It's a mid year disorder.
Need some help please.....
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 177
Likes: 1
From: Yardley Pennsylvania
Need some help please.....
Drove the '62 over 100 miles last Sunday (a week ago) and was running great. Came home, put her in the garage and assumed all was good. Tried to start it this past Sunday and seems something went bad wrong during the week. Car started briefly (running very rough) and then just quit. While trying several times to restart, I obviously flooded it and decided to let it sit for a couple of days. Yesterday, pulled the plugs(those from cylinders 1, 2 and 4 were real wet and fouled pretty badly). Decided to replace the plugs which I did today. Also checked the points, rotor, distributor cap and pulled the fuel filter to be sure there wasn't a blocked line. Some small particles but nothing major. Fuel supply doesn't appear to be the problem.
Anyone have any idea what I might be up against here???
Any and all help appreciated.
Anyone have any idea what I might be up against here???
Any and all help appreciated.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,073
Likes: 3
From: New Jersey. The deer ate my Garden State.
The float(s) could be stuck down so the carburetor floods. I would suspect that it is a carburetor issue. Take the sight plug out to see if gasoline pours out of the hole.
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,576
Likes: 118
From: Conroe Texas
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,576
Likes: 118
From: Conroe Texas
When the float in my 62 got stuck, fuel would drip off the throttle shaft onto the passenger side of the intake.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,946
Likes: 28
From: Long Beach CA
It could be dirt in the needle & seat. I've had success with cutting off the fuel supply to the carb (disconnect and plug the line if it's metal, pinch it off if it's hose), then starting and running the engine until it stalls. This mostly empties the float bowl and lets the float drop. Then hook up the fuel line and crank the engine. The fuel surge from the pump might just blow the dirt out of the needle/seat and it'll be fine.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 11,482
Likes: 27
From: Plum Boro, Pa. USA Pennsylvania
Just throwin' this out there, since I'm not mechanically inclined...but it happened to me: drove to a Cruise in the '62, started backing into a parking space. It stalled & wouldn't start; gear-head buds came over & started checking & wound up removing the metal band holding the ballast resistor to the firewall. It was cracked completely through!
They by-passed it, allowing me to get home & to my mechanic the next a.m.
Cruz
They by-passed it, allowing me to get home & to my mechanic the next a.m. Cruz
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 177
Likes: 1
From: Yardley Pennsylvania
Follow-up to my original post.....
Tried solidly tapping the carb with a rubber mallet to see if floats were hung up causing the problem. Tried to start the car with no change in the symptoms.
Pulled the carb and disassembled to see if floats were hanging up. No obstruction..they are operating freely. Next checked to see if there was any debris in the idle mixture screw passages. Did find a little obstruction in both. Blew them out and reassembled the carb and reattached to the manifold.
No luck...same symptoms as before...motor starts briefly and then dies...
Not sure where to turn next other than have it towed to the shop and have someone more knowledgeable than me to figure it out.
Thanks to all who responded earlier.....
Tried solidly tapping the carb with a rubber mallet to see if floats were hung up causing the problem. Tried to start the car with no change in the symptoms.
Pulled the carb and disassembled to see if floats were hanging up. No obstruction..they are operating freely. Next checked to see if there was any debris in the idle mixture screw passages. Did find a little obstruction in both. Blew them out and reassembled the carb and reattached to the manifold.
No luck...same symptoms as before...motor starts briefly and then dies...
Not sure where to turn next other than have it towed to the shop and have someone more knowledgeable than me to figure it out.
Thanks to all who responded earlier.....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,202
Likes: 15
From: Keswick Ontario
Follow-up to my original post.....
Tried solidly tapping the carb with a rubber mallet to see if floats were hung up causing the problem. Tried to start the car with no change in the symptoms.
Pulled the carb and disassembled to see if floats were hanging up. No obstruction..they are operating freely. Next checked to see if there was any debris in the idle mixture screw passages. Did find a little obstruction in both. Blew them out and reassembled the carb and reattached to the manifold.
No luck...same symptoms as before...motor starts briefly and then dies...
Not sure where to turn next other than have it towed to the shop and have someone more knowledgeable than me to figure it out.
Thanks to all who responded earlier.....
Tried solidly tapping the carb with a rubber mallet to see if floats were hung up causing the problem. Tried to start the car with no change in the symptoms.
Pulled the carb and disassembled to see if floats were hanging up. No obstruction..they are operating freely. Next checked to see if there was any debris in the idle mixture screw passages. Did find a little obstruction in both. Blew them out and reassembled the carb and reattached to the manifold.
No luck...same symptoms as before...motor starts briefly and then dies...
Not sure where to turn next other than have it towed to the shop and have someone more knowledgeable than me to figure it out.
Thanks to all who responded earlier.....
just curious
it is not a situation where it starts then dies when you release the ignition key to the run position is it?
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 262
Likes: 2
From: FREDERICKSBURG VA
If you can carefully look into the top of the carb while trying to crank the car, I'd think you'd be able to see fuel pouring into the intake - if it doesn't backfire through the carb and take off your eyebrows.
When the float in my 62 got stuck, fuel would drip off the throttle shaft onto the passenger side of the intake.
When the float in my 62 got stuck, fuel would drip off the throttle shaft onto the passenger side of the intake.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Flower Mound Texas
Unfortunately not familier with early Carters (Holley-on-the-brain from a previous post might explain this), but wondered if your carb has anything like a vacuum qualifier diaphram or choke unloader? This serves to pull-open the choke plate a little bit right after the engine fires so it doesn't die/flood. If you have a failure like this, it would offer similar failure symptoms.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 867
Likes: 260
From: Hinesville, GA & Oswego, NY
My ballast resister went out with the same symptoms, drove it, ran fine, sometime later went to start it, it would start ok but it quit when the key would return to on.--Bill
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 177
Likes: 1
From: Yardley Pennsylvania
Releasing the key to the "ON" position does not seem to be the problem. Several times the motor has run roughly (loping) for up to 30-45 seconds after starting but then seems to load up and quit. I'm not familiar with the vacuum qualifier diaphram or choke unloader so I can't answer that question. Will check the ballast resistor to see if that may be the problem.
Again, thanks for all the input. If I find the problem, I will repost for future reference.
Again, thanks for all the input. If I find the problem, I will repost for future reference.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Flower Mound Texas
The unloader of VQD serves to open the choke after starting. To see if the choke opens a little bit after starting, observe the choke plate static, engine off, choke engaged (cold). Stand back and watch as someone cranks the engine...when it fires, does the choke plate open "some" (let's say 1/6-1/4 of it's full travel)? If not, the engine will generally load up and die. If it does open somewhat upon engine firing, this is probably not the problem.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 177
Likes: 1
From: Yardley Pennsylvania
Turns out replacing the points and coil solved the problem. The Vette fired right up so I can't say for sure which of the two was bad but suspect the points since they were pretty badly pitted and worn. Thanks to all who responded with suggestions.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 1,016
Likes: 1
From: Maine
