more carrier problems

alleramilitaria · #1 21-02-05, 03:07

ok had a great time at the 60+ pacific fury event here in texas, and got a standing ovation!!!

but there was a problem..... the engine runs great, the tranny shifts like a dream, and it turns ok... but when i tryed to shift to 2nd it stalled about 1/2 of the time and then bogged down. 3rd and 4th are not a option. one hub was a little warm but not too hot.

like i said the engin sounds great.

any ideas?

thanks
dave

Jordan Baker · #2 21-02-05, 05:59

HI Dave

I don't know too much about engines but ive had something similar happen to me some times when I go into 4th gear.

When you say the engine runs great, is that when it is in idle? It could be fuel problems like air leaking into the system or the pump might not be in tip top shape. Maybe the settings on the carb are not right.

I know with mine when Ive put it into 4th gear most of my problems came from the fuel moving around inside the gas can I had hooked up. This was letting the pump suck air into the lines and causing it to stall out.

I would also think that if it was electrical then you would have noticed it earlier when the enigne was idleing.

i hope this helps you out somewhat.

alleramilitaria · #3 23-02-05, 03:41

hey thanks, i was not thinking in that direction. but in first gear i have it floored and it sounds great even tho its only walking speed.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #4 23-02-05, 04:31

Dave, does yours have the original six-volt electrical system and mechanical fuel pump, or has it been converted in either or both areas?

alleramilitaria · #5 23-02-05, 04:34

6 volt power and i have not touched the fuel system.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #6 23-02-05, 04:50

Quote:

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
6 volt power and i have not touched the fuel system.

Methinks then, therein lies the problem. If we could get the esteemed Mr. Notton in on this, he might be able to shed some light on the matter. I'll only touch on it briefly, because I am far from expert:

First of all, the Ford 6V electrical system is SHIT, especially with aging components. It's actually running about 4 1/2 volts if memory serves me correctly. There are others here who can expound of the vagaries of this system far better than I, and I shall leave it to them to elaborate.

Secondly, with carriers especially, but all Ford 239s in general, the fuel begins to boil and vaporize in the lines once the engine gets warm. The mechanical fuel pump just isn't up to the task... and here's where Mr. Notton should join in. Right off the bat, remove your engine covers to ensure maximum convection cooling... that will help. But consider an electrical fuel pump...

I look forward to the input of those who have far more expertise than I. We WILL solve your problem!

alleramilitaria · #7 23-02-05, 05:04

ok i did that for my jeep (elec. fuel pump) but the motor seems to eat up the fuel at a good rate. could i have a vacume leak at the fuel pump? would that be a normal problem of the ford fuel pump?

where could i get a 6 volt fuel pump, any ideas?

also has anyone had good results converting the system to 12 vlt, and how could i do that. i know i need to change out the coil, but what about the dist? i have the modern upgrade on the dist, but what else?

thanks
dave

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #8 23-02-05, 05:13

Ref the fuel pump, yes. The old diaphrams tend to crack and leak air.

Ref 6 to 12-volt conversion, many here can advise you better than I. Let us wait for their expert input...

G.

Quote:

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
ok i did that for my jeep (elec. fuel pump) but the motor seems to eat up the fuel at a good rate. could i have a vacume leak at the fuel pump? would that be a normal problem of the ford fuel pump?

where could i get a 6 volt fuel pump, any ideas?

also has anyone had good results converting the system to 12 vlt, and how could i do that. i know i need to change out the coil, but what about the dist? i have the modern upgrade on the dist, but what else?

thanks
dave

Jordan Baker · #9 23-02-05, 05:59

HI Dave

Thats a good point that Geoff raised about the 6 volt versus the 12 volt. On my carrier I have converted over to 12v. I know others on this board still keep their at 6 but I have found no problems with it a 12v.

I found that changing it over was really easy. The first thing to do, if you haven't yet, is get rid of the Old style coil that mounts to the distributor. Dennis Carpenter repro's make an adapter kit that bolts onto the top of the distributor and allows you to put in a modern coil. I used a Mallory high perfomence one from a car shop near me. I will provide the part # in a few days when I find the box. I then replaced all of the wiring in the carrier. Technically I really didn't need to but the stuff was original and there were lots and lots of repairs made to it over 60 years.

Stewart Loy suggested to me that I use screw terminals for all of my connections. He also suggested that I crimp them and then soldier and then use heat shrink tubing as a final protection. His idea worked so well that I once had a wire get caught in the fan belt. I had to cut the wire to get it out but the connections were still holding.

The next step would be converting the Generator over to 12v. I still have yet to do this on mine do to lack of money from spending on other "thingys that I just had to have". You could also just place an alternator on instead but it would require making up a mount for it to fit the fan extention and it wouldn't look stock

I ran my carrier all summer with the battery on this setup and I only had to get it recharged once. The only thing you would need to watch would be your 6v gauges. i haven't had to worry about that yet as I don't have any.

When I first got my carrier the mechanical fuel pump was not working. So my mechanic friend who got the engine running lent me an inline electric one. I never had any problems starting as the fuel was always ready. I setup a switch to control both the ignition and fuel pump and I would turn this on and let it sit for about 5-10 seconds. By that point the fuel was at the carb and I was ready to go. I would hit the starter and the engine would roar to life in about 4 seconds.

After I got my mechanical pump working I re-installed it. It was good but i liked the electric one better. The problem IMHO is that once turned off the pump looses pressure and then you need to crank the engine until pressure is built up again. The other problem is that unless the pump is in prime condition you will always have engine problems. Because the pump runs off of the engine it needs the engine runing well. But the engine wont run well unless the pump is pumping perfectly. It becomes a nice revolving issue that only results in a poorly running engine.

I hope you can find my experience useful and Im sure others will be able to provide more info then me as most of my knowledge came from reading their responses on this forum.

alleramilitaria · #10 23-02-05, 06:31

thanks for the input, it looks like i will revolt my carrier just like i did by GPW. i just hope i dont have a fire LOL. i have already replaced the coil and next im going to do the same with the fuel pump. its nice to look original, but if you do living history its nice to be able to count on a running carrier.

i never have a problem starting my carrier thanks to MR zimmerman. its great to have a expert in the area near you.
thanks
all
dave