'59 Plymouth Forum

Hi,
I have heard that with 318s, in motorhomes especially, where the engine is in that "doghouse" and gets so hot, the crossovers in the manifold get blocked with carbon over the many years. This, coupled with a sticky (or stuck) deflector valve in the exhaust manifold, leads to a hot engine. A hot engine leads to vapor lock. So also will running the fuel line too close to the hot parts of the engine. Cures for the above mentioned problems are more involved than a carb rebuild (or just an accelerator pump fix). So next time it is hot and won't start, take off the air cleaner, and manually operate the accelerator linkage. If you see gas spray into the carb, then you know you have fuel in the bowl, so leakback is not your problem.
Another problem with heat, is it affects the coil. If you have an aging coil, and lots of heat (see above) the spark can get pretty weak. So I guess you could check for that as well.
This is a lot of words, but hopefully you can find some advice mixed in!
-Roger-

So Dan, Today is the Day!

Wish you a good drive to Carlisel, a many hot cars, cool beers and a lot of fun.

Say Hello also to Ron, Matthew and Marjo!!!

I'm with you in thought.

Stefan

Oh yes, I forgot!!!!! Tomorrow I have my own "Carlise" in Portugal. I will have my own prifvat "361-engine-start-up-party" Let's hope everything runs as expected!!!

We'll be thinking of you this weekend, Stefan! Let us know how it goes. Perhaps you could time the startup to coincide with when Christine's headlights flash on, on the Carlisle Drive-In screen?

Dan

Roger,

Good idea to check and see if fuel is squirting after sitting. I can smell the gas and it seems to be flooding. It is a brand new 600 cfm edelbrock Carb so I am hoping it is not the problem. The fuel line runs down the front of the engine and has a fat braided hose over it to help with the heat. I have a Holley high performance fuel pump installed.

I really wonder is it a weak spark?
I have an orange box ignition with a MSD Blaster coil (stock 1976 mopar electronic distributor). How can you tell if the spark is weak? Do I just try and repIace the coil? The coil is firewall mounted so it should not be a heat problem? I have an Offenhauser single plane (360 degree) intake manifold with a windage tray (sp?) underneath to keep the lifter valley heat and hot oil away from the manifold. I don't believe there are any exhaust dampers on the exhaust manifolds

Thanks for all the advice - I hope the 2 hour trip to Carlisle with some fresh gas will help - we won't be shutting off the engine.

Stefan,

I wish you could video the start up of the 361 with sound so we could all here it start the 1st time! Good Luck i hope all goes well at the party. I will miss seeing you at Carlisle - hopefully we can meet next year - if I don't sell the car

Have a great weekend everyone,

Curt

I had NO idea your car had so many modifications! Forget all my advice! That all applied to "vintage" engines.
If you smell gas and you think it is flooding, perhaps it is. Do you have a vented gas cap? It is imperative, since heat pressurizes the tank, forcing more fuel than needed into the carb.
If your fuel pump is weak/old/flawed, the fuel will push thru the pump if there is enuf pressure.
I am geing asked to get off the computer so that my daughter can get on...she is bored...
In our factory set ups, fuel can leak into the carb if there is a sticky float and/or bad float valve. You say your gas is old, maybe something lodged in the float valve.

sportfury1959 wrote:Oh yes, I forgot!!!!! Tomorrow I have my own "Carlise" in Portugal. I will have my own prifvat "361-engine-start-up-party" Let's hope everything runs as expected!!!

Stefan! How did your private Carlisle go? Inquiring minds want to know...

Dan

Hi Dan,

my private Carlisle ran, let’s say not perfect, but “ok”. See downstairs in:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=990&p=5850#p5850

I wished some guys of you would have been here for this event. Doing this alone is not even half the fun it should be. I had cool beer, a delicious steak on the grill and the first signs of an upcoming carbon monoxide intoxication. Doesn’t that sound good?

Stefan

PS: Don’t you put some pictures of Carlisle here?

sportfury1959 wrote: PS: Don’t you put some pictures of Carlisle here?

They're comin'! If not this week, then this weekend. It's back to the salt mines for me!

Dan

Ron, Matthew and Andre,

Have a safe journey back home this evening. Thanks again for all your help. We really enjoyed your visit a couple days ago on you way to Dan's from Washington DC.

We hope to see you all back next year for the 59's 5oth anniversary!

Curt, Jo Ann and Grace

I'd like to hear a report..for example, did Curt and car make it to the show?

Roger,

See my report under travelouge.

Let's just say it was a fuel pump issue that got resolved by Dan and the Netherland group.

Curt

savvy59 wrote:Roger,

See my report under travelouge.

Let's just say it was a fuel pump issue that got resolved by Dan and the Netherland group.

Curt

I wish I could take partial credit, Curt. But I thought it was the "ah-ooooooo-gah" horn!

This was entirely a Dutch treat.

Dan