I have a 73 250 with a new 390, it has everything new on it fuel pump, coil, points etc. Today we set the timing and idle perfectly, fixed vaccume leaks I had, and it idles smooth starts fine and all that. I wanted to test it so I took it out for a ride (only a few miles) and it would run fine, miss for awhile, run fine, and I got to not even a steep hill and was in second and it bogged down really bad so i put it in 1st going like 1/2 a mile an hour and it felt like it was running out of gas. It went like 20 feet in 1st and died so I rolled back down to the bottom of the hill and it wouldn't start and looked under the hood and my clear in-line fuel filter was empty. Just kept messing with it and it started. Went home in first the whole way and that was the most it could do, got home and let it run for a minute, and then it started idling perfect. No vaccum leaks. Sorry to be wordy but what should I try? Its just a mechanical fuel pump, is that what you guys use or do you use electric or something.

Also I put a new clutch assymbley when i put the motor in and when I let the clutch out it's like I hear it rubbing. It does it from about 1/3 of the way out to 2/3 of the way out. I'm 15 and kinda on my own with it so I'll try any ideas you guys have.

 

I also only have about 3 gallons of gas in the tank but I would think that would be enought for it to run for awhile

 

If it was leaning to the right, then it was probably sucking air. The tank pickup is all the way to the left hand side of the tank. Also, replace the hoses that connect the frame mounted line to the tank line and fuel pump. These get old and break apart inside, blocking flow.

 

I think I lived your story about 12 years ago. Mine turned out to be the gas tank, took it off, dumped it, put new gas in swished it around (repeated a couple times) blew air in the line at the pump back towards the tank, put it back on, it has been running great since.


John

 

Well I dont know what to think.. I already took my gas tank out and flushed it several times with sea foam, blew out all the metal lines and replaced the rubber ones. And no it wasn't leaning to the right at all...

 

About a yeer ago I bought a new fuel pump from napa, lasted almost a month and went out. Not saying that's the problem but might be worth disconnecting the fuel line and checking it out.

 

OK but it sure resembles what I saw. Is there gas being delivered at the carb?


John

 

Another time got some junk in the fuel canister. Would idle fine, run good for a while then stale. Let it sit, would run for a few miles then stall again. The junk in the fuel canister would settle then block gas flow when it ran again. Just throwing some things out from past experience.

Don't suppose a metal gas line maybe got crushed/bend some how?

 

I also bought a new NAPA fuel pump a few months ago for my transplanted 460. It lasted only about a month also. Since your clear fuel filter is empty sounds like you need to check the pump.