are you guys ready for this? 74 merc comet, 250 straight 6

[Kali]

yes the boy who knows less about vehicles than me went and bought a 74 comet to replace the truck from the other thread. It was funny and we have been giving him a LOT of shit for it.

no I still haven't tried to read the codes on that truck, but I will soon. just figured I better get a new thread going for this "new" vehicle since we have now had to rescue 4 times. Hoping it is just a fuel pump going out. It craps out and dies at random times. Usually after warming up - it usually starts ok but sometimes it dies on him like it is starving for gas.
Then it will not start until somebody shows up to help. That usually involves a little gas into the carburetor and then is goes fine for a few days. Then it randomly dies again. Just now it seemed to not work and we gave up and towed it back to the house.

Guess we will try the line into a jar test. SIGH

[Angry Dragon]

1. Had a Chrysler do that to me

it was a dirty fuel sock in the gas tank

[Gold Metal Flake]

2. 74 Comet. A Maverick with extra tail lights.

It's a good little car. Last of the Falcon shock tower cars. Easy to stuff a 302 into, since that engine was an option for a few years. Where are the pix?

[Kali]

3. I will try to get some tomorrow

it's kind of a baby shit yellow with a white roof.

[Gold Metal Flake]

4. I remember them advertising the Baby Shit Special in the newspaper.

It was a regional dealer add-on.

[Kali]

5. pix

top was obviously a recent bit of painting now that I had a chance to look closer in the daylight








further info - when adding a little gas to carb it vaporizes pretty fast and you can even hear it boiling in there, boy says that new fuel filter gets real hot to the touch too

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. She's nice.

Solid looking car.

Don't know about the fuel issue, except that the filter will get hot just like everything else under the hood. The fuel pump is on the driver's side opposite from the exhaust. Same for the fuel line vs. the exhaust system. If there is some blockage in the exhaust system it might make the exhaust manifold run hotter than normal and that might cause the carb and intake manifold be hotter than normal. Since it's newly acquired it would be a good idea to replace the thermostat as preventative maintenance and make sure he gets a 180 degree unit since the manufacturers had started to use 190 degree tstats. He could make a heat shield out of some sheet metal and place it between the intake and exhaust manifolds or wrap the exhaust manifold. That should cool things down.

Top was painted? It was originally a vinyl roof car. I can tell because of the piece of trim at the base of the C pillar. All vinyl top-equipped cars got that trim to hide the lower edge of the covering. The roofs usually rust under the vinyl and people strip them, bondo, paint and recover or let it be.

Lookie what I found:

http://mmb.maverick.to/index.php

[Kali]

7. ah, thanks

will check that out

husband is now saying he thought exhaust sounded a little clogged or stuffed up so I guess that means he is volunteering to jack it up and have a look underneath, right?

[Gold Metal Flake]

8. I'd be worried about a clogged muffler.

Can you guys take the exhaust off and fab up a temp exhaust with a good muffler? I thought it might be the catalytic convertor but the '74 does not have one.

[Kali]

11. muffler seemed Ok, although it wasn't removed or anything

tried getting filter and gas line up away from anything hot - didn't work, new fuel pump didn't help either

took alternator off and had it and battery tested today - battery was fine alternator was OVER charging so they are out there putting a new one in

seems to be a lot of engine revving going on, wonder what they are doing now?

[Gold Metal Flake]

12. Hey, does this thing have a fan clutch?

If it has a clutched fan then I bet that clutch is worn out allowing the fan to slip so the engine revs and the fan just moves lazily. This would cause insufficient cooling at low speeds causing the car to run hot under the hood causing the fuel sitch.

Get this info to the guys ASAP, please! They can check this out.

[Kali]

13. no fan clutch,

he put a new sensor with a real temp gauge on it instead of the idiot light and it seems to stay right at 180 (when it will stay lit)

maybe timing? we don't have a light (and I never figured out how to use one back in the day anyway)

it has new points rotor and cap. plugs don't look bad but I'm sure they are old, same with wires

now being told muffler sounds "like it is full of sand" although the other day it sounded fine so maybe back to that...

[Gold Metal Flake]

14. I am late for being smart on this one.

Well, if the temp gauge shows it at normal operating temps then trust that. Test drive.

Maybe just hook up some other muffler, maybe a Cherry Bomb someone has or saw off something from a parts car and adapt it just to see.

It sounds like vaporization of the gas in the lines, but maybe not.

Bypassing the mechanical fuel pump by using one of those inexpensive square electric fuel pumps mounted back at the tank might help if the problem is vapor lock.

I shall now try the healing power of positive thinking until a better idea (or a smarter poster with better advice) comes along..

[Kali]

15. it sure seems like a vapor lock thing to me

but dang if I know

[Kali]

10. wrong place

[madokie]

9. Sounds to me like you have a vapor locking problem

the fuel line is too close to the exhaust somewhere and the heat is boiling the gas and the fuel pump won't pump vapors.
Check out the placement of the fuel line and the exhaust manifold. Might even use some rubber gas line and move that filter away from the engine a little bit further than it is in the picture. If the gas line is touching or even close to the exhaust manifold anywhere that is where the problem is.
Good solid auto's those were. Ford sold a ton of them under the ford and mercury badge both

[Kali]

16. Ready? squished fuel line

it had a bit of a "vacuum" problem too as the carburetor gasket was sort of not there, but it died on the test run AGAIN. Finally somebody really followed the fuel line all the way back and there it was - and the turd recalls bottoming out shortly before it started stalling.

ah youth. so he has a spare fuel pump and some further experience, plus I guess the alternator was not functioning correctly so that would have happened eventually anyway.

we all felt it was fuel related and damn it, it was!

[Gold Metal Flake]

17. It will be reliable, eventually.

Good that the problem was found.

[Kali]

19. nevermiiind

see #18

[Kali]

18. AAARRRGGGHHHHH

it died on him again this morning.


husband decided it was the ig. coil. testing as per this: http://www.international-auto.com/fiat-lancia-electrical-system/how-to-test-an-ignition-coil.cfm


we have a big fat zero for the side terminals and about 8.2K for side to center (both)

guess that is the next part

[Gold Metal Flake]

20. Don't let the bastard win!

[JohnnyRingo]

21. Vapor lock?

When the fuel system is overheated, hot air expanded in the system will shut it down until it cools, then it starts right up again.

I mention this because some of these these old straight sixes used to have a hot air stove under the carb on the exhaust manifold. It opens when the manifold is cold to warm the carb and give a smoother idle, but a mechanical thermostat closes it after warm up. Sometimes this themostat rusts and sticks open providing heat even after the engine is completely warmed up causing the float bowl to get hot.

Look under the carb for a chamber that extends upward from the exhaust manifold. There may be an exposed thermo-coil there that opens and closes a trap door inside that could use a little WD-40. Happened to me once.

[Kali]

22. OK I think it is safe now

it has been running fine for a couple of weeks now so I feel like I can finally post the update. But I'm telling you if it breaks down right after this I am afraid I am not going to be able to post about this car any more.


ready?


some little wire or clip slipped into the wrong place under the points and was causing it to jsut lift off and lose contact after a short while. Once that got fixed it has been fine. oops.

[Gold Metal Flake]

23. Hah! That's a silly one!

Great that it's fixed.

[Kali]

24. I swear!

He had a flat the day after I posted!