Odd breakdown

[HFStuart]

My car has been running really well for the last few weeks.

Performance is very good and it doesn't seem to have the flat spot some do. A sureptitious bit of flat out running (front end very light!) showed no fueling issues.

This afternoon I went to get my little girl from school. After a 5min run at 75-80 it started coughing and spluttering on part throttle at lower speeds.  I stopped to pick Jasmine up and the problem cleared. On the way home I sat in a traffic jam for about 5mins with no issues. Comming out of the jam, a short way up the road (perhaps 500m) the car died completely with no fuel coming through. No amount of cranking would draw any either.

After 10 mins I tried again and the fuel came through as normal andf the car ran fine on part and full throttle.

The car is 100% standard at the moment. Mechanical pump with 8mm feed and 6mm return lines.

I can only guess that it was fuel vaporisation  - but that seems odd with the return line keeping the fuel flowing.

Any other ideas?

[Neil-yaj396]

Debris in the float chamber/jets or in the little filter where fuel enters the carb? It can be stirred up randomly as the fuel moves through.

[HFStuart]

I don't think so. I've a glass filter in line to the carb and that was empty - so the petrol wasn't making it as far as the carb 

[WestonE]

Stuart

I would start at the tank pick up and work forward unless you have an electric pump with a poor connection failure or earthing issue it has to be a blockage by rubbish blocking a fuel line somewhere. I assume you have not changed anything that could be crushing or kinking a fuel hose?

Good Luck

Eric

[HFStuart]

Eric,

I think that's what I'll have to do.

The tank was cleaned out and sealed at Chrismass. No kinks I'm aware of but it's possible a hose might be getting sucked flat when it's hot.

The mechanical pump is the one running at the moment I might rig up my Facet pump under the rear seats  - with that pumping the petrol through a regulator it woud rule out vaporisation should the fault re-occurr.

On your setup do you use the original oil pressure switch to switch the relay driving the pump or have you some other arrangement?

Regards,

[WestonE]

Stuart

I do not have a current Beta setup, but on the Montecarlo I use and oil pressure switch and cranking relay combination i.e. when the engine cranks the pump runs when the car starts cranking power cuts but the oil pressure comes up which runs the pump untill the oil pressure falls again. I think Darren Cooksey has nice computer friendly drawings of the 2 relay and fuses pack so I recommend asking him for that. PS you do not need or want a return line with a Facet pump.

Eric