I push my 55 F100 out of the garage to do some other work in the garage. I didn’t want to start it and not get up to temperature. It was in the mid to upper 80s today. Around 4:00 I was leaving for a cruse in. The truck started right up but blue some smoke came out of the exhaust when it started. It seamed to run fine but died at an intersection where I stopped about a half mile down the road. I opened the hood and could smell gas and the base of the carburetor was wet. So wasn’t sure if it was vapor lock or a carb problem. Any insight would be great!
Thanks

 

Can't hurt to check the power valve. Makes for hard starting and easy flooding when the diaphragm goes.

 

Good thought. I can look at that. I’m going to insulate between the cab and intake manifold also. I just wondered, I guess, if flooding was common with vapor lock due to trying to start it after it stalls.

 

I put a piece of rubber fuel line over my hard gas line to insulate it from engine heat. I haven't had vapor Lock since then. And ethanol gas boils quicker than no-E gas.

It shouldn't flood with vapor Lock since there is no liquid gas in your line.

I haven't answered your question, but if you smell gas and your carb is wet I don't think it is vapor Lock.

 

Putting the hose over the fuel line is a great idea. I can do that as well. Does vapor lock only happen in the the gas line? Is it possible for the vapor lock to happen in the carburetor blocking flow which would be the cause of flooding when trying to start the engine? I was thinking that is what was going on with mine. I was thinking it was pumping gas into the carburetor and flooding because it couldn’t couldn’t move from there.

 

It sounds as if it simply flooded. 6 or 8? The leaked fuel seemed fresh? Blue exhaust indicates running rich. Choke operational?

Trash (sediment from bad filter/zinc oxide from ethanol) in the fuel bowl may have hindered the needle/seat and caused it to flood. Possibly a bad float.

Heat soak from the last use may have caused fuel percolation and emptying of the fuel bowl. Fuel pressure may have washed trash into the needle/seat.

Vapor lock was a problem back when the truck came out.

 

It’s at block 239 engine. I use ethanol free gas to hopefully avoid the problems ethanol can have in the system. Choke is working, it a manual choke and the first thing I checked. The engine was just rebuilt and I rebuilt carburetor rebuilt as well. It had been running fine until I left it out all day in the sun. I’ll go through the carburetor when I get put the heat shield in.

 

Y block 239 engine.

 

Gasoline expands quite a bit when warm. You don't say what carb you have. It "BLEW" smoke or had "BLUE" smoke when you started it, which is it?
I would bet your fuel expanded from the under hood temp from sitting in the sun, fuel ran out out of vent tubes and orifices flooding the engine causing oil to be washed into cylinders past the valve seals/guides creating blue smoke. You didn't say how far it was to the intersection where it died but i suspect you still pocketss of gas in the engine causing a rich fuel stall. You definitely did not have vapor lock.

 

It’s a 2 barrel Carb. It was blue smoke when I started it up. I thought it was kinda strange my self. My driveway is on an incline if that would make a difference. I got a half mile or so from my house when stalled At the intersection. I tried starting it a few times before opening the hood and could smell and see gas on the base of the carb.

 

What brand card? Some are more prone to issues than others. Regardless, I stick to my theory with you additional info.

 

The carb is a Ford model EVB. Which I think is a 94.

 

Yes, a 94 variant.

 

There you go, especially if the truck had been running prior and resultant heat soak caused the fuel in the bowl to percolate and expand.

 

My engine is an I6, so my experience may not apply, but lowering the level of the fuel in the carb bowl has significantly improved my engine's tendency for hard starting when hot.

My carb was professionally rebuilt, and after the rebuild, the height of the fuel in the bowl was noticeably higher than the experts here on the forum recommend. I was reluctant to mess with it though because I didn't want to second guess the professional rebuilder, and I was worried about leaks developing between the bowl and the body of the carb.

I put up with hard starting when the engine was hot for a lot longer than I should have, and on long trips simply left the engine running when refueling rather than addressing the problem. After two years or so, I was ready for a change. Before the start of this year's driving season, I lowered the fuel level in the bowl, managed to avoid causing any leaks, and the engine now starts and runs just great. I just got back from a 500 mile adventure--and it was HOT. I'm pleased to report there were no stressful (and embarrassing) hard starts at the gas pumps. The only change I made was significantly lowering the level of the fuel in the carb bowl.

Good luck.

Jim