Well with temps here last weekend above 90 degrees I decided to take a short spin last Sunday evening-ended up shorter than I planned. I got 200 yards from the apartment, stopped at the first stop sign, and totally stopped. E-fuel pump cranking away but nothing happening in the carb. Anyway, it was too warm to troubleshoot, especially being dead in the road at a stop sign, so my wife got the thrill of her life, dragging the M37 back with my S-10 in 1st gear and a long tow chain. Fortunately there was little traffic on the little-used road (see, I planned ahead on PART of the trip ). We made it back ok and gravity and a short downhill allowed me to coast into an unassigned parking space where the M sits, still awaiting my loving touch. I suspect the fuel filter clogged and since I've never boiled out the tank, it is likely time to do so.
More to follow,
Gary
PS-I did have a good time and found some parts at the Camp Delta swap meet last Friday so I'm not totally miserable....
A short trip indeed. Luckily you were very close to home. Did it sputter and fade away? Most likley your fuel filter scenario. I installed a transparent in-line filter to monitor debris. If it stopped suddenly like the ignition was turned off it maybe something else? Good luck with the repairs
David
HingsingM37
1958 M37B1
1968 M101A1 Trailer
MVPA# 33078
"Do Not Take Counsel of Your Fears"
General George S. Patton Jr.
"Those who pound their guns into plows, will plow for those who do not".
Thanks Guys-my wife has come a long way-what started out as the "'54 Dodge rustbucket" in her words is now simply "the Dodge", and she's actually ridden in it on the short trips and now takes occasional pictures of it.
Yes, I have the see-through filter tucked underneath, in front of the tank and ahead of the pump so I'm pretty sure it's gunked. It was running, faded, then died, restarted briefly and immediately faded and died again. I pulled the inlet line at the time and powered the pump-fuel trickled instead of surged so I think I'm on the right track.
Gary
Well I got to do some detective work last evening. I checked the fuel filter and it only showed a tiny bit of debris in the bottom and nothing on the filter element, so I pulled the line just ahead of the e-fuel pump, grabbed a catch-jug and applied some voltage-good steady stream of clean fuel. Installed the line and moved up to the carb inlet line-pulled that and jugged it again-again good steady fuel stream. Installed the line and fired it up-it idled nicely with no sputtering so I warmed it up and increased the RPM several times-nothing amiss, so I will take another test drive this weekend to see if the demon has moved on. The fuel cap vent is open so there is no vacuum holding back the fuel, and I also checked all the electrical connections to the ignition, coil, batteries, isolator switch, and distributor, and all appear tight and intact.
More to follow,
Gary
I had a similar situation befall me about 2 weeks ago, although with me it is battery related.. I had been wanting to take my truck out for about 3 or 4 weeks. Things around the house had just prevented me from doing so. Finally on a sunny Sunday, I decided to drive the kids to my son's ball game in the truck. I parked up front on a slight incline so I could keep an eye on the truck from the gawkers(and there were plenty, had to almost reprimand one old lady because she almost hit my running board with her car door). Anyway, after about two hours we were ready to leave. We get into the truck, I pull some choke as I always do, pump pedal a few times and crank, nothing. I let it sit for a minute or two, try again, nothing. Again, nothing. So I figure, I'll roll it back then get up some momentum going down the lot and do the old pop the clutch trick. Well, too much loose gravel in this lot from lack of paving and a deteriorated lot, wheels slip, no go. So I roll down and off into the grass and sent my wife home to get my F150 just in case I needed a tow. By this time the batteries were pretty low so I knew it wouldn't start, so I quit trying. My wife comes back about ten minutes later with my other truck and I jumped the M37 and almost instantly it roared to life. I'm thinking because the truck had sat for a month and the fact that the trip to the field was less than ten minutes, and that I didn't let the truck idle in the driveway for more than 5 minutes, that the batteries just didn't have sufficient charge to fire the engine back up. These batteries were in the truck when I bought it 6 years ago, and could be over ten years old for all I know, although they don't look too old. At any rate I am going to replace them before I take the truck out again just to be safe.
