Stalling problem - 36hp

My car has developed this intermittent stalling problem.

When you turn the car over it will idle for anything up to a minute and then just stop. It doesn't seem to starve of fuel - it seems to lose spark.

I've swapped over the fuel pump, carb, checked the timing, blown through the fuel line, condenser - and it still seems to do the same thing. It has a new coil from about 10 weeks ago, so that one is ruled out.

I've spoken to a few people including Damo, Craig & Matt (thanks for you help so far guys), and we were thinking that it may be the internal spring at the bottom of the dizzy - so next step may be to just swap the who dizzy out and go from there. We also thought it may be the carby with a faulty float - even though I've swapped over the carb - and perhaps have the same problem?? We even thought it may have been a faulty tap on the fuel tank (between upper and lower pipes) - but we haven't yet taken the step of clearing out the tank.

The car was intermittently ill and Valla, which I cured yesterday, but it seems to have come back again - even with all of those changes.

Any ideas???

Also just a big thanks to Dino for bringing our tribe home from the Glenmore Park Show after we left the car at Monster, and also to Damo and Matt for perservering this afternoon / evening.

You know i'm no pro, just pockin guesses for ya man.

Whats the condition of the 12Volt source lead to your coil?
No frays? pretty old? No part where the insulation has come off and can earth on the body?

If its anything like an old set of earphones, the copper wire in the earphones lead when it has a fissure, the noise comes out the speaker then the slightest bump/shake or movement in the wire and its gone, (cause the fissured copper inside the wire lost contact and the signal doesn't pass through, than it works again when shaken / moved or the wire that was bumped returns to its orginal position where it worked (via gravity or wateva)...

If the motor stalls out instantly, then u could tell if it was spark loss, if fuel starvation it would slowly wither to a stall (in comparison) wouldn't it?

the terminals on your voltage regulator still well on? I would imagine the battery terminals still firm...

It's 6v. It definitely stalls out instantly like it's been turned off. It doesn't appear to starve for fuel, as loss is instant, and cannot be brought back with throttle inputs.

squizy wrote:I've spoken to a few people including Damo, Craig & Matt (thanks for you help so far guys), and we were thinking that it may be the internal spring at the bottom of the dizzy - so next step may be to just swap the who dizzy out and go from there. We also thought it may be the carby with a faulty float - even though I've swapped over the carb - and perhaps have the same problem?? We even thought it may have been a faulty tap on the fuel tank (between upper and lower pipes) - but we haven't yet taken the step of clearing out the tank.

I had same problem, but mine would run for 30 mins, and it was the internal spring... runs fine now, also had a cheap ass 009, that didnt help...

you will have to have it sit on level surface and start up then allow it to stop

1. check the fuel level in the carby u will have to take the top of the carby off ,,, this could be the fuel pump, may need a slightly longer push rod as its worn

2. check if the ignition lights are still on when its stalled, the switch could be vibrating to the off position, dont touch anything jus tsee if you still have the ignition lights on after its stopped

3. do u havea good earth system do u have the front earth strap on the gearbox to chassis

4. check the points gap in the dissy has it closed up

5. do u still have the reserve fuel tap is it fully open and the fuel flowing free, and do u have enough fuel in the tank

Hi Dave. We've swapped over the carby, so we've hopefully passed that issue - unless of course the replacement carby has the same problem.

Yes - the ignition lights stay on when it stops.

The points gap has been checked.

The fuel tap has gone through varying stages of top and bottom to try and trace it. It did appear to run better in the bottom position, but now it's just bad all the time. We blew through the fuel line last night - plenty of fuel in the tank.

I'm going to be getting my hands on another dizzy tonight off Craig and will throw that in tonight and eliminate that one from the list.

sounds like it may be yr fuel tap

i will scan the pic and instructions from the hand book to show you the correct positions it should be fitted in you may have to adjust it

We've pulled the fuel line out at the carby and sprayed it into a bottle when we've cranked the motor which had made us think it's more at the back end of the car. We've had the tap set to both 12 o'clock (top pipe) and 3 o'clock (bottom pipe), and it happens no matter what position.

When the motor stops, it doesn't seem the chug and starve for fuel and then stop, it just stops dead as if it's losing spark.

There's definitely a heap of fuel coming out the line!
Good volume when the carb is pumped and the bowl is obviously refilling after the engine stops.

Sounds like its time for a new car mate.

I'm picking up a 009 off Craig tonight and will come around and fit it later. Will call you.

Cool bananas mate.

just as a suggestion - does the carby have an idle stop solenoid if so then is the idle stop solenoid wire connected properly and with out cracks or stiffness in the wire. We had this problem on a 1500 before.

heres the instruction for the fuel reserve

does the carby have an idle stop solenoid if so then is the idle stop solenoid wire connected properly

its a 36hp they dont have this electric soleniod

condensor

greedy53 wrote:condensor

squizy wrote:I've swapped over the fuel pump, carb, checked the timing, blown through the fuel line, condenser - and it still seems to do the same thing.

condensor, condensor, condensor.

