Yesterday in Melbourne it was 30deg and I was stuck in peak hour traffic forever, probably 35 or 40 minutes. Then when I cleared it and got some speed, the engine died. It was running out of petrol. I had to pullover. Prime the carby (I have an electric pump fitted) then it will drive for another kilometer or so before dying again. It did that for 4 or 5 times before I was able to nurse it home
I have had the electric pump fitted for about 2 years with no issues at all except yesterday. I haven't driven it today yet
Could this be an air lock thing or a dodgy pump or something else?
The engine is a 1880 with Solex PICT34 and a low pressure electric pump
Thanks Raf

Blocked outlet/strainer in tank or in line filter or dodgy pump

Daimo's ontoit, all I can add, is the pump mounted where it could get too hot?

Thanks, just to clarify this is in my RSK replica so not a standard tank. Custom made with no strainer. Pump is mounted on floor pan straight under tank. The steel filter that came with the pump is mounted between tank and pump white another plastic one is mounted in engine bay
All lines including the one in the tunnel were replaced 2 years ago.
Are your suggestions still valid?

Work along the system

Check flow out of tank then compare to after the filter

Check flow before and after the second filter

Have a look for a kinked hose too

After your further details, I'd go straight to needle/seat. Remove out of carb and check for dedbris there.

Okay, will do

Is it a silver car with qld plates?

Its silver but not on Qld plates. Vic registered

soooooo nice

Sorry - plastic filter in the engine bay ???

Gentle suggestion to lose that ASAP... filters in the engine bay, especially plastic ones are just a fire waiting to happen.

A nice little 914 at Hillclimb on Sunday had one let go and dump fuel all over hot engine... just sheer luck it didn't ignite...



Nice lookin ride tho !!!

Quote:

Originally posted by karmannghia60 Its silver but not on Qld plates. Vic registered

Fuel tank is vented I assume??

Nice, so is it fixed?

Shame you removed the engine pic.

Thanks for the comments
Drove it yesterday for half hour, it was fine. But again it didn't get as hot as the day I had problems. I was stuck in traffic for a good 45mins
Nope, fuel tank not vented but I don't think it is air/vapour tight anyway

I towed a camper in hot weather when I had my 1916 in my triek (type 3 auto) and at 110kph at 30 degrees lost power slowly, slowed to 80kph and power returned. Always put it down to overheating.

But I did change the plastic fule filter to a glass one with cartridge for autobarn only $20 and comes with spare fitler. packet of 3 cartridge for $15. cheap really.

I too have a 2-3 psi fuel pump. never had an issue with it. I have placed larger heater hose over the smaller fuel line to slow down the aging of the fuel line above hot driveline temps.

Knew a mate who had a Toyota Crown and he used to get vapour lock big time. heat udner the bonnet would build up and evaporate the fuel prior to the carbie.

A head temp gauge would be handy. Reckon you might be overheating. Nice car by the way.

An update, I have been driving it for 3 days now with no issues so I am going to put it down to a vapour lock

Nice car, but I can't see much air inlet to the engine and I imagine there is not the stock tinware to stop heat soak?

Sounds like vapour lock - but the most important thing is to get rid of that plastic filter in the engine compartment. You'd never get that back together after an engine fire.

Been driving it for a week with no problems till today. Again 28deg day with lots of traffic. Spat the dummy after 45mins of driving. Let cool down for 10mins then got me home ok. How does one fix vapour lock?

next time it happens try opening the fuel tank cap if you hear a big whoosh it could be that
vent the cap or tank

Running a return style fuel system can help get fuel temps down, but honestly... I'd be looking at the engine cooling like Matt's sayin...

All stock tin and fan shroud. Two large vents in the back



Side vents are also operational but they sit about a foot in front where the engine sits



Exhaust is custom made. The muffler boxes sit next to the heads with no tin or head shield around them. So although complete stock tin is used, heat could rise from the exhaust into the engine bay
Here is a pic with the back panel removed before resto


And this one gives you a better idea on where the muffler boxes are

Keep a plastic spray bottle in car full of water. If you have problem spray fuel system. will save you 10mins

^^^ yep, not a sealed system so overheating on the hotter days IMO, lots to sort out if you want fix the cooling system properly.

Together with the exhaust near the heads.

Umm, yeah... that'll get nice and toasty running tooling around at lower speeds or in traffic !!!

Would love to see what genuine 550 Spyder's looked like in the engine bay... would've been a bit of a challenge to seal up properly methinks.

Yeah this happened a few times in my Speedster, electric pump was dead heading against the regulator when stopped at traffic jam on hot day (very small fuel flow at the carbs when idling) Fuel temp increases, and pump vapour locks. Pour water over the pump and away she goes. A bypass back to the tank at the regulator will fix it.

I am not entirely sure that it is a vapour lock now. On the DoVW (only 17deg), only after 10 minutes of driving on the freeway, it died. Pulled over and started again. Kept dying every klm or so. So obviously was running out of petrol at full throttle. Did that pretty much all the way. So I am thinking its a bad pump now. Its a low pressure (2 to 4psi) one sitting on the floorpan straight under the tank. Anyway, I bought a new one (Facet 2 to 4psi) which I will fit this weekend. Now my question is should I relocate the pump to where the gearbox is? Its pushing petrol for more than 2 metres now to get to the carby so pressure could well be lost by the time it reaches the engine. If I put it where the gearbox is, would it make things better?
I also bought an oil cooler kit. The one without a thermo fan. The instructions say the cooler should be placed across the back so the fan shroud to the fan can draw air through it

The pump should be at the tank end, they push better than suck.

The oil cooler fix is only a band-aid, but definately DO NOT put cooler across the fan intake, this will just preheat the cooling air going to the heads which are already too hot. Fix the cooling air system and you won't even need the oil cooler, I have 2.4 litre engines running 180hp street driven daily without oil coolers in Qld heat, with many miles of trouble free motoring.