Roadside Emergencies – Keeping Your Getaway Vehicle Running
June 19, 2020 by David Andrew Brown
In a previous article, I wrote about acquiring a proper getaway vehicle and how to do it without losing money. Today, we are going to discuss roadside emergencies and how to keep that vehicle running.
We’ve all felt the sputter of a dying engine, usually far from home, on a rainy night. The normal reaction is to pull over and at least try to find the problem, rather than call for a tow truck. But 95 per cent of all breakdowns occur in the upper half of the engine, where fuel and air meet, so that’s where roadside troubleshooting begins.
The basics
Contents hide
1 The basics
1.1 Roadside Emergencies – Loss Of Mileage
2 Roadside Emergencies – Battery
3 Roadside Emergencies – Overheating
3.1 Concluding
For an engine to run, it has to have just three things: Air, Fuel, and Spark. If anyone of these is interfered with, so is the power flow. When the family chariot starts to act like Aunt Agatha’s old Studebaker, it’s time to start analyzing symptoms.
If the power loss was gradual, over a few minutes or an hour, the problem is usually in the fuel system when the filters finally finished clogging up. The ignition system, on the other hand, doesn’t generate crud as fast as the carburetor and filters. So, if the loss of power was so gradual that it sneaked up on you, look around in the distributor and high tension wiring. A sudden cutoff, just as if the key was turned, almost certainly means the failure is electrical.
If the engine is running at all, there are several tests that you can perform; and the basic rule is: Try the obvious things first. Many times, the problem is as simple as a clogged air filter, and the engine will pick up RPMs as soon as the air cleaner is lifted off. It’ you can’t see through the paper screen when you hold it up to the sun, (or headlights), that’s your problem.
Next, making sure that the car isn’t in gear, reach in, grab the throttle linkage, and give it a sharp push, gunning the engine. This creates an artificial load, equivalent to low cruising speed. If the engine still staggers, you now have to decide whether the problem is fuel or electricity. There is a fine dividing line here, and too much fuel can give the same symptoms as too little electricity.
Reach out with a screwdriver handle, or a stick from the side of the road, and give the float bowl a few raps, close to the area where the fuel line enters it, and see if that straightens it up. If this cures the problem, you stop at the next station for a fuel filter and a can of carburetor-cleaning fuel additive.
That didn’t work?
Okay, back under the hood you go. If that sucker runs at all, it’s got some fuel and some electricity, but not enough to get you home. We are now still suspecting fuel, so cut the engine off and, looking down the carburettor throat, stroke the throttle one or two times. You should see a thin stream of fuel shoot into each primary barrel of the carburettor.
No fuel means a blockage someplace, so disconnect the fuel line at the carburettor (If there’s a large bulge in the carb body, right where the fuel line enters it, there’s a filter in there, and it’s probably plugged).
Now, making sure the fuel can’t fall on something hot, crank the engine. There should be strong spurts of gasoline, not driblets. If no fuel comes out, you’ve found the problem. But what can you do about it?
Roadside Emergencies – Loss Of Mileage
Follow the fuel line down to the pump, looking for a cracked or pinched line, or a plugged filter. If you find a tiny leak between the fuel pump and the carburettor, this probably explains the mysterious loss of mileage that’s been mystifying you. If the line is damaged, you can always find some extra tubing on the pollution control gear. The hoses on the charcoal canister are good for this, as their removal won’t send panic signals to the on-board computer.
At this point, check the lines between the pump and the tank, as a leak here will de-prime the pump and stop the flow. Frequently, the problem is no more than a loose-fitting. If, after trying all else, the bugbear is the pump itself, you’re going to have to get creative.
The original auto fuel systems were all gravity flow, and, for most engines, that system will still work. You’ll have to find a length of hose, such as the long run from the charcoal canister to the tank. If you take this line, leave enough on the tank end to direct fumes clear of the car body.
Find a one- or two-gallon container; a large thermos or soft drink bottle will do (In an emergency, I once used the wind-shield fluid holder as an ersatz tank). Siphon fuel into the container, and then tie it on top of the vehicle; get a gravity flow started—and you’re on your way.
Some carbs are resistant to gravity flow, and you may have to pressurize the tank. The access point is the overflow line at the fill-neck (I used a bicycle pump to pressurize the tank of a Corvair for most of the length of Illinois—in January; it’s better to carry spare parts). There’s also pressure available in your spare tire, but you can’t use the whole 30 pounds. Just give the tank a shot and go till she starts to sputter again.
If the carburettor test shows the presence of fuel, you may have too much of a good thing. Go to the rear of the car and look carefully into the tailpipe. It should be coated with a fine, pearly white lining. A fluffy dead-black deposit means that the carb is running way too rich and that the entire engine, including the spark plugs, is coated with energy-robbing soot.
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