Thread: car keeps dying...drives me nuts!

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I haven't changed anything...right now I'm working on rerouting the heater hose so it doesn't touch anything. The fuel line is next (going to try to turn that elbow forward and away from the headers instead of up and towards the headers like it is right now)

Hey guys... here's an update and slight change of the symptoms: On Saturday, I warmed up the car on the driveway and then drove the car around a bit, just in the neighborhood (just couldn't help myself :drool: ) and this time, it died while driving it before I ever turned it off and restarted. That's the first time that's happened. Usually, the first time I drive it, it goes forever...not sure if that little tidbit helps or not, but thought I'd share since my first description of the symptoms was a bit incorrect.

As for my progress: I didn't get to do as much to the car over the weekend as I had hoped, due to kids soccer games and you name it, but I did get to reroute the heater hose - now nothing is touching the fuel hose at all.

That's a start. Still need to address the headers by the fuel line and the phenolic spacer. (I can see why they pointed the fuel line 90 degree elbow upward the way that they did...there's no room to point it in any other direction due to hard lines running right by it - still wondering if there's a way to turn the entire fuel pump forward about 45 degrees like was suggested earlier by someone, as the way it should've been in the first place)

another update, I've wrapped the headers in the area where the fuel line passes (and the fuel line as well)...the only item left is the phenolic spacer

Joe, Are you still running the factory tank and lines? I't s awfully suspicious how this thing changes it's mind on when it wants to keep running and when it wants to die. Maybe a closer look at the fuel inlet system from the tank to the pump. Please follow the helps that have been given here the clean up the teflon tape issues and hose routing. As a point of curiosity, where are the floats set at. This has got to be a simple fix what ever it might be. Don't be afraid to look up Tommy Norton (Norton's Automotive) or Dave Slatten (Slatten's Automotive) there. A couple others come to mind, but these guys will get you headed in the right direction in a fair manner. You have some good shops up there.

After you do all of the rerouting of lines and such, the next thing I would do is to drain the gas tank and pull the float/sending unit out. I believe that you find that the filter is partially plugged and the tank is full of crud and that is your main problem.
I experienced the same problem that you are having with a '57 about 30 years ago and the tank was the problem. You have other issues as well, but they can't be addressed until the car runs on a consistent basis.

After rebuilding/restoring his family-owned-since-new 57 Chevy my pal had this problem. The guys who put the 350 in did the plumbing and he had vapor lock bad. The old 283 never did. It was they used copper tubing for some fuel lines! Heat was being attracted like crazy. Replacing it with fuel injection grade neophrene hose and slightly different routing fixed it.