Percolating Problem on '53 Dragon

[rex]

Hello Friends,

For the last several months I have been struggling with hard starting issues with my '53 Dragon.  The car starts great when cold and runs great; however, after turning off a hot engine, within 10 minutes the car is very, very difficult to restart due to percolating.  It always takes about 10 minutes for this to occur, and you can smell the gas.  By putting the accelerator to the floor, she will usually start eventually, but sometimes she has to sit for 15 or more minutes.  While it's normal for a hot car to spin over some for restarting, I am talking about 15 or more cranks and then a lot of belching and sputtering.  Sometimes I can't keep it running during this period, and then I am really stuck until the gas dissipates on its own.

To correct this problem, we have put a new kit in the carburetor, installed a make-shift heat shield at the base of the carburetor, and I even tried adding a pint of diesel fuel to the gas to lower its boiling point (per a Studebaker Club article).  Nothing I have tried so far seems to help.  I am wondering if any of you can make further suggestions?  I love this car and it drives and handles like a dream, but it is nervous driving it anywhere for fear it will not restart in this hot weather.  By the way, it did this back in the cool weather here as well.   The car runs flawlessly except for this problem.

I am puzzled b/c I have a '54 Pontiac with essentially the same intake set up, and it is never hard to restart when hot and never percolates.

Thanks!

Rex

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

Rex,

Sent You a personal Message...

[dpledger]

I've had this problem a couple of times in the last 55 (good grief) years with my '53 Manhattan. Always turned out to be a carb float that had a pinhole that had filled with gas. This would allow the bowl to get too full and flood when you tried to start it hot. Easy check- take float out, shake. If sloshing sounds, that's the issue.

[51Deluxe]

Had a similar problem with mine. I did several things at once and am not sure which cured the problem, or if they all helped:


1) replaced the stock fan with a 6 blade flex fan

2) Got some fuel line insulation from a speed shop and installed on the line entering the carb

3) switched to ethanol free gas

[retired wrench]

Check your heat riser also.

[Fid]

retired wrench, when you say "check your heat riser" what exactly do you mean?  Check it to see which position it's in?  I'm having the same problem with my '51 Kaiser Special and the heat riser is stuck for sure but I don't know if it's stuck open or closed. I'm guessing if it's stuck open, it shouldn't cause the problem. Let me know what you think.  I picked the car up on Sunday - it hadn't run in 4 years and it started right up and I drove it 26 miles to my home - ran great!  Now it won't start in the morning, when it eventually does it runs great till I warm it up and shut it off... then... hard starting and won't idle. I had it sitting in my garage after I got home, I let it idle and it died. I pour some gas in the carb and it still would not start. I have spark for sure so I'm guessing something in the carb is messed up.

[alohagreen]

mine IS stuck open and IS hard to start in the cooler/cold weather, needs choke...
and when WARMED up runs  impressive  like a Swiss watch , also restarts back up FASTER than
a new modern car ( you just barely touch the start button  and veroom )
 super hot days the restart was (might still be) a crank and crank and crank restart...
so
i just put  new pump and lines on... haven't tested it in the EXTREME HEAT yet... but so far its cured...we'll see

Fid i think yours IS stuck open and just a little carb tweaking (-n- check fuel pressure )might pull it out of that hard restart...

the heat riser blocks the exhaust from going straight out, and directs some through the intake manifold under the carburetor to heat up the fuel for better atomization...
yours may even be 1/2 stuck or 1/4 stuck open or closed.... 

[Fid]

Just another note, and maybe I should start a new topic...  I spoke with "the master" last night (Fid Sr., my dad) and told me my issue sounded electrical.  Even though I had spark when I tested (it was weak), the car still would not start when I poured gas in the carb so I started to think spark too.  If it were fuel (percolation), pouring gas directly down the carb should get it to start - maybe not run long, but start and that didn't work. I went to NAPA and bought a new coil this morning. As I was preparing to install it, I also pulled the cap as dad was convinced, based on his experience, it was points. I noticed the wire inside the distributor going from the terminal to the points, was worn bare in a couple of spots! See picture - it's hard to see but there is bare copper showing on that wire. I also remember someone else on here stating they had this problem. Anyway, I pulled that wire and insulated it good, put it back in and so far, so good!  I'd like to get a new wire - I think I've seen them on ebay or somewhere.  Maybe even NAPA. I've been driving it all day and it runs much better and no problems so-far.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Age wise, the cars are at the point where the old type insulation is deteriorating as a normal function of its normal life cycle.  There are also cases where bends in wiring are causing breaks due to years (if not decades) of vibration on the weak area(s).  I had this happen in a few cases already in the 1990's with the Business Coupe so it is good to check the small wires in the distributor for continuity and condition.  It improves current flow for things like headlights, distributor activity, etc. 

Additionally, the same types of problems can be said about grounds in any old car and the wiring/connection made to it.