Engine: 280 Engine Problems

[drnittler]

For my son's 62 lark with 289 V8, he has fuel delivery problems. The fuel delivery somestimes quits. He has changed fuel pumps, keeps a fuel filter on it, and the line and tank have been cleaned out.
My guess is a vapor lock. The 289 engine in a Lark never had much room to let heat escape. Thus the vapor lock.
Would you think this sounds logical?
I used to own this car and it would heat up in traffic a lot (even with new water pumps, clean radiators, etc etc).
He is thinking that an electric fuel pump will solve the problem. Does this sound good?
Your thoughts are appreciated.

[62champ]

So when it quits - can the fuel line be taken loose and nothing comes out?

Is the fuel tank venting properly? An electric fuel pump and a return line to the tank seems to be a good fix for those who have vapor lock problems.

[chumad]

I had overheat issues with a car that I eventually solved having flushing it clean, 50-50 antifreeze and the most important... Water Wetter I found at Advance Auto Parts

[Mike Van Veghten]

62 has a very good point, is the gas cap vented ? It will not flow properly if it's not. And yes, an electric pump will keep the line pressurized...IF the cap is vented. Mount the pump down low, as close to the tank as you can. Be carefull with pump buying, if you get a pump with much over a 4 to 5psi delivery rate, you'll need a regulator or the engine won't like it..! A new Edelbrock or Holley can cope with a little more pressure.

As for the water problems, a good fan and a shroud will go a long way. The stock four bladed fans don't pull much air.

Mike

P.s. - I run about a 25% antifreeze to 75% water mix. Why, antifreeze doesn't help cool.
Also, for what it may be worth, after trying it in several vehicles, I'm not a fan of Water Weter or simillar products. The FAA banned it many years ago in water cooled aircraft for good reason. While on one hand, it does what it's supposed to (keeps the water "attached" to the metal surface), on the other hand, it also "insulates"...which is bad..!

[jackb]

......open up and clean out the block......you'll likely never have a problem again

[altair]

fuel delivery

For my son's 62 lark with 289 V8, he has fuel delivery problems. The fuel delivery somestimes quits. He has changed fuel pumps, keeps a fuel filter on it, and the line and tank have been cleaned out.
My guess is a vapor lock. The 289 engine in a Lark never had much room to let heat escape. Thus the vapor lock.
Would you think this sounds logical?
I used to own this car and it would heat up in traffic a lot (even with new water pumps, clean radiators, etc etc).
He is thinking that an electric fuel pump will solve the problem. Does this sound good?
Your thoughts are appreciated.

Check the fuel line for pin holes. Because the fuel line is under vacuum it won't leak but the fuel pump will suck air and cause the problems you describe. Disconnect the fuel suction line (from the tank) and attach a small hose long enough to reach under the car and blow in to it gently while squirting soapy water on the fuel line particularly where the clasps hold the line and look for the tel-tale bubbles. I had the same problem and found three pin holes this way. If the pin hole is at the top of the line it will not leak any gas. With cars this age it is wise to replace all the fuel lines. Dave

[warrlaw1]

Drive a spike through that gas cap and see if that helps. Is there a "vacuum" sound when you remove the gas cap?

[Dan Timberlake]

Hi Mike,

Back in May you said "..the FAA banned "any" of that type stuff from water cool aircraft back in the mid 70's, I read the report..!"

My Google efforts came up blank.
Do you recall if the reasons for the banning was mentioned by the FAA?

When I first heard about Water Wetter in the 70s car guys were saying the reduced surface tension made it more able to leak out "holes" in marginal gasketed joints, clamped hoses, and elsewhere. Sounds logical to me.
Reduced surface tension sUpPosEdLy makes it contact nubbly cast surface better, and is the mechanism for claimed improved heat transfer at the most troublesome interface in engine cooling.
Regular water has pretty strong "surface tension." It does not like to flow into small asperities or around small objects.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Surface_tension_March_2009-3.jpg

That is what lets bugs walk on it, etc. A drop of dish soap will turn a bug walking to freedom on top of the toilet water into a sinker by reducing the surface tension.

[(S)]

Your '62 should have a tank vent line located in the trunk. Remove it, and blow out the spiders!

[StudeRich]

The 1962 Larks use a "SEALED Gas CAP, do NOT Vent it, as Mike said it is vented through the Vent tube to the Left Frame.

Vented Caps on short, low Filler Pipe Cars like a '62 to '66 will dump Fuel on acceleration.

[drnittler]

Thanks one and all. I'll get with my son and figure it all out.

[johnesmonde]

I was tired of replacing leaky, poor fuel pumps. I removed the fuel pump on my 62 Hawk, installed a chevy block off plate and substituted a Carter P60430 electric fuel pump mounted on the frame back near the tank. This eliminated fuel supply problems, eliminated excessive pumping and cranking on start and got rid of fuel pump oil leaks. I had a major overheating problem on my 1930 Chev which was cured amazingly by draining and flushing rad and block and refilling with new antifreeze. Admittedly the anti-freeze had been in it for far, far too long.

[kirkdob]

If you try all the great ideas posted and still have vapor lock you can do what I did on my Golden Hawk. You will not need a boost sensitive pressure regulator since you are not supercharged, but you still need a return style regulator and you want it mounted as close to the carb as possible. The fix keeps a constantly circulating supply of cool fuel to the carb and should eliminate any possibility of vapor lock. The Holley pump is a bit loud so rubber mount it. Once underway, the noise is drowned out by normal Studebaker noises anyway. Summit racing has a tech line and their people are very good at helping you pick your parts.

Here is the link to my upgrade. http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...tion-57-Goldie