fuel starvation

[robert p millian]

I got a problem with my 60 coupe deville that I just brought back to life from the dead. When driving on a level road,it runs just fine. Even up small hills. I can stomp on the gas pedal and it just takes off. Its whenever I come to a steeper hill, about half way the engine starts to starve for fuel and slows down and Im lucky I can make it up to the top going about 5 mph. I took a empty one gallon bottle,filled it with gas and placed it between the front grill and radiator. I ran a hose from the bottle to the new fuel pump. Started the car and drove back to that hill I had trouble going up. Guess what,the car went straight up the hill with no problem. What baffels me is why it doesnt draw the gas from the fuel tank. I have replaced the fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump. Even put in a new fuel pump. The car has been completely been tuned up.And the 4 barrell carb has been rebuilt. There are no vacumn leaks. Has anyone encountered this kind of a problem. Appreciate any suggestions.

bob

[Herb Fearn]

Had the same problem in a 60 Corvair. Turned to be a strainer in the gas tank was clogged with debris. Had to drop the tank and clean it out and that took care of the problem.

[John Morris]

I had this happen too. It turned out the lowest part of the gas tank had water in it. Going up hill made the pickup the lowest point and water got sucked into the carb. I treated the tank and problem gone!!

[robert p millian]

Herb

Thanks for your suggestion. I dont believe what you suggested is the problem as I removed the stocking filter off the inlet tube inside the fuel tank.

bob

[robert p millian]

John

My fuel tank has no water in it as I had drained it completely when I removed the tank and changed the sending unit back some time ago. Now,I have a different problem in that its not drawing the fuel from the tank. I found the problem to be at that time that there was a small hole in the sending unit pipe that comes out of the top of tank to the hose connection. Once I had replaced that sending unit the car was able to run on its own without stalling or sitting still or just driving it around as long as I didnt come to any steep hills. My tank holds 20 gallons and I have 15 gallons in it. This is the weirdest problem I have ever had. It just doesnt make any sense. But,thanks for your suggestion.

bob

[Jim Smith]

Robert

Is it possible that the tank is not being adequately vented?

 Jim

[robert p millian]

Jim

As far as I know that U shaped vent pipe coming out of the rear of fuel tank is not cloged. I remember when I removed it,it was okay.

Earlier today I drove my car down to my friends garage for him to look at it. He said the same thing you did and also said even though the carb was rebuilt,maybe the float isnt rising enough when I accelerate to allow more fuel to come into the carb. Now,as I said, she ran fine down to his garage. The weather was hot,about 90 degrees. Ater about 20 minutes or so of discussing my problem,I got into the car started it up and as I pulled out of his parking lot the car had no power and was pinging like crazy. I pulled into the next parking lot,removed the fuel line from the fuel pump and attached the fuel line from my gallon can.The car started right up and I drove it home like nothing was wrong. All I can say is when its drawing fuel from my bottle which is placed between the front radiator and grill the car runs just fine. I am stumped. I rechecked and went over everything I did. As for the carb float,If that was the problem the car would behave the same way regardless from where its drawing the fuel. So it cant be the float or the vent. What else is there to check?

bob

[John #22631]

Robert,
   Reading all the answers, it has to be in the line between the tank and pump. You replaced the line with at least 5/16 line didnt you? Any kinks at all along its path? Maybe the rubber flex line is collapsing. And last of all, maybe the fuel is vapor locking along the stretch of the frame rail. Being mounted on the bottom side of the frame rail, the heat build up from the road surface might be causing the fuel to vaporize.

   I cant think of much else that hasnt been addressed already other than the pump is just plain old WEAK, could be a pin hole in the diaphragm, an air leak in the flare fittings. Hell, Im grasping at straws now.

   I wish you luck. Let us know what you come up with.

John
59 SDV

[Rhino 21150]

Next thing to try would be to connect a rubber hose at the far end of the fuel line and drop it in your gallon can. See if the pump can pull that. If not, might be pump or line, most likely line. After that, get a longer hose and drop it down the fuel filler neck, with a weight on the end so it finds the low point in the tank. If that works, pull the $percent^& tank again and look harder. Hey, nobody said this would be easy.......

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Robert,

Rhino has told you what I was going to suggest but I was in bed asleep at the time.

But, you have to remember tyhat as you are going up the hill, with the Auxilliary can in front, it is higher than the pump, and therefore will be supplying a fair bit of Gravity Feed to the pump.

Try putting the can in the trunk, and connecting the hose from the can to the line that is coming out of the vehicles tank.

This way, you will have the fuel supply down low, at the back, and using your original line in the fuel-transfer.

If it climbs the hill, then it rules out the line from the tank to the fuel pump.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[robert p millian]

John

You made a good point,maybe the fuel is vaporising. I jacked up the car and rechecked the fuel line for any kinks. Everything looked okay. I used a 5/16 brake line that you can buy at most auto part stores and ran it from about 4 inches away from the fuel pump and ran it all the way back in the same location as was the original line that I had removed. Since the line was only 60 inches long I had to connect the 2nd 60 inch line with a 3/8 inch hose to run it all the way back to the fuel tank connection. As for maybe it could be the fuel pump. Well, I installed a brand new one and the results were the same. The new pump made no difference. This is really a though one to solve. Im thinking maybe something like the baffels inside the tank is screwed up. Since I have just about tried everything I can think of,later today Im going to remove the fuel tank from my other 60 sedan that runs just fine. Im betting its got to be something inside the tank thats causing this problem.

BOB

[robert p millian]

Rhino

I have already done that.With the car sitting still,it will draw the fuel to the fuel pump. Thank you for your help.

bob

[robert p millian]

Bruce

The antifreeze can I am using is placed in the space between the front grill and radiator which is way down below the fuel pump,so its not gravity fed. The fuel punp is drawing in the fuel. Also,the car runs okay as long as I dont come to any steep hills as thats when I begin to lose power. I have 2 problems. Losing power going up hills and fuel starvation when engine is hot on a hot day as yesterday. I still think the problem is inside the fuel tank. Ill find out once I change it and give it another road test. Will let all of you that responsed
to my problem what the results are.

bob

[ROY PIERCE 20181]

i had same problem in a ford, turned out to be a red wood chip in tank, would run fine till the tank was half full or going up hill, then the suction would pull the redwood chip down and shut off most of gas supply. after driving me crazy for a year i sold the car to local shop, he found the problem right away, of course.

[robert p millian]

Roy

That could be a possibility. Anyhow,I removed the fuel tank from my other 60 sedan and during this week will swap the tank and give it another try.

bob