Author Topic: what causes vapor locking  (Read 16847 times)

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fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2016, 07:07:23 PM »
i drove my comet a few times today.i have more than a vapor lock problem.my fuel level in my sight windows is low so i raised the level,went for a ride ,it died again.i looked in the sight windows and my fuel level was low again.its running itself out of gas now.
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new

fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #16 on: March 09, 2016, 07:20:59 PM »
i know they make a plate to cover the fuel pump hole,but can i just leave the man. fuel pump on the motor with the lines unhooked when i switch to a electric fuel pump.or can i run both pumps at the same time,elec. in the back and man. in the front
« Last Edit: March 09, 2016, 07:28:24 PM by fryedaddy »
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new

jayb

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #17 on: March 09, 2016, 08:25:46 PM »
You can do both of those things, won't matter.  Usually feeding the manual pump with the electric will resolve the vapor lock issues.

Here's one other thing you might look at, and I have personal experience with this one.  I would shut my 69 Mach 1 off hot, then five minutes later start it.  It would die about a quarter mile down the road, and it was not from fuel starvation, it was from flooding.  What I finally figured out was happening was as the car heat soaked after shutoff, the carb and fuel lines got pretty hot.  I would start the car, and then the overheated fuel coming out of the fuel line would hit atmospheric pressure when it entered the carb, and it would boil.  Modern gasoline has a very low boiling point, around 150 degrees or so.  Anyway, when the fuel started boiling in the carb it would spit out of the carb vents and go down the throat of the carb, and flood the engine.  Felt just like running out of fuel, but it was too much fuel instead.  I finally figured this out one hot day by letting the car run in the driveway with the hood down and the air cleaner off, then shutting it off, and restarting after a couple minutes.  When it started to die I lifted the hood and observed all this fuel flooding out of the carb vents and into the carb.

I solved the problem by installing a return style fuel system, so that hot fuel couldn't sit in the lines in the engine compartment.  I kept the mechanical pump.  I also insulated the lines to keep them from getting too hot.

Any easy way to check for this problem is to put some 110 octane race fuel in the car.  It will have a higher boiling point, and keep this from happening.
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #18 on: March 09, 2016, 11:02:22 PM »
thanks everybody, hey Jay,i think i will bypass my man.pump to keep my fuel line away from the heat of the pump.its mounted on the block and near the headers,so i think i will block it off or bypass it just so my fuel wont get as hot.i believe my fuel has boiled in the past but right now im pretty sure im running out of gas because it does it even on a short trip when the engine has not had time to warm up yet
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new

FirstEliminator

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #19 on: March 10, 2016, 07:51:23 AM »
Sounds like your next step is to Tee in a fuel pressure gauge close to the carb inlet. Tape the gauge to your windshield, drive and monitor what the pressure is actually doing.
Mark
Berkshire Transmissions
North Adams, Massachusetts

70 Cougar XR-7 460 C-6
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69 Cougar SS 351w AOD
69 Cougar Sunroof Eliminator 351w FMX
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68 Monterey 390 C-6
68 Monterey conv 390 C-6
64 Montclair Marauder 390 Merc-O
58 Monterey 383 Merc-O
58 Parklane 430 MultiDrive
68 Colony Park 428 C-6
68 Colony Park 390 C-6
58 Parklane 430 MultiDrive
70 Cougar Eliminator 351c 4 speed
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shady

