Stalls out and hard to restart when warm?

Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
  • MEMBER
  • 1964 FORD THUNDERBIRD
  • 6.4L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 60,000 MILES
The car from a cold start will bust right off. No gas or anything, just turn the key and she runs. While driving after about 5 to 10 minutes it starts to stall and shuts off. Sometimes it will start back up and other times it has to completely cool off (turns over but no fire I assume). Yeah, there's no sensors and whatnot due to the age of the engine it's a 390 FE from 1964.
Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 AT 6:03 PM

63 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi,

That is an interesting one. When it happens, will it restart with starting fluid? I'm questioning if you have a vapor lock in the fuel system.

Try to see if it starts with starting fluid. If it does and then stalls, we know its fuel related. If there is no change, then check to see if there is spark to the plugs. If there isn't, I need to know if this still has the original points and condenser ignition system or if someone has changed it. Also, the coil itself may fail when heated.

Let me know.

Joe
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Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 AT 8:50 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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It has fuel, the glass inline filter is full. When it will not start even when turning over after it gets warm, I have put the spark tester light on it, and it has spark. I have replaced the mech ignition and coil with a ProComp Magnetic trigger ignition with vacuum advance. New mech fuel pump and a new replacement voltage regulator or surge protector as Ford called it also, I have rerouted the fuel line from pump to carburetor away from the engine. It runs up the fender and across the firewall to keep from vapor locking. It has to be a "BLANK" failure. Caused by heat and still not consistent. Could be 5 minutes or the longest I have made it was 20 minutes idle or 15-minute drive.
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Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 AT 9:40 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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When driving it is like it gets bogged. I can hear the carburetor sucking air and felt the engine slowing the car as if it had an engine brake. Then bam sucker is back in action. Or if I can't catch it soon after it shuts off, she will not start for an hour or so. No matter what I do.
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Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 AT 9:48 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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The video is after it idled for about 10 minutes. The tick you hear Is an exhaust leak. Pease tune it out, lol.
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+1
Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 AT 9:51 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi,

If it still has spark, then it has to be fuel related. Will it start with starting fluid? Have you had the carburetor apart to make sure the float is properly set, and the needle valve is clean and functional?

Let me know.

Joe
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Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 AT 5:49 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
  • MEMBER
  • 43 POSTS
I rebuilt the carburetor, it had sat for about 3 years, and we had the great Texas freeze during that time as well. At the moment I have the gas tank in the garage, doing a bit of electrolysis rust removal. I will check the carburetor again this afternoon.
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Thursday, September 1st, 2022 AT 4:00 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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Hi,

Sounds like a plan, and I hope everything is going well in TX. Let me know what you find.

Joe
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Thursday, September 1st, 2022 AT 7:25 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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Well not the response I would like to give, but TX is always great just getting my butt kicked with the Ragweed, I think. A little summer cold as they like to call it. But the car Is still here, and I will get back on it ASAP. Keep the conversation alive until the problem is solved!
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Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 AT 6:43 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi,

It sounds like a plan. Take care and I will watch for your reply.

Joe
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Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 AT 10:30 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
  • MEMBER
  • 43 POSTS
Alright Joe. So, while I have the gas tank off and doing a round or electrolysis therapy, I throw a 2gal can in the trunk and hit a lap (turn around on the frontage road, I live by I-35) just to see if it was the sending unit that was shot. Still acted up. Yesterday the can bypassed the entire line and hooked into the fuel pump. Ran like a champ right until it died a block from home. Now today I fired her up and just sat and watched. After about 10 mins at idle I start to see what I can only call smoke (but more like dense vapors) coming from small ports on each side of the carburetor. And the idle gets rough right before she shuts off. I will attach a pic of the carburetor. Experiment #2 I let her run and I pulled the hose out of the tank to see how it acted when out of fuel. It did not sputter only when it was out it was off like a switch. In the pic the ports are the holes beside the little brass plates. It's an Eldibrock 1406. What at the holes and why would it "smoke"?
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Monday, September 5th, 2022 AT 8:26 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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These, lol.
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Monday, September 5th, 2022 AT 8:31 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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These lol
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Monday, September 5th, 2022 AT 8:31 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Hi,

Take the carburetor off and check the float drop and the needle and seat. Make sure the needle and seat are sealing fuel off when needed. Also, make sure the float drop is correct. It's getting too much fuel. Think about it. If it ran good with the fuel disconnected until it ran out of fuel, that leads me to say if fuel was available, it would have pumped too much.

Let me know.

Joe
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Monday, September 5th, 2022 AT 9:51 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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I will pull it apart again when I get home. I know it is a lot to take in and I appreciate your help. Sometime a second set of ears helps a lot. Would too much fuel make it sound like. Well, doing 55 MPH I feel it start to bog down and when I give it the pedal, I hear the sounds of a giant sucking a straw in a cup of ice. If you can imagine that sound. I thought it was starving, but couple It be flooding?
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Tuesday, September 6th, 2022 AT 10:51 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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Hi,

When you hear that sound, does the engine bog down? In other words, does it lose power? That would indicate it is starved for fuel.

Let me know.

Joe
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Tuesday, September 6th, 2022 AT 6:18 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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Okay, so to update I guess so that we can continue the conversation I'm not a goober head lol! I'm pretty knowledgeable in the mechanics field although you probably get that a lot anyway. I just got done with coating the inside of my gas tank and I was listening to a random YouTube video that came on after one I was watching. And it was talking about vapor fuel separator filters and then I realized my engine and system ran dead. So, I decided to not install my gas tank instead I am running a return line with the vapor separator after the fuel pump before the carburetor. Maybe I'll be done by Sunday evening. And with any luck and a little grace from the Lord that's going to help wait not help That's going to solve the issue keep your fingers crossed and I won't stop this conversation until it's done thank you for your help!
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Friday, September 9th, 2022 AT 3:58 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
  • MEMBER
  • 43 POSTS
In the pictures we have I believe if I picked it right a picture of the old rusted inside, one of after I electricized and coated it, and one of the paint job (with spray paint) lol.
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Friday, September 9th, 2022 AT 4:03 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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Red kotes.
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Friday, September 9th, 2022 AT 4:05 PM
Tiny
SUPERDAVE254
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Redneck paint job. But if we ever have to hide from pterodactyls laying under there somebody's going to be like, darn that's a cool tank.
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Friday, September 9th, 2022 AT 4:07 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Pterodactyls? Good lord, I hope that never happens. LOL And you're right about the questions I ask. I have had a lot of people that have no idea what is what which is why they ask for help. My favorite was the heading saying, "My Hooter Fell Off and I can't get it to stay on." LOL I was nearly in tears. I was going to suggest a doctor but wasn't sure if the hooter was OEM. LOL It was actually the horn button.

Regardless, the tank looks great.

Joe
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Friday, September 9th, 2022 AT 8:56 PM

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