I have some NOS Bosch condensor if you need one.

if its the correct 36hp dizzy, check the fibre washers that insulate the bolt that passes thru the dizzy body to connect the points to the negative terminal on the coil. While your at it check the negative wires from points to coil, if these are grounding motor will stop instantly. Sounds to me like electrical rather than fuel. As someone has already said fule supply would cause stumbling and missing before stopping.

check the fibre washers that insulate the bolt that passes thru the dizzy body to connect the points to the negative terminal

yeah good point Dean check this it can easily short out

Thanks guys. I'll be heading back to the car tonight with a 009 in tow. Will do the easy swap out first, and see where that leaves us.

just a thought have you checked the in tank filter and the one in the fuel pump
easy to check in tank one pull a line of see it in runs ok and pump take the line to carby off and coil positivree than turn engine over should squirt really good 🙅

we'll I've always said it was a fuel problem................he just doesn't listen to me 🥲

Pigs arse...I listen.

So it's fixed. It ended up being the needle and seat. Funny thing is, the needle and seat must have been dud in the replacement carby too - hence sending us onto different levels of diagnosis.

You owe Damo $100.

i said check the bowl when its stopped 1st think

so what happened

problem is still there !

I rebuilt the carby (like new), works perfect on my car...............put it on Squiz and the same prob. It has a New coil, perfect carby, new fuel pump, replacement dizzy........................I'm thinking a burnt exhaust valve or a closed exhaust tappet.

Squiz will be doing tappets tonight..............apart from that it has me miffed !

did they do a compression test to see if there was valve or head sealing probs ???

I had a new head put on about 8 weeks ago now Dave, and that was adjusted after 250 miles. There may be an issue there whereby the gap has closed up and needs adjustment. The problem is though is that the problem seems to have changed from what it was a couple of weeks ago. Frustration abounds.

squizy wrote:Pigs arse...I listen.

So it's fixed. It ended up being the needle and seat. Funny thing is, the needle and seat must have been dud in the replacement carby too - hence sending us onto different levels of diagnosis.

You owe Damo $100.

So it ran for 30 mins, and then stopped down the road the next time it was driven.

As Craig said, the carby has been rebuilt and runs fines on his car. Tappets next, then rechecking all the fuel line back to the tank.

vw54 wrote:did they do a compression test to see if there was valve or head sealing probs ???

not yet, squiz needs to do the tappets first to rule that out. No use compression testing if the valves are riding open !

just a thought how is the ignition why now hot wire it and take a drive if all is well than the key barrel may be faulty

it wont be electrical.......it will be fuel or mechanical...........more likely fuel issues.

So last nights tests....the rebuilt carby that we tested running ok on Craig's 61 didn't run last night. So....there is defintely a fuel delivery problem.

I think what we've had has been an initial problem which has been fixed, and now we've introduced another one along the way. My 20c is now on the fuel pump I put in last Saturday week, which has shat itself on Sunday after the Hot Rod show. I will put my old fuel pump back in tonight. Cross fingers.

Only one way to fix is to start at the front and pull tank clean it

then blow out fuel line and move to back of car and continue

That's the next step after tonight Dave. We've done pretty much everything else. Even the "Carby King" is scratching his head.

greedy53 wrote:just a thought how is the ignition why now hot wire it and take a drive if all is well than the key barrel may be faulty

I have had this happen with my Grey oval. Hit a bump and faulty ignition shut down the motor. Turn the key and started back up no problems.

If you think it might be fuel replace the short fuel line from tank to tunnel. In my blue 64 this bit of line went soft and was sucking flat when after the engine was running for about 10mins. As soon as the motor stopped the vacuum in the fuel lines was released, fuel line opened up and fuel flowed again. Replaced the pump , dizzy , & fuel lines in the engine bay before I worked that problem out. 😬

Fixed.

Initial problem was shit in the carby. A "new" fuel pump was fitted by squiz thinking this may be the problem, but it wasnt, it ran the same. Then a borrowed carby was fitted, fixed! Ran a dream. But, on its first run with the new "new" fuel pump, the pump shit itself, but it gave the same symptons as the initial prob. So, the fuel pump was never checked again because it was "new".

So, the actual first prob was the carby, but replacing the fuel pump caused a second problem not known to anybody. The first problem was being chased but it was fixed by rebuilding the carby, only the fuel pump died in the meantime. Very confusing.

Amen to good friends and patience.

A big thanks in no particular order to Damo, Christie, Craig, Matt, Dino, and everyone on this thread who've passed on words of wisdom. We've scratched our heads, scarred our knuckles, sworn our heads off, kicked spanners, swallowed petrol, and finally worked it out.

squizy wrote:swallowed petrol

So I wasn't the only dumb sucker to taste petroleum products?

Remind me to have a Jagermeister tonight to forget the taste of petrol.

HotRodMatt wrote:

squizy wrote:swallowed petrol

So I wasn't the only dumb sucker to taste petroleum products?

Remind me to have a Jagermeister tonight to forget the taste of petrol.

No....you were the only dumb sucker. Your words, not mine. 😂 I'll buy the Jagermeister tonight.

And finally.........................CLEAN OUT YOUR PETROL TANK.......or it will all happen again !