<VV> Self pity and whining

[Pleau, Dennis E]

Norm,

The description of the problem as you just wrote it, is the textbook
description of vapor lock.  The fuel vaporizes in the pump and input
line.  The pump can't pump vapor so now new fuel is going to the carbs,
you burn what is in the carbs and then it sputters and dies as the carbs
go dry.
After it cools off the fuel condenses and everything is back to normal.

dp

Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 08:18:16 -0400
From: "Norman C. Witte" <ncwitte at wittelaw.com>
Subject: RE: <VV> Self pity and whining
To: "'Tony Underwood'" <tonyu at roava.net>,
<virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Message-ID: <021201c66f74$d2c96020$6e01a8c0 at wittelaw.local>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="US-ASCII"

Tony, I keep thinking vapor lock is a possibility.  The temp gauge on
the
dash shows that this motor seems to run a bit hot--maybe 425ish once its
warmed up.  This morning I shot some starter fluid in the air cleaner,
cranked it and it fired up no problem.  I'm not sure about gas
formulation
being the problem, since it was doing the same thing last fall, though I
suppose that they may have changed over, as late as I was driving the
car.
I suspected a contaminated fuel tank, but it only happens when the car
has
fully warmed up and then been parked for a short period of time.  When
it
finally starts, it starts like it never had a problem.  If it was a
contamination problem, I don't think the timing would be so predictable.


Oh, and I should describe the symptoms when it dies.  Usually, it will
start
ok, run for a short distance, and then just kind of sputter and die.
Pumping or flooring the accelerator has no effect.  This makes me think
that
I am able to burn the fuel in the carb bowl and when that's gone it just
starves.  Once this happens it will give a sputter or two, but that's
it.  

But if it is vapor lock, what can I do to avoid this, short of getting
an
electric fuel pump somewhere forward of the engine compartment?  It's
not a
tolerable condition.

Norm 



Dennis Pleau
Fab 23 Integration
719 273 1175
A-Page dpleau at archwireless.net or
888 228 9514