Thread: Fire Engine 427 trouble.

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Hello, I've read several different posts. trying to get help on a 1979 427 in our fire truck. We just got the truck, It was running alittle rough so we did the complete tune up. Oil, filters, plugs, cap, wires. Fired up and sounded great. We took the truck out for a practice burn and ran it about 6 hours at med throttle. again it ran fine. When finished for the day we idled the truck down took the pump out of gear and started loading hose, after about 5 mins it stalled and would not start up again. we towed to the station checked for loose wires, stuck mechcanical advance. all seems good. When we pump the throttle gas will spray in the carb. we poured some gas into the carb and got it to fire up, but then stalled. also we pumped it alot and got it to fire again. but still stalls. truck has 43,000 miles on it, any ideas?
thanks Andy

Fuel pump, fuel filter in carb at the inlet?

What kind of ignition does it have? If it uses a points and condensor, sometimes condensors will heat up after awhile and fail. Then when they are cool work for short intervals. I'm guessing it's electronic ignition though, so then maybe some sediment in carb or fuel filter that plugs it , though you did say it squirted gas fine when you pumped the petal. How is the coil wires? Are they old and cracked? They can drive you nuts too. It has to be something simple. Next time it stalls, give it a squirt of starter fluid. If it lights up right away, it probably is a fuel supply problem, if not start checking electrical and see if you've got a spark at the plugs. Hope this is helpful. Steve.

I lean to a plugged fuel filter or bad fuel pump, like Bug suggests. You may have enough in the accelerator pump/fuel bowl to get a squirt (but may not be a full measure) when you pump it, but starving once started. I'd change the fuel filter, see if that fixes it and next would be looking at the pump. Is it an electric or mechanical pump?

Ok went down and tried a few things.
First I didn't touch anything gave it a few pumps and it fired up, ran for a few seconds and I was able to just give it alittle pedal, then I tried to give it alittle more throttle and it died. It wouldn't start after that.
It has a holley carb(which has a brass screen on the fuel inlet line, and is CLEAN)
2030975
LIST 8282
0199 (these numbers are at the top front)
It also has an electric fuel pump in the tank. There is a screen on the fuel pump in the tank which is clean, It also has a filter on the frame rail, which is new. We blew out all the lines and tested the fuel pump it is a magnetic drive on the motor (I assume this is because it has no return line for over pressure. when carb is full the pump would slip) The pump seemed to have good pressure and flow!
The truck had emission stuff at one time. Someone else removed it before we got it. The distributor has a mech. advance (which seems to work smoothly) and electronic Ignition. The coil wires are alittle brittle.
Thanks for the ideas so far.

I just had a problem with my girlfriends car. It would start and idle fair but would die when you went to give it gas. Pulled the fuel line and fuel would come out at what "looked" like an acceptable rate. (electric pump by the way) Well, I put a fuel pressure test gauge on it an low and behold pressure was way low. Not enough to run the car at anything past idle. Check your fuel pressure. 4-6 PSI would be acceptable for your Holley. Good Luck. Don Jr.