From: Dave Ball (vought@msn.com)
Date: Wed Oct 16 2002 - 12:57:28 PDT
My suggestions is if you have the large filler neck and are missing the
insert and screen then get one and install it. If you are good at welding
tack a hasp to the lid and side of the filler tube and lock your filler put
the loop in the lid and the hasp on the filler tube bend the hasp at a 90 so
when flipped over it falls down over loop then put a pad lock through the
loop not original but will keep the chips, hotdogs and beer out of your
tank. I have seen this done with a couple of links of chain tacked to the
lid and filler with a pad lock.
Which ever method you try do the welding with the parts removed and outside
away from the gas tank.
You should also buy another top for your carburetor wrap it in a oily cloth
and keep it in the truck it is a fairly easy job to replace the top of a
Zenith on the road if you should need to.
I have had similar problems with my 1943 WC 52 and it was the inlet causing
them and even after rebuild I had issues that were vapor lock related. I
cured them by rebuilding the Carb and fuel pump and rerouting my fuel line
and adding the missing heat shield on my fuel pump.
I found that even the smallest particles that were able to circumvent the
stock filter could not get through a AC racing filter available at speed
shops these small particles can plug the small ports in the Zenith and cause
surges and flooding (black smoke).
You may want to check out your fuel tank and get it boiled out at the local
radiator shop these old tanks can cause problems with rust and particles.
Once said and done most Dodge flatheads run like a sewing machine when there
fuel and ignition systems are in great shape.
I have Manuals on CD if you need a break down picture of the Zenith but most
of the rebuild kits the dealers have like Vintage Power Wagons include this
picture.
Before rebuilding let the disassembled carb soak overnight in bucket of
solvent you can buy a gallon of chemtool carb cleaner with a built in
soaking basket this works best.
After soaking clean everything with a tooth brush blow out with compressed
air let sit and dry then assemble with new carb kit.
Good luck
Dave Ball
----- Original Message -----
From: "Les Flack" <lflack@thrupoint.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 11:19 AM
Subject: [MV] Surging idle on Dodge WC54
> Hi There,
>
> When filling up with gas before a show in my WC54 Dodge I noticed that
> some clown had pushed half a bag of potato chips down the filler cap. I
> pulled out what I could and carried on with the journey, 10 miles later
she
> started to misfire while cruising at about 40mph. When I slowed down
things
> got worse until she stalled and I had to keep restarting. I made it to the
> show but the misfire was real bad and there was quite a bit of black
smoke.
> A couple of guys kindly helped investigate and it seems that after the top
> of the Zenith carb was dismantled things seemed to improve. We werent sure
> but it looked as if the accelorator (?) pump clip had come off. The black
> smoke dissapeared along with the misfire but now I am left with a
> significant idle surge.
> Not sure if the chips are significant as there is a good fuel filter in
> line before the fuel pump. Anyone any idea as to what is causing the idle
> surge now?
>
> regards
>
> Les
>
>
> ===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
> To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
> To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
> To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Wed Apr 23 2003 - 13:24:08 PDT