Dies going uphill
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Dies going uphill
Hoping you guys can point me in the right direction. Have a 1978 F250 with 351M. Brand new aluminum intake and Edelbrock 4 barrel which mechanic tuned. Has ran great. No issues. A couple week ago when driving truck back to the house, going uphill truck starts sputtering, sounds like it backfires through the carb and just about dies. Then just like that runs fine to include going up another hill without issue.
Last weekend I take it for a drive, start going uphill and starts sputtering. I try giving it gas and try to feather it, nothing and then it dies. Super hard to get it to start back up. Once it does I flip truck around and drive back to the house. It runs fine.
My first thought is fuel. I do need to replace the sending unit in the main tank since the fuel gauge on that tank does not work. Problem is tank is full and I have no-where to put 19 gallons of gas. Aux. tank also needs a new sending unit, but because the previous owner put a tiny crack in the outlet coming out of the tank and it spits gas. This tank is about 3/4 full of gas, so again not sure what in the hell to do.
I should probably replace the fuel filter. Not sure if it has been done recently.
Any thoughts, suggestions?
Last weekend I take it for a drive, start going uphill and starts sputtering. I try giving it gas and try to feather it, nothing and then it dies. Super hard to get it to start back up. Once it does I flip truck around and drive back to the house. It runs fine.
My first thought is fuel. I do need to replace the sending unit in the main tank since the fuel gauge on that tank does not work. Problem is tank is full and I have no-where to put 19 gallons of gas. Aux. tank also needs a new sending unit, but because the previous owner put a tiny crack in the outlet coming out of the tank and it spits gas. This tank is about 3/4 full of gas, so again not sure what in the hell to do.
I should probably replace the fuel filter. Not sure if it has been done recently.
Any thoughts, suggestions?
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,698
Likes: 7
From: Taxachusetts
Yes, replace the fuel filter...and, if you can, put another one between the fuel pump and carb...a clear glass one is what I use...and mebbe you can see any smegma gettin from the tank to the carb.
Edelbrock 1405 or 1406 carb? Actually it sounds like a float problem...mebbe an accelerator pump deal, not so much as a fuel delivery problem. But you can check the fuel pump with a simple "sniff" test. Pull the dipstick and take a whiff. Smell like gas at all? A bad fuel pump will leak gas from the diaphragm back into the oil. Not good. If this is the case, replace the fuel pump and change the oil/filter, pronto.
Just fer grins & chuckles...check the distributor hold down bolt...goos and snug? While you're there, might as well check the timing....for your own benefit and reference.
Back to the float check - you can download the particulars on the Edelbunk carbs....will give you all the info you want.
Accelerator pump check - yank the air cleaner, with the engine off, peek down the carb's throats and blip the throttle. You should see two streams of fuel squirtin' down.
Edelbrock 1405 or 1406 carb? Actually it sounds like a float problem...mebbe an accelerator pump deal, not so much as a fuel delivery problem. But you can check the fuel pump with a simple "sniff" test. Pull the dipstick and take a whiff. Smell like gas at all? A bad fuel pump will leak gas from the diaphragm back into the oil. Not good. If this is the case, replace the fuel pump and change the oil/filter, pronto.
Just fer grins & chuckles...check the distributor hold down bolt...goos and snug? While you're there, might as well check the timing....for your own benefit and reference.
Back to the float check - you can download the particulars on the Edelbunk carbs....will give you all the info you want.
Accelerator pump check - yank the air cleaner, with the engine off, peek down the carb's throats and blip the throttle. You should see two streams of fuel squirtin' down.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,628
Likes: 80
From: NE Texas
Not sure whether the 351M needs a heated intake manifold, but your symptoms sound very much like what I experienced on my 223 in cold weather - gas basically condensing from vapor to liquid in the venturi.
Added a warm air intake to the air cleaner and it didn't happen again.
Seems like the wrong time of year to suggest that, but who knows...
Added a warm air intake to the air cleaner and it didn't happen again.
