Military Vehicles, December 1996,: Re: stalled
Re: stalled
David DeChambeau (davedec@novais.com)
Thu, 05 Dec 1996 20:07:41 -0500
> Hayes-Holgate, Shaun wrote:
>
> on a recent jaunt in my 1955 dodge m-43 it kept stalling at
> intersections
> and took a long time to start up again much to the annoyance of the
> traffic
> waiting behind me.i'm assuming it was flooding somehow because it did
> restart after a ten minute wait.could it be my fuel pump,which was
> covered
> in oil or a sticky float valve in the carb? i eventually made it home
> allright.so before i act on my own diagnosis of the problem i just
> thought
> i'd ask some of you experts out there.
> much appreciated.
>
> p.s. the choke was in and sparkplugs and battery are fine.
Hello,
First I wouldn't worry too much about the fuel pump, unless the oil was
coming from the fuel pump and not just leakage from other sources. If
the Dodge motor's fuel pump is driven from an oil bath location on the
block, it's possible the pumps diaphram has gone bad, then it "may"
actually leak oil and/or gas. Other symptons can be; hard to start
(sometimes gives the illusion of floading) but more regularly, a
starving for fuel while driving and hard or impossible to start. A
failed or failing fuel pump doesn't pump too much fuel and flood, it
fails to pump enough, or at all. Once again, if the oil is from sources
other then the fuel pump, move it down the list of possibilities.
Second, and most important, CLEAN THE MOTOR! use a pressure washer or
steam cleaner, if you aren't too worried about damaging original labels
etc. or wipe it clean by hand if you are. Yes it might take 6-8 hours by
hand, yet the first rule of automechanics, carpentry and surgery are,
CLEAN-DRY-&-TIGHT.
If the engine is in tune, plugs, rotor and cap, as well as properly
timed, your suspicion of faulty carb could be right. Sticking float is
possible or worn float valve and seat, or just deteriorated gaskets due
to age. Chances are, if you disassemble the carb to check for a sticking
float, the act of removale and disassembly will unstick it and you will
never know. Try this; start the engine and drive as usual, when it dies
"floods" secure the vehicle and pull a spark plug, if its wet with gas,
you may be flooded, once again, assuming the correct state of tune.
Rebuild kits are usually inexpensive. Rebuilt carbs are probably
available, the best solution to a worn out carb (this side of fuel
injection) is the replacement with a new one if available. I have
rebuilt my own and purchased rebuilt carbs with only temporary good
results. Because kits and rebuilders don't replace everything that wears
on a carb, ie. the shaft for the butterflies, the carb body the shaft
goes through, the float valve and seat, they often aren't teh best
solution. Depending on how original you wish to keep you Dodge, if the
new OEM isn't available, maybe a new carb by a modern manufacture, Holly
Carter etc. will work.
Good luck,
David DeChambeau (new owner of a Kaiser/Jeep 6x6) fuel injected of
course!