BTw - I do have a battery disconnect and had disconnected the batts at the field. I just don't think they're holding a charge anymore. And as far as I know from last I checked my alternator it's working fine, although I"m going to check that again too.
Nickathome wrote:I had a similar situation befall me about 2 weeks ago, although with me it is battery related.. I had been wanting to take my truck out for about 3 or 4 weeks. Things around the house had just prevented me from doing so. Finally on a sunny Sunday, I decided to drive the kids to my son's ball game in the truck. I parked up front on a slight incline so I could keep an eye on the truck from the gawkers(and there were plenty, had to almost reprimand one old lady because she almost hit my running board with her car door). Anyway, after about two hours we were ready to leave. We get into the truck, I pull some choke as I always do, pump pedal a few times and crank, nothing. I let it sit for a minute or two, try again, nothing. Again, nothing. So I figure, I'll roll it back then get up some momentum going down the lot and do the old pop the clutch trick. Well, too much loose gravel in this lot from lack of paving and a deteriorated lot, wheels slip, no go. So I roll down and off into the grass and sent my wife home to get my F150 just in case I needed a tow. By this time the batteries were pretty low so I knew it wouldn't start, so I quit trying. My wife comes back about ten minutes later with my other truck and I jumped the M37 and almost instantly it roared to life. I'm thinking because the truck had sat for a month and the fact that the trip to the field was less than ten minutes, and that I didn't let the truck idle in the driveway for more than 5 minutes, that the batteries just didn't have sufficient charge to fire the engine back up. These batteries were in the truck when I bought it 6 years ago, and could be over ten years old for all I know, although they don't look too old. At any rate I am going to replace them before I take the truck out again just to be safe.
BTw - I do have a battery disconnect and had disconnected the batts at the field. I just don't think they're holding a charge anymore. And as far as I know from last I checked my alternator it's working fine, although I"m going to check that again too.
Well, if you have an original equipment Carter ETW1 carb, pumping the accelerator didn't do anything. Since the pump in the carb is not mechanically operated, but vacuum operated thus the engine must be running for it to work.
If the 25 amp generator is what you have, it just ain't much unless you are driving quite a ways & is nothing at all at idle, so letting the engine idle is not charging the batteries. It's a great idea to change over to an alternator if you haven't already done so, much faster charging as well as much more dependable. If you have an alternator in place, most likely the problem is batteries or cable issues.
Nickathome wrote:
Well, if you have an original equipment Carter ETW1 carb, pumping the accelerator didn't do anything. Since the pump in the carb is not mechanically operated, but vacuum operated thus the engine must be running for it to work.
If the 25 amp generator is what you have, it just ain't much unless you are driving quite a ways & is nothing at all at idle, so letting the engine idle is not charging the batteries. It's a great idea to change over to an alternator if you haven't already done so, much faster charging as well as much more dependable. If you have an alternator in place, most likely the problem is batteries or cable issues.
Charles;
Yes, my truck has an original carb. I was not aware that pumping the pedal doesn't do anything. My truck has a 60 amp alternator in place of the original generator, so I am thinking batteries. I replaced all of the battery cables a couple of years ago so I know its not that.
I am curious. if teh batteries were strong enough to crank the engine (assuming it was at some reasonable speed not just barely turning over) then there should have been sufficient juice to fire the spark plugs...
Mine can take some extended cranking but that is only after she has been sitting (sometimes for several weeks). Any other time she will fire after only a few turns.
If yours is that hard to start when she has run recently I think you have other problems beyond the batteries.
Decent batteries will crank her for a long time assuming it isn't cold out.
pfrederi wrote:I am curious. if teh batteries were strong enough to crank the engine (assuming it was at some reasonable speed not just barely turning over) then there should have been sufficient juice to fire the spark plugs...
