MTFCA Forum

My 23 "T" Fordoor has been sitting for awhile, about two months. It ran great the last few times I've had it out but yesterday I could not keep it running. It was most likely mad at me for neglecting it. After thinking about it and studying Donnie Brown's check list for getting a sick "T" running my neighbor came up with the possible solution, Bad Gas. Always check the simple first. I can't remember if I used a stabilizer last time I added gas. My neighbor suggested Seafoam. Others (Mike Walker) use a little Marvel Mystery oil. Or should you use both? This morning I'll be under the car draining all the gas. Hopefully I'll come back with a positive report later on.

Another problem I have is gassing up the car under that front seat. Its very awkward pouring gas into a funnel inside the car from a heavy can. I always manage to spill some. Our service station is 10 miles away so using a gas pump is seldom an option. Any suggestions on a better way to do it? Has anyone built a funnel with a hose that sets outside the car?

As to gassing up...

O’Reilly’s handles a product called “no spill” gas containers.

They have a hard spout and a valve with a push button mounted as the “cap”. Greatest solution for under seat tank!

Put the spout in the tank...upend it safe and dry...push the button and no splash! Thumb off button, flow stops.

I haven’t seen it at the other guys yet, but do enjoy the one I got! (They also have a really neat drain jug ! Lay it on its side and it’s a catch pan trough...put in plug and stand it up sealed bottle with top cap for drain. Not big enough for a total drain out of anything...but if working on carb bowl, or checking filter in the potato, works pretty slick)

My friend John put me onto this. Works great.
https://www.acehardware.com/departments ... umps/45345

Even with "OLD" gas it should keep running. If you want to keep things simple, open both the carb and sediment bowl drains and make sure that is good flow there. (that means let it run for a while NOT just open see gas and close) Even with old gas, if it will start it should keep running.

How long does your T run before stopping? If only for a few seconds, it could simply be that your carb fuel mixture has become set too lean. Try readjusting the fuel mixture a bit richer.

I agree with Mark, not bad gad, blocked fuel line.

Yes. Set the carb mixture a bit more rich. In other words about an 1/8 turn more. I do that with mine if they have been sitting up a while. After it starts let it run and speed up the engine then readjust the carb setting. Should be OK. My 54 Ford NAA tractor does the same thing about starting and dieing after a long period of not running. I choke it heavily and it finally starts and smooths out.

I finished changing out the gas, adding seafoam and checking the delivery lines to the carb. Everything is fine and it started, ran rough at first then smoothed out then quit again. Total run time was around a minute so I'm getting spark. It would not restart, just pop now and then.The only thing I can think of is something is clogging up the carb. It must be something in that area. I did adjust the carb that had been adjusted outwards about two turns. I bottomed it than backed it out a turn and nothing. Turn and a half and still nothing. Could I have a stuck float or no float?

starts
runs rough
smoothes out
dies

sounds exactly like a carb with a sticky float valve that is set a little too rich at start and then leans to proper mixture right before running out of fuel in the bowl.

since this car ran fine 2 months ago, this problem is not particularly cosmic. Check the carb float valve. Grose Valves are particularly prone to this problem under these exact circumstances.

next time you get it started, stand at the carb with a brass or plastic faced hammer and give it a whack every couple seconds and see if it keeps running.

Today was fill up day. A nice day for a ride.

I think everyone has the same problem when you must fill the tank from a gas can. Last year I bought a syphon hose with a check valve at one end at Hershey. By putting the non check valve into the cars tank and the check valve end into the gas container and moving it up and down several times, the gas flows without a spilled drop. HOWEVER, BE SURE TO REMOVE THE CHECK VALVE END FROM THE CONTAINER BEFORE THE CARS TANK IS FULL!!!!

A partially plugged fuel line, or a speck of dirt in the needle seat on the side toward the fuel line will give these symptoms: The engine will start up and run until the gas in the carburetor is burnt out. Then if you let the car set for a while fuel will slowly enter the carburetor bowl and it will repeat the above. You might need to clean the screen in the sediment bulb, but first try removing the fuel line at the carburetor. If you get a steady flow of fuel, you are OK to that point. Then remove the carburetor and blow out the needle seat and the jets. Then re-install the carburetor and see how it runs.
Norm

Thank you all. As Norm said I believe I need to remove the carb and blow it out. At that time can you tell if the float is sticking?

Before you remove the carburetor, open the drain plug at the bottom of the carburetor bowl. Fuel should run out freely. If only about 1/2 cup runs out and then stops running, your float is stuck either closed or there is a blockage in the float jet. Since the jet is smaller than the fuel line, a dirt particle will usually be caught where the jet is screwed into the carburetor. If the float valve is stuck open, you will have gas run out the carburetor when the fuel valve is opened at the sediment bowl. If the float is stuck closed, you would not get gas into the carburetor while it is parked and the engine would not start at all.
Norm

The problem is likely one of two possible situation:

1. The engine is getting no fuel.

The hot air pipe is not connected to the carb input and the venturi effect is icing up the carb and shutting off the fuel'.

This can happen in less than 10 minutes on a cold wet day.

2. The engine is getting too much fuel and flooding out.

That could most likely be caused by a broken return spring on the choke lever.

Adjusting the mixture control in should make the engine run a little longer if this is the problem.

Problem solved. The T is once again on the road. I removed the carb and took it to a friend who is an aircraft Mechanic from the Army. He located the problem and corrected a defective float. He cleaned it and I took a nice ride. Thanks for the advice.