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Motor dies while making Left Turn

Started by Patrick Fant, December 27, 2021, 09:27:35 AM

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Patrick Fant

Has anybody ever heard of this?  Yesterday, 3 different times the motor died right in traffic when making a LEFT turn under power (not just coasting/)  Have to come to full stop to go in PARK and restart/drive off normally.  What the heck?  Mechanical fuel pump tested and appears to be fine.  Running a small Holly electric fuel pump as back up.  pat fant #31723
Patrick Fant
Houston
CLC #31723

scotth3886

#1
Quote from: pat@rfcmedia.com on December 27, 2021, 09:27:35 AM
Has anybody ever heard of this?  Yesterday, 3 different times the motor died right in traffic when making a LEFT turn under power (not just coasting/)  Have to come to full stop to go in PARK and restart/drive off normally.  What the heck?  Mechanical fuel pump tested and appears to be fine.  Running a small Holly electric fuel pump as back up.  pat fant #31723

I had my 66 Fleetwood all of a sudden do that.  This was right after changing the intake out because the exhaust crossover was cracked.  Turned out that the mechanic put the carb to intake shims back in backwards.  I had just gotten the car and also knew nothing about it.  Thanks to this forum I was able to correct it.  It's been fine ever since.

Patrick Fant

You are so right Scott about this forum. There is so much experience here that the chances are good someone will have experience with the issue and offer an idea.  On this car, we pulled and rebuilt the original engine about 3 years ago - but nothing since has changed in that department.  pat
Patrick Fant
Houston
CLC #31723

scotth3886

#3
Quote from: pat@rfcmedia.com on December 27, 2021, 10:00:29 AM
You are so right Scott about this forum. There is so much experience here that the chances are good someone will have experience with the issue and offer an idea.  On this car, we pulled and rebuilt the original engine about 3 years ago - but nothing since has changed in that department.  pat

It struck me as so weird that the car only did it when making a left turn.  I was at a complete loss as to where to start, but when I posted the question here on the CLC forums, four or five folks all suggested the same thing.  Sure enough when I pulled the carb they were incorrect.  Put the shims, spacers, etc., in correct order and all was fine, except for the other 15 - 20 issues I had yet to deal with.  Down to about three issues now, which will hopefully get corrected in the spring. 

Lexi

Could also be a carburetor float level issue. Clay/Lexi

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

Had the same with a '62 Cadillac. Float problem in carburetor.
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

TJ Hopland

Now that its been solved could someone tell the rest of us what year and model this was and how the shim spacer issue causes it to stall only on a left turn?
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Jon S

#7
It may appear to be fixed but I am convinced one of your floats is binding on the carburetor body internally and causing the problem. I had this problem years ago and it just required moving the float over slightly on its pivots. A very simple fix.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Patrick Fant

I am definitely going to check the carb float and see if I can move it over slightly on pivots... must be binding inside and sticking and the force of the turn is enough to push it over enough. pat
Patrick Fant
Houston
CLC #31723

The Tassie Devil(le)

Have a look at the wiring loom that runs along the engine to the coil and see if it is possible that any sideways movement could ground out the wiring.   Or a loose coil or coil wire that could swing and ground out.

As John Washburn once said, "a lot of fuel problems are actually electrical".

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Mike Baillargeon #15848

Pat what year is your car....Is the ignition switch in the column?

Bruce might be onto something.....when John Washburn spoke we all listened....

Mike

Mike
Baillargeon
#15848

Carfreak

Enjoy life - it has an expiration date.

