<VV> Fw: Spyder Bucking/Stalling problem - more clues! - ONE MORE THING! - AND ANOTHER!

Thu Jul 10 21:21:40 EDT 2008

We have tried 2 more things since last posting:

1) Drove it with the fuel filler cap off. Didn't help!
2) Filled the tank (it was 1/4 full, now full). This didn't stop the problem, but it made it last longer before it stalls. Maybe crud in the tank floating on top, so more is near the pickup when low on fuel?

I might try swapping the fuel pump before I go into the tank. If nothing else, I have a lot of gas to use up before I can break into it.

Keep those ideas coming!

-- Doug Mackintosh
Corsa member since 1996
Corsa/NC member since 1996, Virtual Vairs member
Corvair owner 1969-1971 and 1996-on

--- On Wed, 9/7/08, Doug Mackintosh <dougmackintosh at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Doug Mackintosh <dougmackintosh at yahoo.com>
Subject: Fw: Spyder Bucking/Stalling problem - more clues! - ONE MORE THING!
To: "Virtual Vairs" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Date: Wednesday, 9 July, 2008, 3:51 AM

OOPS! I forgot to add what we did today to check the fuel system. 

1) Checked fuel delivery rate from fuel pump at cranking speed. Spec is 1 pint in less than 40 seconds. We delivered 1 pint in 26 sec.
2) Checked fuel delivery rate at carb end of fuel pipe (this includes the fuel filter in the engine compartment in the flow circuit). Same delivery rate as before (1 pint in 26 sec). Note, this is despite the fact that some of the fuel was also returning to the tank via the return line coming off the fuel filter.
3) Checked the fuel cap vent. It appears to be OK (but not sure)

-- Doug Mackintosh
Corsa member since 1996
Corsa/NC member since 1996, Virtual Vairs member
Corvair owner 1969-1971 and 1996-on

--- On Wed, 9/7/08, Doug Mackintosh <dougmackintosh at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Doug Mackintosh <dougmackintosh at yahoo.com>
Subject: Spyder Bucking/Stalling problem - more clues!
To: "Virtual Vairs" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Date: Wednesday, 9 July, 2008, 3:11 AM

I have continued trying to diagnose my daughter's Spyder's bucking/stalling problem I posted a few days ago. Here is an update on the current symptoms, the ideas folks have suggested, and what I have tried so far:

Symptoms:

Car starts fine and drives fine at first. After about 15-20 minutes on the highway (approx 60 MPH) it stalls. After sitting a minute, it will restart after a few seconds of cranking. Tonight when we tried it, it took 10 seconds of cranking after stalling. Then I turned it off, let it sit about 30 seconds, and it restarted instantly. Once it restarts, we can drive it several more minutes (but it appears it doesn't go as far after the restart before it stalls again). If we drive slower it seems to last longer. Tonight, after it stalled, we drove back at around 50 MPH and it made it almost all the way back before stalling. If I had driven at higher speed, it would have stalled sooner. 

Here are the ideas people have suggested, or I have thought of. I have shown in brackets what we have tried or checked out so far. The numbers are the number of folks making that suggestion:

Note, we have already replaced the distributor body to eliminate a sloppy shaft which was causing erratic point operation. This cured another problem (difficulty revving over 4000 RPM and an erratic tach needle). This did not have any effect on the above symptoms. 

  1 - Point wire [LOOKS GOOD, NO WEAK SPOTS]
  2 - Clogged fuel sock or filter
  1 - Fuel related
  5 - Coil [RULED OUT - REPLACED WITH KNOWN GOOD]
  1 - Distributor 
  1 - Coil feed wiring
  1 - Replace distributor
  0 - Radio capacitor [RULED OUT - REPLACED WITH KNOWN GOOD]  
  0 - Clogged AC fuel filter
  0 - Junk in tank that floats over pickup when tank ~ 1/4 full
  0 - Undersize orifice in carb inlet / needle seat [RULED OUT - PROBLEM DID NOT START WITH LAST CARB REBUILD; RECENT CARB REBUILD DID NOT CHANGE SYMPTOMS]

The fact that it takes some cranking to restart, but then restarts instantly if shut off makes me think fuel starvation.

HELP! This problem is driving me crazy(er)! Any more ideas?

-- Doug Mackintosh
Corsa member since 1996
Corsa/NC member since 1996, Virtual Vairs member
Corvair owner 1969-1971 and 1996-on

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