Seems like the wrong time of year to suggest that, but who knows...
More Turbo
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 656
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From: Salisbury, PA
Floats adjusted too low will make it die on hills...and can do quiet quickly as well (I know from personal experience on this one unfortunately). It then takes a while to start because the mechanical fuel pump needs many revolutions of the engine to fill the bowl back up.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,086
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From: Tennessee
Floats adjusted too low will make it die on hills...and can do quiet quickly as well (I know from personal experience on this one unfortunately). It then takes a while to start because the mechanical fuel pump needs many revolutions of the engine to fill the bowl back up.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2014
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Re carb
if you have an edelbrock you may need to clean carb
I did a full rebuild of carb last summer and professional running. Had spuratic issues this year that finally resulted in an engine only running off accelerator pump.
I took it apart and bowls had floaters. There is a fuel filter just upstream of bowls and screens at inlet to bowls I believe it is related to ethinal in gas but have no evidence.
Used some carb cleaner and compressed air and it fired right up.
I did a full rebuild of carb last summer and professional running. Had spuratic issues this year that finally resulted in an engine only running off accelerator pump.
I took it apart and bowls had floaters. There is a fuel filter just upstream of bowls and screens at inlet to bowls I believe it is related to ethinal in gas but have no evidence.
Used some carb cleaner and compressed air and it fired right up.
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,553
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All good suggestions and I'll add one.
Going up hill the engine needs more power and fuel flow. Lots of comments on checking filters ect. Also look for a kinked or old rubber line. Any restriction on the suction side of the fuel pump can cause vapor lock. A kinked or old/collapsed rubber line will do it. Also an air leak can do the same thing.
I have had the collapsed rubber line situation and it typically died on hills... and was slow re-starting.
Going up hill the engine needs more power and fuel flow. Lots of comments on checking filters ect. Also look for a kinked or old rubber line. Any restriction on the suction side of the fuel pump can cause vapor lock. A kinked or old/collapsed rubber line will do it. Also an air leak can do the same thing.
I have had the collapsed rubber line situation and it typically died on hills... and was slow re-starting.
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Thank you for all the suggestions. I'm going to drain both tanks of gas hopefully this weekend. Need to at the very least replace the solenoid in the main tank. Thinking about deleting the aux tank. Likely will never use, but want to set it up so if I ever sell I can quickly hook back up.
Will check all the fuel lines, but might just be best to replace all the rubber fuel lines since I am down there to ensure that isn't the problem. Will replace all of the fuel filters as well.
Fuel pump was put in new as well, but will check for gas smell in oil. Just changed oil previous to this.
Will also check for vacuum leaks.
Will save the carb. floats for last since I believe I have to remove the whole top end of the carb to get to the floats.
Will also run through filthybeasts list as well.
Another thought, but not sure how legit this is. The previous owner had put premium 93 octane in the tanks prior to taking down to the mechanic to have the new intake and carb installed. Carb was tuned on 93 octane. I put 87 in it. Could this cause this dying issue? Now that I'm thinking about it likely not since it isn't running worse, and no perceivable loss of power ...
Will check all the fuel lines, but might just be best to replace all the rubber fuel lines since I am down there to ensure that isn't the problem. Will replace all of the fuel filters as well.
Fuel pump was put in new as well, but will check for gas smell in oil. Just changed oil previous to this.
Will also check for vacuum leaks.
Will save the carb. floats for last since I believe I have to remove the whole top end of the carb to get to the floats.
Will also run through filthybeasts list as well.
Another thought, but not sure how legit this is. The previous owner had put premium 93 octane in the tanks prior to taking down to the mechanic to have the new intake and carb installed. Carb was tuned on 93 octane. I put 87 in it. Could this cause this dying issue? Now that I'm thinking about it likely not since it isn't running worse, and no perceivable loss of power ...
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Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,698
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From: Taxachusetts
Now that I'm thinking about it likely not since it isn't running worse, and no perceivable loss of power ...
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