Vapor Lock

[Anonymous]

Living in New Mexico it gets very hot in the summer. Some of the older cars seem to get vapor lock fairly easy. Changing gasoline brands seems to take care of the problem.

Has anybody else had that problem and in your experience what brand of gasoline do you recommend?

Topic

[Garibaldi]

Quote:

Living in New Mexico it gets very hot in the summer. Some of the older cars seem to get vapor lock fairly easy. Changing gasoline brands seems to take care of the problem.

Has anybody else had that problem and in your experience what brand of gasoline do you recommend?

I know a guy here in Wisconsin that said he had vapor lock on his old 49 Chevy, also during the summer. I can’t remember what he said he did to fix it though.

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks
Hey I have to say I have seen it and heard of it but my self never experienced it . Well I guess thats a good thing . I have never heard of it being from a particulare brand of fuel but in my shop to try to provent it we make sure we have good tank ventilation. And good fuel lines with no restrictions. I do how ever remember a fellow pulling up to my shop one day saying he thinks his muffler was draging and here it turned out to be his tank swelled so big it broke the straps and drug on the ground . but did not quite fall out because it was to large to pass by the rear crossmember. It was about a 74 Eldorado , this fellow had an angel on his shoulder . Drogar-Smile(LBG).gif

[Garibaldi]

Quote:

Hi Folks
Hey I have to say I have seen it and heard of it but my self never experienced it . Well I guess thats a good thing . I have never heard of it being from a particulare brand of fuel but in my shop to try to provent it we make sure we have good tank ventilation. And good fuel lines with no restrictions. I do how ever remember a fellow pulling up to my shop one day saying he thinks his muffler was draging and here it turned out to be his tank swelled so big it broke the straps and drug on the ground . but did not quite fall out because it was to large to pass by the rear crossmember. It was about a 74 Eldorado , this fellow had an angel on his shoulder . Drogar-Smile(LBG).gif

Wow! Talk about a close call!! Drogar-Kriz(LBG).gif

[montefrazer]

Vapor lock comes from the fuel turning to a gas at or around the fuel pump. The pump can’t pump the gas and the engine gets no fuel. This usually shows up after slowing down or stopping with the engine at normal temperature on a hot day. Different brands of gas may vaporize at different temperatures so different gas may help. This new gas we are stuck with, oxygenated etc., has made this problem worse in some areas. This has been a problem with Kaiser-Frazer cars for years. One solution is to add a return line to the gas tank so cool fuel is always running through the pump. Stock fuel pumps may or may not be able to flow this much fuel. The best solution is to install an electric fuel pump near the gas tank with an on/off switch in the car. Turn the pump on when needed and turn it off when you are running again. the electric fuel pump can push the vaporized gas up the lines to the carb and allow the mechanical pump to work again. This has worked for me and many other K-F owners who drive their cars.

[Garibaldi]

That sounds like a good solution. Unfortunately like you said its probably just not possible to compensate for that with only original parts.

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks
Hey great Info thumbsup.gif Super post icon_lol.gif

[Anonymous]

This is a common problem with Opels from the early ’70s. Our carbs sit right on top of the manifolds and the fuel line passes right in front of the engine block. Any combination of hot weather and long idling will result in vapor lock. For our cars Opel offered a heat shield that installs under the carb and helps prevent rising manifold heat from cooking the carb. Others in our group wrap heat shielding material around the fuel line in front of the engine and that really helps to solve the problem. My favorite solution is to just keep driving fast so the heat never has a chance to vaporize the fuel. icon_cool.gif

[Garibaldi]

Quote:

This is a common problem with Opels from the early ’70s. Our carbs sit right on top of the manifolds and the fuel line passes right in front of the engine block. Any combination of hot weather and long idling will result in vapor lock. For our cars Opel offered a heat shield that installs under the carb and helps prevent rising manifold heat from cooking the carb. Others in our group wrap heat shielding material around the fuel line in front of the engine and that really helps to solve the problem. My favorite solution is to just keep driving fast so the heat never has a chance to vaporize the fuel. icon_cool.gif

Yeah that is a good idea! And if you get pulled over you have a legitimate excuse! Drogar-Laugh(LBG).gif

[Anonymous]

Thanks everybody. Summer is coming to New Mexico so all the tips will be helpful icon_cheesygrin.gif

[Garibaldi]

Quote:

Thanks everybody. Summer is coming to New Mexico so all the tips will be helpful icon_cheesygrin.gif

How warm is it there now? We just hit about 55 yesterday.

[Anonymous]

I ha ve lived in New Mexico for about a year, all fluids had to be taken care of :
– Gasoline
– Oil needed to be changed in the winter otherwise always oil for very hot situations.
– Cooling liquid
– Gearbox oil

And last but not least : we’ve had to change most of the washers
I kept the car for a whole year and cleaned like mad in order to sell it properly, I managed to make money out of it as I really took care of it.
One last point : it is really necessary to use the air conditionning properly. sunny.gif

[Author]

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