vapor lock

[bobz]

i have a 302 ford with a 600 holley after running aound the lake for 10 min or so it starts to miss really bad then dead in water for a while. vapor pours out of carb when you open it. the next day starts right up and does the same thing. any ideas?

[mister460]

Block off the exhaust crossover, insulate fuel lines, and maybe a heat blocking/absorbing spacer under the carb.

[stressedout]

What MISTER460 said & try a different BRAND of gas. Also check float levels.

[spectras only]

Get a 1" or 2" phenolic spacer from a speedshop,it would lower the temp of the carb body.Also as MR460 said ,block off the crossover.You could also get a heatshield/intake gasket if you don't mind pulling the intake off.

[bobz]

the engine is not hot when this happens the carb is very cool and the intake is still cool. also i live in FL (high humidity)

[Bense468]

Why do guys snore at night?
Because their balls cover their asshole which causes them to vapor lock.

[75_Elim]

Bobz,
I had the same trouble last year with my 454. What ended up fixing it was a new fuel pump. I tried checking everything including all that has been written above and also popping the gas tank cap when it sputters... Nothing worked. Then I put a fuel pressure gauge next to the carb then had my buddy hit it !!! Sure enough, the pressure dropped off to 1lb and the boat went dead. I put a new Carter (external) fuel pump in and it's been perfect since http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif Give this a try, and see what happens.
Good Luck

[spectras only]

Bobz, check if your tank has venting or your gas cap venthole is clear!Elim_75's idea is good,add a backup carter electric [I have].It's good to have ,so you can prime your carb at the dock after long storage.
[This message has been edited by spectras only (edited April 17, 2002).]

[squirts]

Check your fuel pump and add a electric. Also check your fuel filters. If you have the brass filter in the Holly take it out and replace your filter. I choose not to run with the brass filter instead I run inline filters.

[spectras only]

Besides that pesky bronze filter installed in new Holleys,there is also a filter on the bottom of many mechanical fuelpumps that collects water [water separator] that can wreak havoc .It's advisable to install a remote merc unit which has a much larger capacity.

[LeadFootTheRabbit]

bobz, I had the same problem. Like squirts said, I added an electric fuel pump to the system and the problem went away.LDFTRBT

[LVjetboy]

bobz, lots of good things suggested to try already.
However, the "vapor pours out of the carb" thing doesn't seem to match with "vapor" lock theory. Actually may match better with excessive fuel in manifold. Just a thought.
So here's another idea to check: overpressure. In either case, a pressure gage may help. I had a run-rough after warmup problem that turned out to be an exhaust leak overpressuring the fuel line (no lock, just too much fuel pressure overpowering the float valve and causing the carb to run rich.)
Good luck,
jer

[bobz]

not running out of fuel. squirters have lots of fuel i think it could be rich like you said i opened the mixter screws we will see what happens i think the choke could be sticking closed just a little i noticed it was not all the way open yesterday.

[bobz]

ok took the boat out today and noticed the carb gets really cold and condesation in the venturies. its like i need carb heat like on an airplane. never seen this at sea level. any ideas.i ran it maybe 10 minutes and the intake was a little warm around 120 degrees i would say and i do have a 1 inch spacer.

[RiverDave]

Just to make sure I understood this correctly. The Carb gets "Cold" as in below ambient (outside) temperature??
RD

[sgdiv7]

Check the fuel line for a clog & pull the line out of the tank and look blockage there. I just found a pipe at the tank that had a screen in it on my buddys boat that was pluged from whatever stuff gets into the tank over the years. Just a thought.
Bill

[19Kona]

HAD THE SAME PROBLEM - turned out to be too much pressure. 2 solutions = 1 new fuel pump, 2 you can get a set of off-road needles (for a holley anyway) that are a little harder to overflow.

[MikeF]

RD, The carb and manifold get cold in the whole induction of air and fuel process. The splitting of the fuel (evaporation) along with the drop in pressure (i.e. high altitude) causes the cooling. This is more evident on a manifold where the plenum is not molded to the lower 1/2 of the manifold. If there is too much humidity or the temp is too low...this can cause icing in the carb (especially w/ a low (120 deg) running temp). Go back there and check the temp on the manifold/carb after a run. Mike

[bobz]

the carb stays cold i would say around 60 degrees or cooler. which must mean i am at the dew point. thats why i get the vapor in the carb and it act like it runs out of fuel but has plenty of gas just no mixture. so should i get a warmer thermastat. any ideas? outside air temp 87+ and humidity level 85%. Mike F you are 100% right.

[RiverDave]

BobZ, this may sound like a retarded question, but why don't you just remove the heat absorbing spacer in between the carb and the manifold to get some "heat" up in the mix?
RD

[jroos]

BobZ, I believe your problem is going to be a coil. Since all fuel is fine, a Ford external coil will do exactly as you have stated. When it gets hot it shuts down entire ignition system. When this occurs, the problem tends to get worse quick. Check your spark when this happens. If it can even crank after the 10 min run time.