the OP would give a better definition of "it wouldn't kick over". Maybe that means the engine would crank but wouldn't start?

65hihp

I take it to mean he turned ignition switch to start, and nothing happened.

Captain Obvious.

MikeM

Looks like you have it all figured out.

MikeM

Is this the same problem you had last summer? Did you fix it?

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...a-bad-way.html

bondguy

Not the same problem as last Summer. Car has been starting fine and not running hot at all. Had the engine rebuilt recently. After getting coffee this morning, car started right up and after driving around the block and getting to s stop sign, the car just conked out. Wouldn't start. Was making a cranking noise (not like the ticking noise of a dead battery). It just wouldn't start…I waited about 1/2 hour for tow truck to arrive and tried again but nothing…just cranking sound…and didn't sound like it was anywhere near to starting. He brought it to my garage at my house and asked me to try again once he set it down in the garage…and, it started right up. I will check the firewall clips but not sure why that would all of a sudden happen when it started up and has been fine for awhile.

bondguy

Also wondering if it is the firewall clips, why would it start after being towed back to my house? And, noticed just now after starting it (it's been sitting in garage and cooled down) that I'm getting some water droplets coming out of both sides of exhaust…no smoke white or gray..just water with exhaust…stopped after about a minute

Powershift

Water = okay

Antifreeze coolant = problem

When gasoline is burned with oxygen (air) the result is energy + CO2 + water. Some condensed water vapor is to be expected at the tailpipe on cool down. But not coolant. Typically a coolant leak into the combustion chamber(s) will show up as a white cloud out the tailpipes. If the car has a catalytic converter (late models) this cloud will disappear as the catalyst heats everything up so hot that the visible water vapor becomes invisible superheated steam. Since you don't have cats, you should just see a big white plume behind your car.

Larry

MikeM

Does this mean the engine would turn over and not start or just wouldn't turn over?

bondguy

Wasn't even close to turning over Of course, now it's in my garage and starts fine on the first turn…I let it run for a few minutes and no stalling or even close to shutting down. Just the little bit of water droplets from the exhaust …guess I need noticed the water from exhaust if it's been there before because normally my car is parked by me head in and because it was delivered by flatbed and I need to get it flat bedded to shop later in the week I had him back the car in the garage. Let it run for a minute but had to shut if off..exhaust smell even with garage open was starting to seem like it might get inside my house.

Frankie the Fink

Stuck float.

bondguy

When I smelled my hands after having water droplets from exhaust on them, it had the smell of when you have something electrical burning…not the usual exhaust smell

bondguy

That would explain why it wouldn't even turn over after it died at a stop sign but started when I got it home?

MikeM

No, but you've been pretty vague at describing your symptoms.

Did anything else electrical work when the engine wouldn't crank over? Courtesy lights, radio, horn, etc.?

65GGvert

How about clarify, straight out, when you say "turn over" are you meaning "start"? The engine is turned over by the starter, but needs fuel and spark to start. Does your definition of "turn over" mean that the engine is running?
Just this once, use these terms: did it crank, but no start....or would it not crank at all, no starter sound, no engine cranking? When you turned the key, could you hear the engine "turning over (cranking)" trying to start?

kingwoodvette

seems like so many have trouble explaining this otherwise simple set of alternatives.

Frankie the Fink

I assumed the "...cranking noise" from post #9 means the car is turning over when the key is in the start position...