1972 Country Sedan Stalling Issue

Hi all, my 1972 Ford wagon has a stalling issue. When I depress the accelerator from a full stop, the car will either sputter and then go, or sputter and stall. I have a 351 Windsor 2V engine. I've replaced the fuel filter and also addressed a leaky throttle pump gasket (I replaced the gasket and so far no leaks). Any thoughts on what could be causing the stalling? I saw an ad someone posted for a 72 wagon for sale and in it the seller stated that the car "hesitated on acceleration as these cars are known to do". Is that true, is this something that is common for my car? Thanks for any advice and have a great day!

 

What kind of carb are you running?

 

Motorcraft 2100 2V.

 

Check your timing and re-set.
Must account for timing chain stretch!
While there, check all vacuum hoses, as they dry-out and crack!

 

Hadn't thought about the timing, thanks! I've checked some of the hoses and replaced, I'll give them another look to be sure.

 

I've had the same problem as you before. My guess would be a faulty accelerator pump in the carburetor. When you press the gas pedal the throttle plates open, allowing more air and gas into the intake. Due to the nature of fluid dynamics, the air is drawn in very quickly, while the heavier liquid gasoline takes longer to be drawn in. This influx of air without gas leans out the air/fuel ratio to the point of hesitating or stalling the engine.

The accelerator pump is a pretty simple mechanism that fixes this problem. It's basically just a little rubber plunger that squirts fuel right into the intake when you press the throttle. The sharper you press the throttle, the more gas it squirts in. It is pretty common for the plunger to deteriorate over time. If the plunger is deteriorated, it will not work properly and the engine will momentarily run lean upon pressing the pedal, causing it to hesitate and die.

You will probably have to rebuild the carburetor. Rebuild kits are less than $30 and 2100s are fun and very easy to rebuild. A good rebuild kit will include all the necessary gaskets and accelerator pump, as well as a new fuel inlet needle and seat. A rebuild will help your car run better and more efficiently. Make sure you get a kit specific to your year and application. The basic design of the 2100 was the same for over 25 years, but there are a few parts that changed through the years and are not interchangeable. You can find these kits here: http://www.carbkitsource.com/carbs/tech/Ford/2-barrel.html

Before you rebuild the carb though, double check all the hoses to make sure you don't have a vacuum leak. Check the gasket where the carburetor attaches to the manifold. Make sure the carb is in tune and not running too lean. Try richening the mixture and/or moving the accelerator pump rod to the next richer level.

 

Sweet car by the way. There's nothing quite like cruising down the road in a 70s Station wagon. :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

Did you change the hole that the accelerator rod goes into on the throttle linkage (see page 7 of link below). I've never dealt with the 2100 specifically, but it looks like it has an accelerator pump adjustment similar to a Holley.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...sg=AFQjCNHUL7HJN1QozE-QhQ40G-Rt8pKXPA&cad=rja

 

No, I didn't change any of the linkage. I did a test of the jets last night and they were both squirting fuel into the venturis fine. I didn't do check the timing though, I'll either do that tonight or this weekend (easier to work on in the daylight). I let it run for a bit and it sounded okay. I pumped the pedal a couple of times and it didn't sputter or stall so I'll probably take it for a drive tonight and see how it does.

 

I've got the same problem in my 70 Ford with the 429 2-bbl, except it hasn't ever completely stalled on me. The carb has been rebuilt twice with no noticeable change in behavior, so I think I've ruled out the accelerator pump as being the problem on mine.

I know I've got vacuum leaks here and there, so that is a possible problem with mine. A pal also suggested checking the vacuum advance, which has a rubber diaphragm in it that can develop leaks. If I understand it correctly, the vacuum advance is supposed to change the timing ever so slightly when the car is under load, like when accelerating from a stop.

 

If you rebuild the carb you may want to soak the parts in carb cleaner. It's the strongest of the solvents I've encountered and removes all the stubborn residual varnish left by the fuel better than anything. Just be sure not to put any plastic or rubber in it and keep it off your skin. It's sold by the gallon at auto parts stores. Blowing out all the passages with compressed air is an important step as well. If you don't have a compressor a can of compressed air like the type used for computer keyboards will suffice. I'd certainly agree that rebuilding a carb is fun. I rebuilt the Quadrajet on an old Caddy I had and it was an enjoyable, rewarding project.

 

Well I didn't go for a drive last night. Along with all this stalling business, I had an electrical problem. My ignition switch fried so I had to replace that. On top of that, my alternator was hosed too. So I replaced that also. Now the car runs but when I put a voltmeter to the battery with the car running, it pegged over 16 volts so I think I have a faulty voltage regulator. I'm not going to run the car until I replace that. I don't want to fry anything else.

 

Okay so I replaced the voltage regulator and my alternator is still overcharging the battery when running. The reading on the meter reached 16.89. Anyone have an idea what might be causing this? The regulator is new, the alternator is new and the battery is new too.

 

Bad chassis ground run a wire from the motor to frame/body.
ran mine from rear intake bolt to firewall

 

Nope, not the ground strap. I replaced it this morning (the old one's covering was dry-rotted) but no change. The voltage to the battery starts at about 15.75 and rises.