Hi folks.
Headed off to a car show yesterday and my car up and quit, sitting at some lights. A small sputter before it completely stopped. I pumped the gas pedal and turned it over but nothing. I took off the air cleaner and the carb seemed dry even after pumping the gas pedal. I looked around for loose wires, dripping fuel etc. but nothing. About 5 min later the car started and ran fine (back to my place). It did this the last time I drove as well. Any thoughts?

 

I understand that the carb looked dry after pumping the throttle pedal, but that could just be a cleaner carb. When you look down the throat of the carb and actuate the throttle linkage on the side of the carb, can you see the fuel squirt? It sounds like a fuel supply issue. I would check the pump, filter, and fuel lines if after it dies there is no fuel squirting into the carb.

 

Since you are in Canada, you could probably rule out any fuel percolation or vapor lock.
In some cases, something as simple as a loose hose clamp on the fuel line can be to blame. The fuel pump will draw air before liquid if there is a loose fit somewhere. I ahve been there many times before!
I've seen some strange stuff before. I have pulled gas tanks from cars that had strange stuff floating around in them. Imagine that you have a fuel sending unit that lost its filter and if ANYthing is loose and floating around in the tank, it could block the flow of fuel. Once the engine stalls and the pump stops sucking, the crud falls away from the pickup. You REstart the car and it acts as if nothing were wrong.
It can happen.

 

I had a similar issue, ended up being a worn fuel pump push rod. Could also be a sticky needle and seat in the carb preventing the carb from being refilled temporarily.

 

Thanks guys. I changed the fuel pump, ballist resistor, and distributor before I parked it for the winter but didn't help. So I had no choice (that's what I told my wife) but to install a new 4bbl intake and edelbrock carb (thinking carb problem) as well as a set of ported and polished factory (1973)340 heads. It ran pretty good but not as big a difference as I was hoping for and it didn't quit on me. I am getting the car professionally tuned and timed once I get it out of storage in a couple of months...sigh!


Wade