Stall on highway....thoughts?

[Backtobasics]

Running to work yesterday AM, 70MPH, car hiccups like it died. At this speed the rear end is noisy, so car cannot be heard. No Tach.... So I clutch in, clutch out, and it starts, but surges and chugs. Uh OH. 1/4 tank of fuel. It chugs and evens out, as I get off the highway. It wants RPMs to run. I pull into parking lot, and it idles smooth and happy. I give it a couple minutes, and head to work, hassle free.

On the way home (same night). Highway, 3/4 way home, same thing, but it won't come out of it, end up at scary point on highway, barely got out of flow of traffic. I let it sit for a second, I cool off, and hope off. I pull air cleaner, and check acc pump, and I have fuel. I get back in, it fires up, idles fine, and I get off highway, and cruise home.

Since I got it the car has a trail of "goo" under the ignition box. It appears the car or box got hot at some point, and the "goo" melted a bit. I wonder if it is getting hot? It showed NOTHING of this during the hot summer months, but maybe the module is toast. Once it has its fit, it runs fine....?

 

[neilskiw]

Fuel filter is first guess. Cheap, easy to change, and you can cut open the old one to verify its condition. Had that happen in the Pan-American road Race back in '91. Every time I'd jump out, lift the hood, whip off the air cleaner, and look down the carb... I'd see fuel? But those few seconds were just enough time to let that filter strain another bowl of fuel and fool me. My $.02

 

[Backtobasics]

Valid thought. Filter is a couple years old.

 

[69B-Cuda]

could be crap in the fuel tank plugging up the strainer every now and then. (heard stories of a plastic bag in a tank doing the same type of thing). In my experience, most problems with electrical components getting hot is they will not cool down and start working that fast. Normally takes 1/2 hour or so....

 

[Backtobasics]

I will also contend that in both cases, it was at speeds that the car does not love to run at, 65-75.
The car loves 55-60. Anything above = a lot of RPM. It may be starving.

Tank gets dropped tomorrow night.

Anything else?

 

[T67POWER]

the goo under the ignition box might be the rubber insulation melting.
take the box off the fire wall or where ever it's mounted and look at the back of it to see if it's melting.
that would be the first thing to do,whats the goo:toothy7:ha ha ha i made a ryme=D>
If the box is fine then it kind of sounds like a FUELvapor lock.
Did you run a new fuel line????
If you did, it's most likely to close to the motor.
The gas then boils in the line and this creates tiny pockets of air.
When the carb gets air, you go nowhere. oh boy another ryme:sad3:
If you had the car for a long time and the fuel line has been in the same spot and this is the first time it's happed then it's not a vapor lock.
There might be junk in your gas tank???
You were low on fuel and that has a tendency to stir up whatevers in the tank.
This isnt to common with a new gas tank but if it's old it's very possible.
I was just in my buddys garage a couple of weeks ago and a 1974 gtx was on the lift having the gas tank pulled.
It turned out to be just that. ((( rusty )))
IN FACT I THINK I SEEN SOME FROGS IN THERE :blob::blob::blob:
NO REALLY:roll:

 

[neilskiw]

How about E-10 Ethanol fuel? Here in Oregon we're using it year round 'cause it's GREEN. it reduces my carbon footprint by 10%... and my fuel economy by 15 %... so really, my left foot is getting smaller while the right foot is getting larger as I step on the gas pedal more while my wallet is getting lighter 'cause I need to buy more of this crap and can afford to buy less of the more expensive corn to feed my family. Sorry about the rant.

Ethanol tends to re-liquify the varnish from the bottom of the tank... which ends up in your fuel filter. Probably washes the rust off, too. Not real good for any rubber parts either like fuel pump diaphragm or accelerator pump. Oops, I was done ranting.rotest:

 

[Backtobasics]

Welp, it appears the tank is the issue.
I grabbed a new fuel filter, (clear plastic) and slapped it on. All kinds of crap came out of the old one. Car started and was happy. I ran it around the area, with short jaunt on highway, all was good.
When I got home, car ran, but filter was almost empty. A couple minutes of idling, and it died. Gauge showed 1/4 (figured sender is getting old) so I added gas, and it fired. I ran up to gas station, post office, etc, and it was good.
This am, it laid down on the highway again. BAD. I limped it within blocks of work, and died completely. At this point I am thinking fuel pump is failing.
I call for re-inforcements, but make one last stab at things, and grab the rear wheel well and SHAKE THE H*LL out of the car. I hit the key, it fires, and filter is full.

So there is something in the tank, that is blocking pickup.
Do these vehicles have the "sock" on the pickup? I can't remember.


Either way, this give me good cause to install the gauges I have, included matching gas gauge. Now I just have to get it to the shop with the lift!

 

[Backtobasics]

the goo under the ignition box might be the rubber insulation melting.
take the box off the fire wall or where ever it's mounted and look at the back of it to see if it's melting.
that would be the first thing to do,whats the goo:toothy7:ha ha ha i made a ryme=D>
If the box is fine then it kind of sounds like a FUELvapor lock.
Did you run a new fuel line????
If you did, it's most likely to close to the motor.
The gas then boils in the line and this creates tiny pockets of air.
When the carb gets air, you go nowhere. oh boy another ryme:sad3:
If you had the car for a long time and the fuel line has been in the same spot and this is the first time it's happed then it's not a vapor lock.
There might be junk in your gas tank???
You were low on fuel and that has a tendency to stir up whatevers in the tank.
This isnt to common with a new gas tank but if it's old it's very possible.
I was just in my buddys garage a couple of weeks ago and a 1974 gtx was on the lift having the gas tank pulled.
It turned out to be just that. ((( rusty )))

The goo is the insulation, for sure.
I don't think vapor lock as of now, since it just started and gets better when the fuel is agitatted. Filter is in open space (/6) and not right near exhaust or anything like that. Car is driven 5 of 7 days a week.

How about E-10 Ethanol fuel?

Ethanol tends to re-liquify the varnish from the bottom of the tank... which ends up in your fuel filter. Probably washes the rust off, too. Not real good for any rubber parts either like fuel pump diaphragm or accelerator pump. Oops, I was done ranting.rotest:

This is possible. I did notice the sticker the other day with the 10% ethanol, but it may have been that way for a long time, who knows.

At this point, I think that the inside of the tank has accumulated crap, and that something is blocking the pickup. I just wish it would run at highway speeds for 15 minutes so i can get where I need to go, to drop the tank. I swear, it was going to get cleaned out tonight anyways, as I bought a set of gauges, with matching sender and gauge for fuel. Damn it, I need one more drive out of her....