1956 Dying out when gets hot and won't turn back on

besquenazi5

besquenazi5

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Joined
Apr 5, 2023
Thunderbird Year
1956
Hello, kind of a rookie here, but this issue has been persistent in my tbird since I got it. Basically the car will start up and run perfectly when cold, as the car heats up and I continue driving, the car begins to sputter and rev low and eventually dies out. Once the car dies out it will not start up again. I bought a fully refurbished carb, and that didn't solve the problem so I'm really not sure where I should go to next. If anyone here has any ideas it would be extremely appreciated. Thanks!
 

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Check choke, vacuum working?
 
Will check choke, but vacuum is working.
 
After engine stops, remove air cleaner immediately, look in throat of carburetor and press throttle linkage. You should see gas jet streams shooting into carb. If you don’t your carb is out of gas. From the carb inlet back to pick up in gas tank there is a blockage, find it.
 
Hello, kind of a rookie here, but this issue has been persistent in my tbird since I got it. Basically the car will start up and run perfectly when cold, as the car heats up and I continue driving, the car begins to sputter and rev low and eventually dies out. Once the car dies out it will not start up again. I bought a fully refurbished carb, and that didn't solve the problem so I'm really not sure where I should go to next. If anyone here has any ideas it would be extremely appreciated. Thanks!
Sounds like vapor lock to me. The heat causes the fuel to vaporize which will make the car begin to sputter (lack of fuel) and eventually die. Once the car cools, it will restart.
Installation of a 5 or 6 blade fan on your water pump will aid in cooling. The addition of an electric back up fuel pump will also help to over come the vapor lock. I do not recommend using the electric fuel pump as a replacement source, but it will push through the vapor and allow the car to restart.
 
Hello, kind of a rookie here, but this issue has been persistent in my tbird since I got it. Basically the car will start up and run perfectly when cold, as the car heats up and I continue driving, the car begins to sputter and rev low and eventually dies out. Once the car dies out it will not start up again. I bought a fully refurbished carb, and that didn't solve the problem so I'm really not sure where I should go to next. If anyone here has any ideas it would be extremely appreciated. Thanks!
Vapor lock or tank vacuum? Open the gas tank cap and listen for rushing air after it stalls. If so, you can remove a small portion of the rubber gasket on the inside edge of the cap to let it breathe. Some people drill a very tiny hole in the cap. Tank vacuum could be starving the fuel pump. Is there gas in the glass fuel bowl? Vapor lock; check to see that the fuel lines are away from the manifold. Did you replace the stacked carburetor gaskets when you replaced the carb? If you are only using one thin gasket the base of the carburetor may be getting too hot causing vapor lock.
 
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Before you begin replacing stuff, you could first verify it actually is vapor lock. First, just make sure you use an ethanol free fuel blend or better, no ethanol blend. The ethanol blend gasoline can boil as low as 100°.
If you still have the problem, you can verify by replacing the pump to carb line with a clear tubing and watch if you see bubbles in it.
If that is what is happening, then try to install a heat shield, one of the easiest solutions to preventing vapor lock is to use a thermal-barrier sleeve on the lines such as a Thermaflect Sleeve from Heatshield Products. If that doesn’t work, or you’ve determined it is not vapor lock, check fuel pump flow rate. Check your owners shop manual, flow rate should be around 30 gph, and pressure greater than 4psi. If your fuel pump is light, and filter is not clogged, then replace with Carter M73063.
If not Vapor lock or fuel system, then look at coolant system.
Is water pump working?
Does system need to be cleaned and flushed?
Are radiator openings open so air can flow through.
Casco and prestige sells a veined pump and spacer replacement that fit
Also check your thermostat. If it doesn’t work, think about replacing with a thermostat such as the Gates 33038.
These are high quality parts and you should not need to modify original engineering on car.
Once you start replacing original engineering, you open up new cans of worms.
As a last resort if you feel the need to make non stock modifications, Prestige thunderbird sells an electric pump with a return line to the tank to cool the fuel by recirculating it.
That’ss lot of stuff out there.
You can check this link:
https://www.fordthunderbirdforum.net/******/viewtopic.php?t=13544
 
When to said you installed a refurbished carb, Did anyone dialed it in your 312.....
 
Hello, kind of a rookie here, but this issue has been persistent in my tbird since I got it. Basically the car will start up and run perfectly when cold, as the car heats up and I continue driving, the car begins to sputter and rev low and eventually dies out. Once the car dies out it will not start up again. I bought a fully refurbished carb, and that didn't solve the problem so I'm really not sure where I should go to next. If anyone here has any ideas it would be extremely appreciated. Thanks!
When the engine gets hot take a look at the glass bowl gas filter. You will probably notice air bubbles floating through the gas. It’s called vapor lock.
 
Hello...I agree it's probably vapor lock..but I have to tell you what happened to my boss mustang..just in case..
Same thing started ran beautiful..on freeway..it would sputter and die..would not start..would sit there for 10 minutes or so.. starts runs great..then again it would sputter and die..went on for about a month could not figure it out . till one day I got home and noticed the gas cap opened..so I closed it brought my 3 year old son out and asked him..do you know how to open the gas cap..he smiled yes and showed me..I smiled and said it's fun huh? Yes!!..did you put anything in there? Yes..rocks and sticks.. anything else?? Yes my rubber snake...
So this snake would get sucked up until it plugged the gas line..then float back up . So I dropped the gas tank..sure enough..rocks sticks and a rubber snake I had my son hand me the tools till the job was done..then explained how hard of a job it was and he agreed not to ever put anything into gas tanks ..I still chuckle when I think about it..so if you can't figure it out ask your kids lol
 
Now that is funny!
I had a 67 Comet that something was put in the fuel tank. As it happened to you, it would die and would not start. I had to wait a few minutes and then it would start. I don't know what it was but it was a blob of gunk. Cleaned the tank and it never happened again.
 
This might be relevant?
I had a ballast resistor with a slight bit of corrosion in the terminals that would quit when it got hot, sometimes whenever it felt like it.
I soldered both sides of the rivet connections and kept it as a spare for the new replacement that was purchased.
 

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