Car Stops Running

TOM-WA-
TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I have a 1954 Wasp with 262 ......



My car starts fine and will run at idle speed with no problems... The fuel filter has been changed and it appears to be getting good fuel flow to the carb.



I have switched carbs and have ruled out any potential problems with the Carb.



HERE IS MY DELIMA...Once I am out on the road for a short time and distance the car simply STOPS RUNNING...it dosen't act like it is running out of Gas it just simply STOPS much like it would if I had turned off the ignition key....When this happens I can't get it to re start at all and It requires a period of time before it will re start....



It should NOT be vapor lock since the temperatures are mild and I have never had a problem in the past........





This problem is recent.....The car was operating just fine then on the way home one day it just simply stopped and now the problem persists..





Any thoughts???







Thanks....Tom

Comments

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Well, let's go through this thing bit by bit, starting with a few random questions:



    First, you say it stops running. Then, when you press the starter button, does the engine at least turn over?



    Second, does this happen when the car is fully warmed up, or when it's still cold.



    Third, do you have an electric fuel pump?
  • TOM-WA-
    TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
    Engine will turn over and crank...engine is warm and Standard mechanical fuel pump
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Okay. After it stalls, have you tried checking spark to any of the spark plugs when attempting to re-start?



    Also, I'm wondering if the ignition switch may have an intermittent short in it?
  • kamzack
    kamzack Senior Contributor
    TOM-WA- wrote:
    I have a 1954 Wasp with 262 ......



    My car starts fine and will run at idle speed with no problems... The fuel filter has been changed and it appears to be getting good fuel flow to the carb.



    I have switched carbs and have ruled out any potential problems with the Carb.



    HERE IS MY DELIMA...Once I am out on the road for a short time and distance the car simply STOPS RUNNING...it dosen't act like it is running out of Gas it just simply STOPS much like it would if I had turned off the ignition key....When this happens I can't get it to re start at all and It requires a period of time before it will re start....



    It should NOT be vapor lock since the temperatures are mild and I have never had a problem in the past........





    This problem is recent.....The car was operating just fine then on the way home one day it just simply stopped and now the problem persists..





    Any thoughts???







    Thanks....Tom



    Tom,



    First thing I'd change is coil, then points and condensor. My ametuaer's observation says,after having ruled out fuel then it's ignition next on the list.

    Your having mentrioned that it runs for awhile then shuts down and won't restart until sigificant cool off occurs say items mentioned maybe problem. My 49 Commodore quit in the middle of congested traffic, had to have help to push it off and out of the intersection. Called a friend of mine, asked him to pull the coil off his 50 Ford fire truck and fetch it to me. Installed and turned key on, pushed the button and zoomed home. I now carry a coil in my road box.Thank goodness we do NOT have to take our wonderful cars to some technician and plug into a computor. If we have fire, gas, correct timing, all internal parts assemblied correctly, we should be able to boogidy-boogidy on down the roaad, grinning ear to ear and without meeting ourselves evey third car. Ain't Hudson life fun?



    Thanks for letting me share.

    Kim
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Symptoms are the classic signs of coil failure ... I agree on changing that first.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I agree, I'll bet you could fry eggs on the coil when the engine quits. I always carry a spare coil and complete distributor with me, that way I can either strip the spare distributor of parts or just replace the distributor altogether.
    Bob
  • TOM-WA-
    TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
    OK......Is there a NAPA Coil parts number available???
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Hot coil could indeed be a problem but before you go out and buy one, Tom, you should still check for healthy spark plug spark next time the car stalls.



    How soon (after starting the car) does it shut down? Try this: take a short trip (maybe to the grocery store and back home), just enough to warm the car up. Then, let it idle in your driveway til it shuts down. Now you can check for a good spark from the plugs. No spark? Then it may be your coil (or a condenser; cheaper fix!).



    See if one of your Hudson friends has a used (but operable) coil he'd lend you. Be ready to wire this into the car, next time it fails. If the car then starts right up, you've got your answer! (Or just have a bag of ice handy, to cool down the coil; then if the car re-starts after 'forced cooling', you've got your answer!)



    By the way, I think NAPA still sells 6-volt coils; call your local NAPA. Failing that, call Advance or AutoZone. I just saw a posting on an antique tractor site, where a fellow got a 6-volt coil from NAPA just last April.
  • TOM-WA-
    TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
    UPDATE......Took it for a short drive maybe 3 blocks,,,DEAD as a doornail..

    Opened the hood felt the coil (cool to the touch) ...Got it home wouldn't start then primed carb with a touch of gas....Fired right up..



    I"M THINKIN FULE PUMP??????
  • TOM-WA-
    TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
    Took it for a short spin..maybe 3 blocks.. BAM!! Dead as a doornail.. Felt the Coil (nice and cool)



    Towed it home...primed Carb with gas... Whgamo fired right up.. I'm thinkin FUEL PUMP????
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Hmmmm.... Well, okay, that opens a whole new avenue of investigation.



    The big question is, how come the pump will work, then quit....the work again?



