Van running like a pig - suggestions?

Howdy all,

The '63 van (with the 200 motor) is misbehaving.

While fine when cold, before too long it starts missing, dies, runs, then ultimately splutters to a stop.

While it behaves a little like it's running out of fuel - I think the problem is ignition. (instant start/stop, choke doesn't affect it etc).

New points, plugs, coil & condensor. Heaps of fuel. Compression good. New air filter. Fuel filter old (but seems ok) Fuel tank condition unknown.

Currently I'm suspecting the coil feed line and/or the in line resistor.......has anyone else had a similar fault that traced back to a wiring loom issue in the Econolines?

I'm currently holliday-ing in New York....so I plan to play with the van when I get back home to Australia in mid January.

Thanks & regards,
Rhys

mine did that and it was the gas cap. I did a complete tuneup,rebuilt the carb,checked all the wires and it ended up being a bad gas cap

my van ran like a pig until i switched to tires. if you know anyone who needs a set of goodyear pig legs with 80% hoof remaining... let me know

All else fails Id go back to the fuel system. filters and screens can plug and then sort of flush themselves out "after" it quits to be able to start and run again, It would act like the gas cap problem Mike is talking about. Its suprising how much stuff gets knocked loose after you have run them for a bit and is just floating around. Auto trannys can do the same thing if they have been laying around awhile before reinstalling them.

Digz wrote:All else fails Id go back to the fuel system. filters and screens can plug and then sort of flush themselves out "after" it quits to be able to start and run again, It would act like the gas cap problem Mike is talking about. Its suprising how much stuff gets knocked loose after you have run them for a bit and is just floating around. Auto trannys can do the same thing if they have been laying around awhile before reinstalling them.

Good advice.

At one point my van would start and run fine, if you got going down the road it would start sputtering and quit after about a mile. Turned out there was so much trash in the tank. lines and rear filter it could get enough gas to get going (and idle) and then run out going down the road. I figured it out by putting clear filters before and behind the (electric) fuel pump, when it died I jumped out and looked underneath and the filters were empty but slowly filling.... I ended up vatting the tank and replacing all the lines and fixed it up.

I was thinking the same thing, if I suspect a fuel problem I pour gas down the carb to start it, if it runs and then dies out, its at least a fuel problem if not more, if I can continue pouring fuel down the carb and KEEP it running its for sure a fuel problem, from there, it can go all the way back to a gas cap, but only a gas cap if the vent line is plugged. The vent line goes back into the frame from underneath, so even if you had your hand over the filler, it should not create a vacume in the tank and fuel starve the fuel pump and carb.
I always use a Dwell meter, it tells me exactly what the points are set at, no guessing and going on with wasting time if not correct. The hot side should be about 8 volts, and the ground side of the coil simply goes to ground using the points as a switching device. I would suspect fuel firstly, in my opinion...
vic
vic

Thanks for the suggestions by all.

I'll be back in Australia on January the 18th - and I'll try a few of the recomendations......and report back.

Regards,

Rhys

Howdy all,

I stripped all componants from the front wiring loom and tidied it up a bit. Disconnected the stereo and central locking poorly installed by the PO.

Put everything back together and.....presto - problem gone.

Don't know what it was (but I suspect those badly installed accessories).

Regards,
Rhys

Howdy all,

Damn problem returned..........and with a vengance.

Not happy. Spending too much time by the side of the road - on what are bloody hot days in this part of the world.

Replaced the high tension lead from between the coil and distributor cap. Viola'......the van runs like a champion.

Regards to all,

Rhys

Glad you got it figured out.

Howdy all,

Well it wasn't fixed.

And it continued to misbehave, only occasionally, when I least expected it........and at the least convenient time.

Each new repair resulted in a temporary fix - making me think the intermittent problem had gone. (but it hadn't). As it was always well behaved when it was cold, and more often than not when it was warm......it was "getting on my tits".

Went for a drive today, exact same problem returned - but sooner than normal. Fed power to coil direct....worked well for 5 minutes then died. And stayed dead.

Problem? - Dead fuel pump.

Profanities exchanged, indulged in some moderate self loathing, pump replaced - now working well

But I've thought that before...............

Regards,
Rhys

Change That=COIL!! new only! if its still dead??= Remove the + wire feeding that coil & make sure you have power 12v there??