The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop UGH....Help Please

Well let me bring everyone up yo speed. My daughter and I put together a 1959 Chevy Apache 3200. It has a 235 with a th350 bolted to the back. We put the truck together and she drove it almost all winter , but it began to run poorly. Eventually stopped running altogether. The truck to this day starts fine without any trouble, but in the beginning it would loose power and then backfire first through the carb and then through the exhaust. I took it to a local mechanic who thought the carb was the problem,he believed it was leaning out causing the problems but after spending $300 on a rebuilt Rochester BC from summit the truck runs the same.Then we thought perhaps an intermittent valve sticking but we cannot confirm that even running it without the valve-cover on. It will start easily , but after running for a min or two looses power and dies. Any help or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'm sorry if the post seems confusing I'm trying to add all the right info without writing a book

Just a guess, but I suspect fuel issues. Could be carb, dirt in the tank, etc etc... Do you have a fuel filter? The next time it losses power and dies, don't try and start it, just park it and take the top of the carb off. You can see how much gas is in the carb.

just an idea...

good luck

Sounds like a timing issue. You'll most likely find that either the timing is retarded or possibly the vaccum advance is not working.

Check how good the spark is when it dies. You could have a bad coil or condenser that is breaking down when it warms up.

I like this diagnosis.

I have a new-ish tank so no trash to the carb.

Timing was my next thought , but it ran so well for so long and nothing was touched.

I have a glas fuel filter just before the carb so I can see it is being fed a continuous supply. Although this is my theory as it seems to run till the bowl is empty then die except it starts right back up without priming the carb.

The carb is a new factory rebuild and it runs the same with the new carb as it does with the old.

coil and condensor were a fleeting thought since she fires right back up. after she dies

Check your point/timing and make sure your vacuum advance is working.

See if your heat riser is free.

Then try hooking up a fuel can and bypass the filter. This way you can eliminate trash, fuel tank, filter, fuel pump and lines.

If you still have the problem, pull the lead out of the coil and see if you have a spark off the block.

Kurt

Perhaps the heat riser?

heat riser is broken and spins at will. can this really cause my symptoms? carb stays cool?

I'm seconding the motion for points and adding the possiblity of a cracked or "fouled" distributor cap. You're getting an intermittent missfire; indicated by it traveling through both carburetor and exhaust. Spark is jumping around somewhere, most likely in the cap.

Hy Village_Idiot, is the ignition switch new or an old one, it could be that the switch contacts are not passing as much current as they should when the switch warms up. Also how hot is the ballast resistor getting, the hotter it gets the less the current flows, and restarting bypasses the ballast resistor. Is the coil mounted in a bracket that will allow it to disipate heat, the hotter the coil gets the weaker the spark is, please check your voltages at the ballast resistor input and output. A bad coil can do what you are describing, and a bad condensor can cause this as well, however they don't usually recover immediately, but a switch with bad contacts will sometimes recover immediately, because you have cycled it and the contact may be better, hope that helps, and good luck.

3B Switch is original. coil is mounted as it was (right side of valve cover) might replace coil and condenser just for laughs.Voltage at resister is as it should be 12-13 volts voltage at dist. 5-6 at idle I watched voltage when truck died and it was still at 6v

On your suggestions I will replace the coil, cap and condenser this weekend and let you know the outcome. thanks for all the advice.

I'm also leaning to the timing issue due to your comments about the misfire and popping. To me, that would come from the distributor service or timing gears. I'd go the distributor cap, coil, point, condenser route first.
Good luck. Keep us posted!
GREAT TRUCK!
Jerry

I agree with those saying timing. Timing can throw everything off and produce the conditions you're describing.

Well A Hearty Thank you to all the members who helped!!! It Appears Jessica's truck Shall ride again. Jessica read the responses posted here and the major consensus was cap,condenser or coil she went out tonight and purchased all three, got them installed and Fat Girl( Jessica's truck) fired right up and ran like a top. The fuel air mixture is a little lean , but We been messing with it trying to figure things out so I will et her adjusted and set tomorrow after work.

Again Jessica and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all who helped and those who keep this board alive and full of info. I would have never changed the parts Jessica replaced if it had not been for the members here and their first hand knowledge. I hope to be able to return the favor someday.

Glad to hear "Fat Girl" is back on the road. Also glad to hear that Jessica has an interest in these old trucks. Congratulations to you and her!

This is why the Stovebolt site is so great.
You have brothers-in-arms who love their old trucks and also love helping other members with theirs.
Lord knows they've helped me many a time.
There's a real gratification shared here, by all of us.
Glad to hear "Fat Girl" is back! Way to go, Jessica!
Jerry

Haha, I'm a "brother from another mother". Had to sell my '63 C-20 and '66 Burb before I moved to Alaska. I couldn't afford to bring all my toys along. I've had my '53 F100 too long to give her up. It's Chevy powered though.