Then it takes a lot of cranking to fill the fuel bowl, once the vapor lock itself is cleared. With hot fuel in the carburetor, the least reduction in pressure (through the carburetor throat) causes instant vaporization, perhaps of fuel in the float bowl too (which breathes into the top of the carburetor throat), and of course a vapor lock in the fuel line or pump is even worse, because it will result in an empty fuel bowl in the carburetor - the car uses that fuel and stalls because it can't get any more. This causes the metal fuel line around the tinware, the fuel pump, and the carburetor to all heat up somewhat, causing either excess vaporization of the fuel in the carburetor, or and actual vapor lock in the fuel line or fuel pump.Īs a result, starting is sometimes hard. The heads run at about 265-285 oF (130-140 oC) and can run up to about 355 oF (180 oC) on a really hard run which is pretty hot. The usual problem is that the whole engine gets thoroughly hot, and when you switch off, there is a 'heat soak' period when the temperature in the tinware and engine compartment rises because the residual heat in the cylinder/heats isn't getting blown away by the fan. They seem to be especially touchy both when they're hot and when it's getting close to "Tender Loving Care" time, when timing or valves may be a bit off the numbers. So right away you know the problem (right?) - vapor lock! Every VW we have had has done this when it got hot. So you lift the engine lid and notice right off that there is no fuel in that small fuel filter in the line between the fuel pump and the carburetor (if you have such a filter - we actually recommend that you don't have a filter here). As you pull off the road you think to yourself, "This couldn't be an electrical problem - the engine wasn't actually cutting out, just surging."Īlternately, you drive to the store on a hot day (far enough so that the engine gets thoroughly hot) when you return from the store to the car, it won't start! What's up with that!? Then, about 4-5 miles from home, the engine suddenly starts surging and then decides to take a rest altogether. The engine is working, and you know it's getting hot. It's 90 oF (32 oC) outside and there's lots of traffic, so accelerating and decelerating a lot. His mission is to break down the mysteries of modern automotive technology to help steer vehicle owners down the right road to smooth motoring.Have you ever had this problem? You are driving home from work late in the afternoon. You can also catch him every other Monday on Calgary 770 AM talk radio when he delivers Motoring Mondays to an eager audience during the afternoon drive time. He took his pen on the road, so to speak, and offered similar consumer advice through several smaller news publishers over the years.Īs of late he’s taken to the airwaves as a news broadcaster for Lake 88 FM radio where he also hosts his own weekly call-in show on, what else, consumer advice. He began his writing for the Ottawa Citizen where he penned the ‘Ask the Expert’ column, answering motoring questions for thousands of readers. He still has a busy day job at a dealership counter today. His career has taken him from independent shop management to a stint at AMC Jeep Renault’s Canadian head office to a variety of OEM dealerships in parts and service management. One of our longest contributors (over 30 years) Brian Turner is a veteran of the automotive repair world with over 4 decades of service. So get your classic off the sauce and on to a pure 91! The eventual solution was to create a new, longer air-conditioning line and mount it to the fuel rail to provide enough cooling to keep things running smoothly.įinally, as if ethanol didn’t cause enough problems for classics, it can also increase the risk of vapour lock. Previous models used individual lines to each injector, and they tried different configurations of fuel rails with limited success. Back in the 1980s, when Jaguar was equipping their low-profile XJ sedans and 2-doors with V-12 engines, they ran into excessive heat problems on their newly-designed fuel injection rails. Some automakers faced with this problem have gone to great lengths for a solution. Some of those factory heat shields might have looked tacky enough to remove, but they do serve a purpose. Article contentĬheck clearances between any fuel line or component and exhaust manifolds and pipes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
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