Pinto Loss Of Power, Cutting Out

[Guest Pedro]

Hi everyone me again, fixed my coolant probs with the new head gasket and bleeds on the heater hoses but I still have this engine dying/ cutting out problem. It's a 1.8 Pinto with a new Weber carb (manual choke) approx two months ago and it ran fine then. Now the engine will start and rev fine, drive for approx 2-3 miles then it will start to hesitate then eventually cut out. The car will restart after 3-4 minutes with use of the throttle and choke, run for a few hundred yards then cut out again, this continued all the way home.

I have fitted a new fuel filter and pump as well as the carb but they made no difference. I am convinced this is a fuel issue not electrical but could be wrong, have ordered a new coil but I am not convinced this is the problem either.

 

The only other possibility is that the previous owner fitted an electric fuel pump worked from a dash switch. This was to save excessive engine cranking when the old carb was fitted which had no choke .

The fuel pipe runs from the tank to the elec pump, then to engine fuel pump, then to filter, then to carb. The fuel filter is glass and I can see fuel in there. I might by pass the electric pump as its no longer needed with the new manual choke carb.

 

Any ideas of what the issue may be as I am running out of them.

 

Thanks again

[richyb66]

If it ran fine 2 months ago, what other than the head gasket has been changed since then? The cause could be many things, knowing what's been changed narrows things down a bit.

 

The first 2 things I'd be checking are that the fuel tank is vented (probably through the cap) and the float levels are correct in the carb.

 

Bypass the electric pump, for the time being you shouldn't need it.

 

At the point that it cuts out, can you remove the air filter and look down inside the carb while you operate the throttle to see if the accelerator pump is squirting fuel into the carb? If it is, then you at least have some fuel left in the carb rather than it being completely empty.

Edited June 17, 2014 by richyb66

[Guest preeday]

I had a similar issue a couple of months ago. Tried everything, then just as I was going to give up I put my hand on the fuel feed pipe by the fuel filter and it was all squashy & soft! It was collapsing under pressure causing a fault as is I've run out of fuel. I replaced front to rear with new ( tw*t of a job) but it cured my problem!!

[Guest zerorace]

Recheck your valve clearances

[Guest davidimurray]

I had similar problems a few weeks back, turned out to be a collapsing fuel filter - http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=191370

[Guest Pedro]

Problem seems to be fixed with a new electric fuel pump, had three test runs and the hesitation/cutting out under load has gone. Cannot understand why the mech pump did not provide fuel delivery, only thing I can think of is the push rod drive from the ancilliary shaft?