What he said.

 

I'm pretty sure the gas tank is good. It appears to be fairly new. Also, I had it out of the truck over the winter and it looked fine.

So here's a dumb question: Is there supposed to be a filter in the sediment bowl?

 

There is a fine mesh in the top behind the bowl gasket. I have bought new ones along with the cork gaskets at NAPA.

 

Multiple issues, perhaps.

If a carbureted car sits for more than about 4 days, most, if not all of the fuel will evaporate out of the bowl...this is a little worse with the ethanol fuel we have. However, there should still be fuel in the line from the tank to the pump. The fuel from the pump to the carb may also evaporate due to the float dropping as the bowl fuel evaporates and opening the needle/seat.

There is a check valve in the pump that should hold the fuel in the line from the tank to the pump, so you should only have to crank a short period to get some gas in the bowl to get it fired up.

Given your most recent issue with the car dying, perhaps your pump is weak/bad. A rebuild or replacement should cure the issue. Non-ethanol fuel will help with the evaporation issue, but will not eliminate it.

 

In this day of fuel injection systems we often forget to pump the gas before we crank the engine. Here is an excerpt from the 1949 Ford Operators manual.



I have driven a lot of carbureted Fords over the years and they all need a pump of the gas pedal first on cold engines regardless of the weather . . . well maybe not where Ross lives.

 

There was a filter element in the glass bowls, not often seen tho. NAPA carries it under p/n FIL 3039. There is also a spring under it to hold it in place.

 

Thanks Ross, I'll have to pick up one of those filters.

Yesterday was the first time I've touched the truck since it died a week ago. I let it crank a little bit, but it wouldn't start. So I poured some gas down the carb and that got it going. I didn't drive it, I just needed to pull it out of the garage.

But since it started and ran, I'm thinking either I've got crap in the fuel line, or possibly had some vapor lock. (It was really hot the day it quit).

 

You won't have vapor lock on an ambient temperature engine unless you live on Mercury.

 

the reason i got my truck was it vapor locked on the po's wife all the time and pissed her off. i just kept a wet rag to put on the fuel line after the pump and before the carb and after few min off i went.

 

In my case, the problem was definitely the fuel pump. I replaced it a couple months ago, and it's been much better about starting.

 

Ross, I know this is an old post, but I bought one of those at NAPA several years ago and it didn't appear that it would work on my '52 F1. I looked up the application and it was for early 60's Chevys among a few others. I gave it to a friend and then picked up a NAPA 3034 Filter which looks like it may work, but haven't tried it yet. I think this type filter was only original equipment on later models - maybe '52-'53. I found a Ford P/N for them somewhere which is 1BA-9365-A. That looks like a '51 car part, but I know my Dad's '51 never had that filter. His had an AC double action fuel pump as original equipment.

 

I wonder if the #3039 is for AC replacement fuel pumps then? I don't remember where I got the number, I think it was on the Ford Barn.

 

I found that 3039 number online somewhere, too - may have been on a Ford tractor forum. It was way too big to fit on my 8N and when I looked at the pump on my pickup, the holes around the top of that filter element were a definite mismatch. The 3034 is definitely closer, but still don't know if it will fit. Early on, I was having trouble with trash from the tank getting into the fuel pump valves. I have an in-line filter before the carb, but that wasn't helping any with the problems at the fuel pump. Someday need to try installing the 3034 just to see. - Bob