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #20 on: March 10, 2016, 10:58:31 AM »
and don't forget to put a wooden clothspin on the fuel line right b4 the carb........... waiting..........waiting..........still waiting..................
What goes fast doesn't go fast long'
What goes fast takes your money with it.
So I'm slow & broke, what went wrong?
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fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #21 on: March 10, 2016, 12:48:34 PM »
Sounds like your next step is to Tee in a fuel pressure gauge close to the carb inlet. Tape the gauge to your windshield, drive and monitor what the pressure is actually doing.
i need to do something like that ,its driving me crazy trying to figure it out,i think jay might be right after all.i run it a while today,let it set a few minutes and it acted like it was flooded when i tried to start it.i need to go from my gas cap to the carb and figure it out
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 12:56:20 PM by fryedaddy »
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new

jayb

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2016, 03:43:28 PM »
Easy test - race gas.  If the fuel is boiling and flooding into the carb, you won't see that with some good leaded 110 octane race fuel...
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #23 on: March 10, 2016, 03:58:30 PM »
gas is boiling out of my squirter nozzles when it gets hot.i got it good and hot ,it started acting up,i pulled the breather off and gas was pouring out of the squirter nozzles
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new

machoneman

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2016, 04:06:45 PM »
Yep, you are boiling the fuel in the bowl and it escapes from the shooters. Try this one although now its not really necessary. When hot and off, immediately pull the sight plug off the bowl and watch the fuel bubble and pour out. Best to have a rag under the plug's hole before pulling the plug.

When fully cold, fire it back up with the sight plug out to check that the float level is spot on. Bet no fuel comes out or only a dribble IF the float's height is set right. 
Bob Maag

fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #25 on: March 10, 2016, 04:50:22 PM »
i just let i cool for 2 hours ,took off down the road and it died 4 houses down the road,i got it cranked back and brought it back home.im getting afraid to go anywhere in it right now.im having problems getting the fuel level in the sight window on the primaries,its not boiling out in the back just the front.when i loosened the screw to to raise the fuel level all the gas in the front bowl drained down in the carb and out the over flow tube. it didnt have time to heat up this time,thats what gets me.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 04:55:23 PM by fryedaddy »
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new

FirstEliminator

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #26 on: March 10, 2016, 05:37:12 PM »
   Do you have phenolic spacer or anything to restrict heat transfer to the carb?
Mark
Berkshire Transmissions
North Adams, Massachusetts

70 Cougar XR-7 460 C-6
70 Cougar XR-7 conv 351c 4v FMX
69 Cougar SS 351w AOD
69 Cougar Sunroof Eliminator 351w FMX
69 Cougar XR-7 390 C-6
68 Monterey 390 C-6
68 Monterey conv 390 C-6
64 Montclair Marauder 390 Merc-O
58 Monterey 383 Merc-O
58 Parklane 430 MultiDrive
68 Colony Park 428 C-6
68 Colony Park 390 C-6
58 Parklane 430 MultiDrive
70 Cougar Eliminator 351c 4 speed
I don't feel like a hoarder.

machoneman

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #27 on: March 10, 2016, 06:04:54 PM »
i just let i cool for 2 hours ,took off down the road and it died 4 houses down the road,i got it cranked back and brought it back home.im getting afraid to go anywhere in it right now.im having problems getting the fuel level in the sight window on the primaries,its not boiling out in the back just the front.when i loosened the screw to to raise the fuel level all the gas in the front bowl drained down in the carb and out the over flow tube. it didnt have time to heat up this time,thats what gets me.

O.k. now that's different. A stuck or sticky float will do exactly what you said. Time to remove the front bowl and see why the float is sticking. If a brass float, make sure it's not filled or partially filled with fuel as the solder joints have failed. If a black plastic float, see if it does float in a small can of gasoline.
Bob Maag

fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #28 on: March 10, 2016, 06:35:35 PM »
   Do you have phenolic spacer or anything to restrict heat transfer to the carb?
yes 1 inch
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new

fryedaddy

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Re: what causes vapor locking
« Reply #29 on: March 10, 2016, 06:43:30 PM »
it has plastic floats in it.i took it apart and i didnt see anything going on so i put it back together,thats when i went down the road and it died. i all ready had plans to get a new 850 double pumper,i bought the 950 thats on it now used and im not too happy with it anyway.
1966 comet caliente 428 4 speed owned since 1983                                                 1973 f250 ranger xlt 360 4 speed papaw bought new