Mine can take some extended cranking but that is only after she has been sitting (sometimes for several weeks). Any other time she will fire after only a few turns.
If yours is that hard to start when she has run recently I think you have other problems beyond the batteries.
Decent batteries will crank her for a long time assuming it isn't cold out.
I'm not going to rule out other problems but, I don't agree that if the engine is cranking the plugs should fire. The juice flowing to the starter was cranking it but you could distinctly hear that it wasn't cranking as fast as it should have. And knowing that, its not a surprise to me that there wasn't enough juice going to the plugs at that point to fire them. Plus I know this truck like I know my kids, and when the needle on the volt meter gets too far into the yellow upon cranking the engine, it won't start. And when its done this, I've always charged the batteries and it would then start up easily afterwards.
If the problem isn't the batteries, then why did the truck fire up immediately after I hooked up the jumper cables from my other truck? I would think if another issue was involevd, even with the jumper attached I'd still have problems, but I didn't. As I said the truck immediately started after I jumped it. I figure it won't hurt to replace the batteries since I don't really know their true age. If after that I still experience the same problem, then I'll know then to continue with my diagnosis.
pfrederi wrote:I am curious. if teh batteries were strong enough to crank the engine (assuming it was at some reasonable speed not just barely turning over) then there should have been sufficient juice to fire the spark plugs...
Mine can take some extended cranking but that is only after she has been sitting (sometimes for several weeks). Any other time she will fire after only a few turns.
If yours is that hard to start when she has run recently I think you have other problems beyond the batteries.
Decent batteries will crank her for a long time assuming it isn't cold out.
I'm not going to rule out other problems but, I don't agree that if the engine is cranking the plugs should fire. The juice flowing to the starter was cranking it but you could distinctly hear that it wasn't cranking as fast as it should have. And knowing that, its not a surprise to me that there wasn't enough juice going to the plugs at that point to fire them. Plus I know this truck like I know my kids, and when the needle on the volt meter gets too far into the yellow upon cranking the engine, it won't start. And when its done this, I've always charged the batteries and it would then start up easily afterwards.
If the problem isn't the batteries, then why did the truck fire up immediately after I hooked up the jumper cables from my other truck? I would think if another issue was involevd, even with the jumper attached I'd still have problems, but I didn't. As I said the truck immediately started after I jumped it. I figure it won't hurt to replace the batteries since I don't really know their true age. If after that I still experience the same problem, then I'll know then to continue with my diagnosis.
Batteries will get where they will not accept a charge as they age. They will also lose that charge faster with age. It might pay to check the alternator to see that it is doing all it should be capable of doing. You can check it easily by wiring an ammeter into the lead going from the field terminal to the positive battery cable at the starter switch. It should be putting out at or near 60 amps when running at normal throttle if the batteries are weakened.
Just Curious, but how did you go about jumping it off of your F-150? Maybe you've got so much OD running through your veins you converted your F-150 to 24V.
Brett wrote:Just Curious, but how did you go about jumping it off of your F-150? Maybe you've got so much OD running through your veins you converted your F-150 to 24V.
Brett
There is a simple explanation here. If one battery is the weak link in a 24 volt system as was obviously the case in Nick's situation; when you connect 12 volts to the battery that is bad, it brings system voltage back to 24 volts along with the battery that isn't bad. If you connected 12 volts to the battery that was still good, nothing will happen. This in fact is a standard test procedure we use here frequently. If we suspect a bad battery, we use a good 12 volt battery & jumper cables, when you connect the jumper to the bad battery, the system comes to life & you have just diagnosed the cause of the issues at hand. If neither of the batteries are bad, you will get no positive response. This is why I figured when Nick did his original posting about a jump solving his problem, I figured he did indeed have a battery or cable issue going on.
Home
). We made it back ok and gravity and a short downhill allowed me to coast into an unassigned parking space where the M sits, still awaiting my loving touch. I suspect the fuel filter clogged and since I've never boiled out the tank, it is likely time to do so.
