I recently aquired a '67 Mustang... the car is basic: 6cyl automatic. Its been sitting for 5 or so years, and probably has a total of 1000 miles on it over the last 10 years. The engine was freshly rebuilt about 6 years ago.

I got the car running... i drove the car up and down my street and found that the tranny and power steering were leaking, so i pulled the belt of the PS, and fixed the tranny leak (it was just the cooling lines). the car idled in my driveway for a total of an hour or so (on/off) while fixing the leaks... even cold, the car started excellent

As soon as the tranny leak was fixed, i went to take it for another drive up and down the street... started backing out of the driveway and it stalled. I thought it was out of gas, so i added a couple more gallons. From then until now, the car will start just fine, then stall.

If i pump the gas pedal, i can keep it running... assuming the RPM's are kept high.... holding the pedal at a higher RPM will keep it running if the RPM is high enough (pretty fast)... holding it a fast, or really fast idle does not keep it running. The car is making a bit of a 'sucking sound' when it is revved. The engine is not as smooth as it was before, seems a bit rough now.

I checked all vac. lines, they seem to be fine (given my limited knowledge of the car). I checked to make sure all the plug wires were hooked up, all connections seemed fine.

So... any thoughts? I have a feeling i need a new carb... but, I don't want to throw money away on one. My plan is to replace the engine with a V8... if this engine can run for a few thousand miles so i can get to know the car, I would be happy, but I don't want to dump a bunch of cash into it.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Sounds like it may be getting starved for gas, or you have moisture in the gas. Make sure the gas in the tank is fresh, then throw in a bottle of "Heet" or some other additive that will dry up any moisture in the tank. Double check your fuel filter to make sure it isn't stopped up with crud, then tweak your carb by turning the fuel/air screw all the way in and then come out a turn and a half or two turns until the engine runs smoothly. You may even want to spray some carb cleaner in the carb while the engine is running. You will have to rev it up while doing this.

 

Thanks for your help... i'll start with these suggestions.

I definitely believe the fuel filter could be stopped up... do they sell the filters at a regular parts store for these cars, or is it a special order item? where is the filter? (i am sure i can find it, but it would be nice to get a heads up on location)

Thanks again!

 

yes you can buy a fuel filter at most auto parts stores, im sure your local PEPBOYS has them because i recently bought one for 5 bucks

 

Thanks! I usually shop at PepBoys for my parts.

$5 is good to hear too. Seems that one of the best things about this Mustang is parts are actually reasonably priced. I just got my first catalog in the mail yesterday (Mustangs Unlimited) and was blown away by how low some of the prices are.

 

Get a clear plastic in-line gas filter. It doesn't matter what brand. That way you can see when the filter inside gets dirty. It will be located in the rubber fuel hose below the carb on the driver's side.

 

Fuel filter sounds like the culprit, but it could also be a fuel pump problem. Sometimes the pump diaphragm cracks and pumps gas into the crankcase. Some fuel still gets to the carb to keep the car running long enough for the gas in the oilpan to wash the bearings really well (not a good thing.)

Ont he fuel filter - most autolite carbs have the filter in the inlet housing. This can be a really awkward place to remove and replace, so the inline filter suggestion is good in two ways - gives you a clear view of what is going into your carb and it cuts way down on the wear and tear and possible damage caused from replacing the in-carb filter (I wish I'd know this before I cross-threaded a 4100 filter housing.)

 

I put the clear in-line filter on... every time I have used one of these, they fill up with gas and pretty much stay full. On my car it won't fill up at all, stays empty. I can see gas splashing around the carb area (looking with the air cleaner off, through the crack in the hood from the drivers seat).

So now I am thinking it is actually getting too much gas... that the fuel pump is pumping away, and the carb is letting all the gas go straight into the engine. Is this possible? This would explain why running it at high speeds is ok, the engine at a higher speed at least has a chance to burn all the fuel it is getting.

What does everyone think?

 

If the carb is getting enough gas, then the pump and filter are OK. However, I would first make sure. Take the fuel line off of the carb and put it in a cup to catch the fuel. Turn the engine over several times(it may even start) and see if the cup has a good amount of fuel in it. If it does, then move on to the carb. I assume you have a one barrel carb on that I6. Take it off and overhaul it. Or, take it to a parts place and exchange it for a rebuilt one. If you are getting too much fuel in your combustion chamber, then the float is letting too much fuel in. You can adjust the float and see if that will cure it, but a kit for a one barrel is a piece of cake to put in.

 

Thanks again for the help... I'll check the fuel flow next.

The real question I have now is, when should I cut my losses? My other thought is to buy a wrecked late-model car and transfer as much as I can over (engine, tranny, steering, brakes, etc.) Is this realistic or am I nuts? If I'm not nuts what is a good car? I was thinking a mid 90's lincoln town car, crown vic, or grand marquis... as they are reliable cars.