RFelts

Check your battery hold-down.  If the battery is free to shift, it can short while turning and kill power to the ignition in the process.
Upper Marlboro, MD

'70 DeVille Conv
'88 Brougham

James Landi

My Dad had a '58 Pontiac "chieftain"that had this "left turn" disease. A mind boggling challenge that a young driver and newly initiated romantic had to deal with on several otherwise lovely "date"outings.  This car would simply refused to start following a stall at an even moderately quick  left turn------ I recall even trying raw gas down the two barrel carburetor--- it would usually take 10 or 15 minutes of sitting, and then, without any fuss, it would start and run.     It was, indeed, "a ghost in the machine" and any amount of complaining would yield the same fatherly response, "I never have any problem with that car, you must be doing something that's annoying it." My father would anthropomorphize car challenges -- "the car simply does not get along with you." Overtime and years of shade tree mechanical experience, I surmised "the carburetor float" theory. but after reading these earlier posts, I'm thinking it may have been an electrical ignition fault.  Happy day,  James

TJ Hopland

I'm hoping to hear more details because the float thing doesn't make sense to me unless maybe its a very long left turn like maybe a an interstate highway cloverleaf sort of a thing?    Otherwise a typical left turn isn't going to be long enough to run the bowl out of fuel even if there is a float issue.   
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Michael Petti

I had a 73 Dodge years ago with this issue. Every time I turned left the car stalled. After a lot of work with carb and fuel pump and distributor and problem not cured, I accidentally knocked a wire loom into the steering column and the car stalled just sitting there. Did it again with same result. I took the loom apart, found the worn insulation, taped it up and tied it away from any metal and the problem disappeared. Drove car for years and it never came back. Hope it's cured but if comes back don't discount electrical shorts.

dn010

I would also imagine that the engine wouldn't care which turn you're making- left, right, incline, etc.; if there is a float issue severe enough to cause the engine to die, it would likely happen during each of those instances, not just one. I had a 61 Chrysler Newport one time that had some issue with the carb/float, and I could never make it up a hill until it was fixed. Meanwhile, I had a 50 Buick Special with a float issue and you'd never have even known unless you went into the carb and checked the setting. I'm with the 'electrical' crowd. Along with all that has been suggested already, get in the car, turn it full left, and then get out and inspect the steering linkages to see if any wiring is coming in contact.
-----Dan Benedek
'57 Cadillac Sedan Deville 6239DX
'81 DMC DeLorean

Big Fins

Quote from: TJ Hopland on December 29, 2021, 11:43:03 AM
I'm hoping to hear more details because the float thing doesn't make sense to me unless maybe its a very long left turn like maybe a an interstate highway cloverleaf sort of a thing?    Otherwise a typical left turn isn't going to be long enough to run the bowl out of fuel even if there is a float issue.

I was always told that it was a hard right turn that you had to make to get her to slide over closer to you.

Then they invented bucket seats!  >:(
Current:
1976 Eldorado Convertible in Crystal Blue FireMist with white interior and top. (Misty Blue)
1969 Fleetwood Brougham in Chalice Gold FireMist with matching interior and top. (The Old Man) SOLD!

Past and much missed:
1977 Brougham de Elegance
1976 Eldorado Convertible
1972 Fleetwood Brougham
1971 Sedan de Ville
1970 de Ville Convertible
1969 Sedan de Ville
1959 Sedan deVille

scotth3886

Quote from: Big Fins on December 29, 2021, 02:59:34 PM
I was always told that it was a hard right turn that you had to make to get her to slide over closer to you.

Then they invented bucket seats!  >:(

And discontinued necker knobs.

scotth3886

Quote from: dn010 on December 29, 2021, 02:48:17 PM
I would also imagine that the engine wouldn't care which turn you're making- left, right, incline, etc.; if there is a float issue severe enough to cause the engine to die, it would likely happen during each of those instances, not just one. I had a 61 Chrysler Newport one time that had some issue with the carb/float, and I could never make it up a hill until it was fixed. Meanwhile, I had a 50 Buick Special with a float issue and you'd never have even known unless you went into the carb and checked the setting. I'm with the 'electrical' crowd. Along with all that has been suggested already, get in the car, turn it full left, and then get out and inspect the steering linkages to see if any wiring is coming in contact.

My 66 would do it on the softest of right turns.  Soft enough that you couldn't feel the turn such as the 15 degree angle or so of pulling in my drive.  It's almost a straight shot in with just a slight turn.  It would get me every time.  Mechanic thought it had to be float level, but nothing wrong that he could see.  Many of you guys suggested checking the order of the shims, spacers, etc.   That was it.