Another wacky idea....?

Unknown

Since Geoff Clark refitted my '29 Town Sedan with the OEM vacuum

tank, removing an electric fuel pump, the engine has been very happy,

except for one thing.



If I leave the car parked and not running for an extended time (say,

24 hours) the carb float isn't quite strong enough to shut off the

flow of gas from the vacuum tank, and thus eventually the reservoir

in the vacuum tank will drain out, and you're out of gas, at least as

far as the engine knows.



Geoff and I installed a little shutoff valve on the line leading from

the gas tank to the carb, and that works fine -- when Cathy and I

remember to turn it off when we park the car in the garage. All too

often, we have come out to the car to find that the vacuum tank is

dry. I have become VERY adapt at refilling the tank without taking

the top off of it (details to follow, if anyone is interested).



Anyway, after this happened again yesterday, I thought that a good

solution to the problem might be to locate and install a suitable

solenoid valve (that is, a shutoff valve that would automatically

shut off when you turn off the ignition, and open to let gas flow

when you turn the ignition switch on.



It turns out that suitable valves ARE available, with 6-volt DC

coils, at a cost of about $35 each. The coil draws 16 volt-amps,

which means it draws 2.5 amps the entire time the car is running.

This might be a problem for anyone with an OEM generator and

additional electric load above and beyond the headlights, tail

lights, etc. I have converted to a higher-amperage generator (50s

era Hudson unit) so it's no problem for me.



So the question is....anyone else interested in ordering one from the

online supplier? I will aggregate orders, and then reship to each

user if you wish.



Alternatively, since this is a possibly wacky idea, maybe I should

order one valve, install it, and test drive to make sure it functions

as intended -- that is, that it actually stays in the "open" position

whenever the ignition is turned on.



Let me know what you think.



Lew





PS: if you happen to inadvertently drain your vacuum tank, I have

found that it's pretty easy to refill as follows:



1. Procure a funnel with a flexible plastic hose on the end. I use

one from Pep Boys that has a shutoff capability built into the funnel

itself, which is very nice, because you can pour a pint or so of gas

into it, position the tube, and THEN start the gas flow, at a very

controlled rate by only slightly opening the funnel valve..



2. procure an extra brass fitting, identical to the fitting that

attaches your gas feed line from the gas tank into the vacuum tank

(mine is a brass fitting for copper flare style coupling).



3. Remove the line leading from the tank where it connects to the

vacuum tank.



4. screw on the identical brass fitting, "bare,"



5. Fill the funnel with gas; presss-fit the plastic hose onto the

tapered end of the brass flare fitting, and open the valve on the

funnel. (The vacuum tank will take about a quart of gas, and it's a

good idea to pretty much fill it up with this process, to ensure that

there's enough gas to refill the carb, the line running to the carb,

and leave enough in the vacuum tank to allow it to function.)



6. Remove the extra fitting, replace the connection to the gas tank,

and start the car.





Lew