    Have you previously had cause to investigate all screens and filters for signs of gunk or crap in the fuel? If there is a build-up of junk (from the tank) in the filter or at the screen, then it will temporarily cut down the gas flow, starving the engine. Once the engine stops and the fuel has had a chance to seep through the junk, it will run again....for awhile.



    The problem could also be a hole in the gas line, allowing air in the line.



    One way to check this would be -- after cleaning out all screens and filters -- to disconnect the fuel line from the fuel pump, and run a neoprene hose from the fuel pump inlet to a gallon gas can that you put on the floor of the car. Thus bypassing the tank and the fuel line.



    Then you can do a test drive to determine whether the problem's in your fuel pump or in the gas line.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I remember my dad bought a 46 chevy truck back in the 50's and it did the same thing, what it was is the flex line between the fuel pump and the carburetor, the rubber inside would come apart and block line then when it sat for awhile would clear up. the inside of the hose acted like a door which closed when the pressure built-up and open when not running, try replacing the rubber gas hose it might work and a cheap fix. I would consider getting an electric fuel pump as a back-up just in case, some Hudson people have told me the AC pumps have problems.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    My grandfather had the same problem with his 65 mustang and the mechanic (somebody who he has know for years and trusts) says that it is the hydraulic lifters. Hope this helps!!!!!
  • PAULARGETYPE
    PAULARGETYPE Senior Contributor
    Have You Checked The Under Dash Braker When It Kicks Out The Engine Will Die It Will Reset Itself When It Cools Down And Car Will Start Again Until It Gets Hot And Kicks Out Again It Sounds Like Thats Your Trouble
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    CarGuyZM10 wrote:
    My grandfather had the same problem with his 65 mustang and the mechanic (somebody who he has know for years and trusts) says that it is the hydraulic lifters. Hope this helps!!!!!



    unless he has a 56 motor, he does not have hydraulic lifters....



    I'm thinking if it is fuel related, try replacing the fuel pump, use the AMC pump, it's about $20 from autozone, and bolts right on, of course your fuel line will be a different story, you will have to have one made by a hose guy (hydraulic lines, should be around $25) or you can try to make the wierd bend from the fuel pump, around to the carb...



    try what JonB said first, run it off a separate can, and see what you get. You could also have a pinhole in a fuel line.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    one little problem we have come across from time to time is much like the fuel line trapdoor situation, except there was something blocking over the fuel pickup in the fuel tank. once we even had to cut a fuel tank open to remove a plastic bag from a road coach belonging to a driving school. when there was suction the bag would catch and block the line, but as soon as the engine quit and suction was released it would float away again, leaving the line open long enough for us to prime the injectors again. excellent form of sabotage!
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Paul, what is the 'under dash breaker'? As the owner of a 'prehistoric' Hudson I don't know much about the StepDowns but I always like to learn!



    Is this breaker attached to the ignition switch? Or if not, where would one find it? Were these used from 1948-52? I'm curious as to how they're wired in, as I am having trouble understanding precisely how they'd be triggered. I had heard of the infamous headlight switch breaker (the cause of many a dark ride home) but this is a new one on me!
  • TOM-WA-
    TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
    OK GUYS.....Happy Dance time.. I think I discovered the problem Maybe...



    While workin on the car I noticed that the short (maybe 12") flex line going from the fuel line in the engine compartment to the fuel pump was resting right ON the exhaust manifold where it connects to the exhaust pipe...



    Took a couple of quick turns with a wrench to reposition it... Whola.. so far so good....No stalling yet although been keeping close to home I had my longest outing yet today ..Maybe 15 min and almost 2 miles..







    Sometimes its the simple stuff....
  • TwinH
    TwinH Senior Contributor
    Hope that takes care of it. I had a 63 Chevy do this right after a fresh tune-up

    with Napa parts. It'd run for a while and shut off (no spark). Let it cool for a while and it would fire right back up. On my second trip out(and on the highway)

    it shut off and while I was coasting to the side of the road it sparked just

    enough to grenade both brand new mufflers. Brand new Echlin condenser

    was shorting to ground whenever it got hot. Expen$ive lesson.
  • mars55
    mars55 Senior Contributor
    TOM-WA- wrote:
    OK......Is there a NAPA Coil parts number available???



    Hudson IGN. Coil '32 to '54, Standard UC-14X and NAPA IC7.



    what is the 'under dash breaker'?



    That would be a "Circuit Breaker". It is usually bolted on to the steering shaft bracket. Hudson mainly didn't use fuses. The trouble with circuit breakers is that they can trip and cause a fault and then reset themselves so when you look for the fault, the fault is gone.
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    One point on the ignition power supply ... unless the car's been re-wired, ignition switch power does not come through the breaker. The wire does come from the breaker, but it connects to the battery terminal of the breaker. I guess Hudson didn't want to risk that a bad breaker, or the breaker's tripping from a ground fault elsewhere, would cause the engine to quit.
  • russmaas
    russmaas Senior Contributor
    Also check to make sure the vent on the gas cap is open
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