Hi everyone,

The Car: 1986 Escort, 1.9L, Carbureted, 3 speed Automatic with about 66,XXX original miles on it.

The Symptoms: Car starts fine when cold (except this morning, it was a little more stubborn). We can drive it around for about 30 minutes. We can go to several stores, shut it off, turn it on, and all will be well until we've hit about the about 30 minutes of total actually driving around. Then, without warning, we can start it up (with no problem), drive away, and in less than a 1/4 mile, (even while accelerating, rapid accel or slow accel doesn't matter) it starts to spit and sputter, then stalls out. Once this happens, it won't restart without using starting fluid, and sometimes even that's quite an ordeal, as we have to keep spraying it and revving it until it decides it's going to stay running, which can take a good one to two minutes, give or take. Then it's fine.

Obviously, it has spark if it will start with starting fluid. It just acts like it has no gas, or it's starving for fuel.

When it finally restarts, the exhaust is thick like the car has flooded.

Once we go through this running fine, stalling, finally getting it restarted, it seems to run just fine again and doesn't stall out. This happens once a day. (Probably because we get frustrated with it and park it at home, so we've not had it happen twice in a day.)

If you drive it over 30 minutes, but don't shut it off, it runs normally, but once you shut it off (after that 30 minute driving period) then restart it is when the symptom(s) occur. It's not overheating, and there are no other problems that we've identified... just this mystery problem.

What We've Done:
1. Changed the fuel pump (mechanical)
2. Changed the fuel filter (which is attached to the carb)
3. Cleaned the carb with carb cleaner
4. Checked for and corrected vacuum leaks (except one, but that vacuum line is plugged off)
5. We've recently added SeaFoam to the gas tank (at 3/4 tank) to run it through the fuel system.
6. Disconnected the Idle Stop/Idle Fuel Shut-Off Solenoid (but the car wouldn't run well at idle, so we plugged it back in) trying to rule that out as a possible problem.
7. Engine has had a recent tune up.

Things we've considered:
1. Attempting to adjust the dashpot, but the area is so tight to work in we've decided to leave it alone for now.
2. Vapor lock? The fuel lines run right across the top of the engine, directly under the breather... but we question this as a problem since it's pretty cold outside right now.

Once we'd changed the pump and filter, we were kinda excited because it looked like that was the problem, but then... BAMM! The problem was back the next day.

When the car is running right, it runs really well, nice and smooth, then this happens without warning. I'm about at wits end with this thing.

Thanks to those who can help us with this thing.

 

It sounds to me like you have a carburetor problem. I would suspect a problem with the needle valve controlling the float level. Somewhere back there they went to unleaded fuel and the needle seat for the floats were not very compatible with that fuel. It caused the rubber part on the float needle to swell and usually starved the engine for fuel.
They also had a problem with the material the floats were made from. It caused the floats to get heavy and you wound up with a high float level.
There are some gents on this forum that I'm sure remember those carbs and their problems. Hopefully they can correct my suggestions or confirm them.
I believe they were referred to electromechanical carbs.
Last but not least , some scan tool read outs if available, may reveal a faulty component.

 

I sure hope so, thanks Hanky.

Just hoping it's not going to require a new carb, those things are well over $200. :/ And I'm not keen on the idea of a rebuild either.

 

It's not necessary to buy a new carb. If you shop around and find a shop or dealership that has a tech (with grey hair from age and not worry) , if the parts are available he should have no trouble checking it out and doing what needs to be done. I know carb repair/rebuild shops are a thing of the past, but speaking for myself, the pleasure of doing a good rebuild job was not like just replacing one part with a hopefully good rebuilt part. The guys who like this kind of work and are good at it won't mind doing it at all! They're out there!

 

We actually know a guy (who works on cars for a living) that offered to rebuild it with a friend of his if that's what it comes down to. He is supposed to talk with his friend and get back with us on about what they would charge to do it.

Thanks for your help, Hanky. I'll be sure to post the results... even if that might take a while.

 

The car finally got to where it wouldn't run at all. We finally got it fixed. Of all things, it was the fuel pump push rod.

thanks for all the help.

prettygentle