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I have a 1951 Patrician that the previous owner placed an electronic fuel pump on. Drove it 146 miles home, no issues, but after getting home, I would drive around the block and the car would just stop running, no dieseling, no sputtering, just fade-out. It would do this 3-4 times driving around the block. Since I haven't been able to get it to start. Any ideas or a starting point? Thanks in advance!

It's either fuel or spark.

Start with the basics:

Do you have spark at the plugs?

Are you getting fuel at the carb?

I'd start there first and then we can dig in once you know what system the problem is occurring in.

Yeah, that is the frustrating thing, ran good for the 146-mile-trip home, sat a couple of days, then started it and drove around the block, no difficulty starting, started smoothly under power then just died, it seems like the gas just suddenly stopped flowing but there was no hesitation, dieseling, just like someone shut-off the ignition at the key.

It's possible the electric fuel pump or related wiring failed.

(Fuse?)

If the electric fuel pump is pushing fuel through the stock fuel pump, be sure that the diaphragm in the stock fuel pump has not ruptured, allowing fuel to flow into the crankcase instead of into the carburetor.

I would make sure that no fuel is reaching the crankcase, then determine if the ignition system is working or not. If you have ignition, it's almost certainly a fuel system issue. A timing chain issue is not out of the question, but unlikely.

Don't overlook the obvious, such as a broken wire at the coil, the ignition resistor, if present, or some other minor malfunction.

Thanks, that is exactly why I posted, haven't owned a Packard for almost 30 years, might as well be new to it, especially the 6V aspect. Thanks, I will get on to the things you and BigKev pointed-out, and as always thanks for the support folks!

Also, if it turns out to be fuel related and the items already mentioned are OK other possibilities are sediment in the tank was stirred up and is blocking the end of the fuel line pickup tube. If particles were small enough to pass the tube inlet, if there is an electric pump they could have affected the pump or if there is one, clogged its inlet screen or filter. Small particles can also pass thru and clog the screen in the bottom of the mechanical fuel pump.

Another possibility is a rust pinhole in the pickup line inside the tank. This is a known issue that can show up if the fuel level drops below the pinhole. One point is slightly less than half full and the other is a point just about 1/4 full where the inlet tube has a U bend. Once fuel drops below the pinhole the pump sucks air rather than fuel.

One other cause of starting failure when trying to restart a few days after a successful run has also been known to happen if the engine ran on stale fuel. Something -- probably an additive -- in fuel will apparently deteriorate after prolonged sitting and can turn to a glue like material. This coats the valve stems and in some cases after the engine cools has hardened so completely a valve is truly stuck in a guide. If all else is ruled out it might be worth doing a compression check to see if stuck valves are a possibility.

My vote is on a fuel issue as the most likely culprit. Undo the fuel line at the carb, put hose on the end of it to divert any fuel from the line into a catch basin. Crank the engine a few times and see if any fuel comes out. If nothing, then it's something in the fuel system.

Fuel pump could need a rebuild (possible torn diaphragm like TxGoat said), connections could be letting air into the system (especially on the suction side of the pump), pinhole in the main fuel line somewhere, clogged electric pump, or separate clogged fuel filter. Chances are there is a fuel filter installed before the electric pump. Check under the car and see what's there.

-Kevin

Yeah it's very possible that the fuel filter has been clogged from the long drive if the tank had never been cleaned.

Saw a video where a guy was driving a 50's Buick a few hundred miles that had been parked for years, and he changed fuel filters like 5 times.

Thanks for the replies folks. The tank is from a 1953 Chevy, The original Packard unit had somewhere south of 200 holes in it!LOL I will add these to my checklist too. Thanks for all the feedback, hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Also check the fuel level, some tanks the pickup tube can get rusty in the dip and have an air leak when you still have say ¼ tank of fuel