Its freakin cold and snow everywhere here in Montreal Canada. My truck is in storage till April. Anyway time to start thinking about a problem i have had since i bought the truck. let me tell you its a 72 f-100 styleside with a 302 and a three on the tree. My problem is the truck will just stop running no gas getting to carb new fuel pump tank is clean inside lines are good. It does not happen all the time i never know when it will happen. I will be driving all is good then boom truck just dies.I am thinking about an electric pump in place of mechanical pump. I have a edelbrock carb what fuel pressure should the electric pump put out max.

 

most edelbrocks are recommended to take 2-3 psi..it depends if it is 2 or 4 bbl? if its a 4bbl i would run 4.5-5 psi. I have a 600 4bbl running a 6-8 psi electric fuel pump on a switch and i have a fuel regulator set to 5 psi, that works great fro my truck it doesn't drown and it doesn't starve.

 

give us some background info- how did you narrow it down to being a fuel delivery issue?

 

thanks for the info 68ford4life i have a 600 cfm edelbrock 4 barrel would a carter fuel pump with a built in regulator work. and i am sorry rustywheel68 for not giving more info. so first things first i would be driving and then the power would just drop off until the engine would just die. pull off air filter no gas comming from jets the truck would start again but i will only get 100 feet and the truck will buck and die. i would pull off the line and no fuel. i have checked the lines and they are good i have pulled the tank and it is clean inside replaced fuel pump same problem. its a simple system and its got me stumped the vent line is disconnected from canister i just dont know why this is happening.

 

(1) In that cold of an environment, I wouldn't think that condensation would build up in your tank, but if you have had a gas tank vent hose unplugged, it might have happened. In cold weather, the water can freeze, and plug your filters, or lines. I suppose it could disable your fuel pump with a chunk of ice, too. Alchohol in the gas acts like a gas-dryer, so that might help.

(2) You do need some venting to the gas tank. Either a vented cap, or a vent line going to a charcoal filter (later models).

(3) Check to see if your heater hose is in it's bracket beside the choke thermostat housing. It helps warm the black housing, and is part of the choke/fast idle operation.

(4) I am a big fan of electric fuel pumps added to these old trucks. Just use a cut-off switch (hopefully an inertia switch). Then you don't have to deal with the spring in the mechanical fuel pump softening up, or the diaphram going bad. Extreme cold might stiffen up a cheap diaphram.

(5) Inexpensive fuel pressure gauges are available. I put one in where the old mechanical fuel pump was, and can see if there are any issues with my upstream filters, selectors, and pump. My cheap one only has a couple K miles on it, so can't recommend the brand yet.

Just some thoughts. Good luck.

 

I do not drive the truck in the winter it is in storage so ice is not an issue and i do have a new vented cap and a line going to the charcoal filter but i thought it might be blocked so i disconnected the charcoal filter.I will be cruising down the highway then out of nowhere it just runs dry and i am on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck.

 

i'm not sure about the carter, i've never heard how they do. i'm running an airtex 6-8 psi pump and a mr gasket regulator. the pump was like 45 bucks and the regulator was about 30 so it was a cheap installation and im 2200 miles into it with no problems.

 

Hmm I'd say it maybe be that the fuel pump cam wheel maybe warn down to the point it not doing it's job any more. No gas and you've replaced the pump once. Tank is cleaned no plugged lines. Than what else is left. Remove gas line at pump when it stops and crank motor over check for gas after pulling coil wire so it won't start.Then you'll know for sure... ..my 2cents
orich

 

Follow orich's advice. You have to find the cause of the stall before applying fixes.

 

Now that i'm not on my night time meds.
Another possibility is that your carb may have the filtering screen at the end of the banjo bolt that goes through the brass swivel head where the gas line attaches it onto the carb. These aren't as bad as the Q-jet mini filters but will load up with a dirty tank if not having the built-in canister pump filter. Also check for any old cracking hard rubber gas line that maybe sucking air. At tank line and fuel pump.
my last 2cents
orich

 

I'm another believer in finding the root cause of a problem before replacing parts. However, if you decide to go with an electric pump, the Carter P4070 is a fine pump. I know of some still working after 25 years. May be a little noisy for some, but not usually an issue on a pickup truck.

 

Thank you everyone for your ideas and your interest but i feel i should give more info.I have been having this problem since i got the truck it had the original 302 with a two barrel when this problem started i changed the fuel pump and filter also changed any rubber lines i could find took tank out and drained it very clean inside problem still there put a rebuilt carb on no change.the thing is i could go weeks with no problem then boom dead on the highway.Last winter i pulled the motor and did a complete rebuild all new bearings cam and lifters cam bearings fuel pump ecentric timming chain e-street heads small valves intake edelbrock 600 cfm carb 30 over pistons I was sure i had the issue licked drove the truck all summer no problem until one week before i was going to store it for the winter.Again no gas in carb but a full tank of gas.so this is where i am now stumped.

 

is the fuel pick up in your tank clean? maybe the bottom of the tank is clean because the pick up sucked it all up...or do you have any lines that may be able to bend and close up when they become warm from the engine heat?..

 

You're going to have to isolate it even further. Check for fuel entering pump. Check again for any rubber line or connection on tank end. Even a small leak/crack will suck air and may not be noticeable by visual leak on the ground. Not familiar with that pump, is it the one with a filter on the bottom? Intermitten problems are the worse to find, I'd much rather it just stay broke.

 

Odd never seen when no gas at carb engines starts. Engine won't start and go not 1 ft. once carb runs dry and vehicle stops and motor has stop running.
So what made it restart? Unless the motor was running hot and you had a vapor lock happen. But you have not said anything about over heating. so rule that out. If pump has a vacuum pull on the gas that has some kink or some piece of crap in the pickup or at some other area then in a minute or so it pulls enough gas up to the pump and a few cracks of the motor pushes it to the carb and motor will start.. Could this happen could be.. I'd would blow out all lines with compressed air Starting at fuel pump with out gas cap on at all times. Hard Line at pump to where the rubber hose connects at tank hard line removed Then tank hard line going into tank all blown out with compressed air. A bad coil will cut out when they get hot and or like running out of gas and will run when coiled. Just maybe it's getting gas that you can't see. I have had to use a flashlight & a mirror at an angle to gas shooting out the pump shooter jets. So it may all be electrically..
Seem like where going backwards on this thread as starting over. Oh well it keeps are minds sharp before it's completely going..
orich