gas not getting to carb, sputters and dies while driving

[strvger]

ok, drives great, engine very smooth. but after a couple of miles, sometimes less, it just sputters a little and dies. when i pump the gas numerous times, there is no gas getting to the carb... no smell of gas and none seeping around the intake. replaced fuel pump and the filter that goes into the carb. didn't help. what am i missing. could this be a vapor lock problem? never done this in the 2 years i've had it and it's been on one long trip and a few shorter ones with no problems. i'm stumped. considering just putting on an electric fuel pump, pulling the filter going into the carb, and installing an inline filter somewhere else and see what happens. any other thoughts or ideas?
thanks in advance!

 

[jsmith]

Well usually the electric fuel pumps will fix vapor lock but it sounds like that might be the issue. The carb is losing fuel pressure in the float. That's causing the sputtering and then after it gets emptier it dies.
I think that because it's electric pump it won't seep gas out after pumping the pedal because the truck isn't on.

You can try re-routing your fuel lines around hot spots. Is your electric pump down by the tank or around the engine? You might move it down to the tanks, that would help.

 

[cammeddrz]

he doesn't have an electric pump

 

[dangerranger83]

My dads did the samething (wasnt duraspark set-up at the time). Turns out the fuel filter was getting clogged up due to rust in the tank clogging up the filter. His in tank strainer had gone bad and fallen off allowing the rust to clog up his filter in a short amount of time.

How old are your fuel lines. This may sound crazy but if they get old enough, the insides of them can pell away and act as a one way valve and force the fuel line to block off the fuel when the fuel moves through it at a fast enough rate.

Another thing, could the carb need a rebuild? I've seen the insides of them and all the small ports and screens they have that can easily get clogged up.

Does this happen when the engine is hot or cold or does it matter?

 

[martin]

A small hole in the line (like a pin hole) will prevent the mechanical pump from being able to draw fuel from the tank. The bend in the line where it comes out of the tank is a favorite place.

 

[strvger]

thanks for all the responses. the lines are just a few months old as they were replaced when i added my extra tank. happens when it's both cold and warmed up. seems like if the carb needed rebuilding, i'd have problems at idle and while revving the engine when it is parked. doesn't seem to happen until i'm driving. the filter that goes into the carb has been replaced twice in the last 4 months. when it was done about 10 days ago, it really didn't look bad at all, but i did it anyway as i'd already bought the new one.
does vapor lock have these same symptoms? never had it so i really don't know.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

+1 on fuel pump sucking air check the lines to the tank. I hate to say it but how much fuel is in the tank is your guage working good.

 

[strvger]

gauge is pretty close and i have half a tank in the original tank and over 10 gallons in the aux. not out of gas and switching between the two tanks makes no difference in the problem. going to double check the lines tomorrow.

 

[jsmith]

Sorry I misread the first post.
But yes vapor lock will happen after your truck gets warm. After it gets hot in the engine bay and the fuel is running past a hot trans and into the engine bay it will vaporize and the float in the carb will run low and cause bad running.

All the things said so far are a possibility. I would suggest just going along the line starting at the tank and working your way to the carb. Maybe theres a bend in the line and its cutting it off or the carb itself is plugged. Maybe one of the jets isn't shooting fuel well and just needs to be cleaned out.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

You can pull the top off the carb and check the wet float level it should be around 1/2 inch from the top of the bowl to the center of the fuel in the bowl plus you will see any crud in the bottom. A rebuild couldn`t hurt if you don`t know how old the carb is.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Also you can run the motor with the top off the carb just plug the sensor in the air cleaner in to watch the float bowl level while it is running. you will see bubbles from the float needle area if the pump is sucking air.

 

[strvger]

can't find anywhere on the hoses where gas has leaked out. guess i'll try the carb next. just hate getting into that really.

 

[small ranger]

you will not find a gas leak between the tank and the fuel pump, because it is under vaccum! the mechanical pump only pushes the gas ie. under pressure from where it come out of the pump, next to the engine block to the carb. I would try running a new hose from the pump to a gas can in the bed of the truck and see if you still have a problem. If you do then its the carb, filter or pump and not the fuel lines. The cheap mech fuel pumps that come from most parts stores suck! My last one only worked for 5,000 miles.

 

[strvger]

ok, finally found that it is dying only when using the main (original) tank. going to replace that hose and see what else i can find that might be causing it there. having the body lift is really helping lots in getting to those tight places.

 

[small ranger]

You could have a hole in the fuel sending unit. I'd drop the tank and look at all the lines from the tank to where the cross over is.