While there is an upside to vapor lock -- like meeting all sorts of people who ask if you need any help or talking to those who stop by to reminisce about the cars they used to own -- I finally got tired of having Grace die on Pine Hill Road (note the middle word, Hill) from vapor lock after a long, fast run. I really don't like using ether to get her started, but when you're an impediment to the flow of traffic, you gotta do what you gotta do.
So I bought myself a 6-volt Airtex electric fuel pump. It's a pretty simple solenoid pump that I hid underneath, attaching it to the underside of the floor near the studs that the rear seatback attaches to. I added a fuel filter between the tank and pump and wired it to a toggle switch on a small panel just to the right of the heater control handle.
The early evening temperature here in Hummelstown was in the low 90s, and since I had a worship and music committee meeting at our church, I decided to put Grace and her new pump to the test. Turn on the ignition, flip the fuel pump toggle to charge the fuel line, pump the accelerator twice, hit the starter switch, and she roared to life. When I got on I-83 north to head to I-81 south from where I'd pick up US 22/322 to Dauphin, PA, Grace stumbled a bit, so I flipped the fuel pump back on, and she smoothed right out. On the way home, no problems, but when I got to Pine Hill Road, I flipped the puel pump back on, shifted the old Detroit Gear automatic down into first, and Grace walked right up the hill. Success at last!
With the fuel line routed as original (when cars didn't vapor lock consistently), I still had problems that I could only attribute to modern gasoline.
Kindest regards,
Alan Mende
Hummelstown, PA
I'm not a mechanic; I don't even play one on TV.
So I bought myself a 6-volt Airtex electric fuel pump. It's a pretty simple solenoid pump that I hid underneath, attaching it to the underside of the floor near the studs that the rear seatback attaches to. I added a fuel filter between the tank and pump and wired it to a toggle switch on a small panel just to the right of the heater control handle.
The early evening temperature here in Hummelstown was in the low 90s, and since I had a worship and music committee meeting at our church, I decided to put Grace and her new pump to the test. Turn on the ignition, flip the fuel pump toggle to charge the fuel line, pump the accelerator twice, hit the starter switch, and she roared to life. When I got on I-83 north to head to I-81 south from where I'd pick up US 22/322 to Dauphin, PA, Grace stumbled a bit, so I flipped the fuel pump back on, and she smoothed right out. On the way home, no problems, but when I got to Pine Hill Road, I flipped the puel pump back on, shifted the old Detroit Gear automatic down into first, and Grace walked right up the hill. Success at last!
With the fuel line routed as original (when cars didn't vapor lock consistently), I still had problems that I could only attribute to modern gasoline.
Kindest regards,
Alan Mende
Hummelstown, PA
I'm not a mechanic; I don't even play one on TV.
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