Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Small fuel lines and an excess of fittings, especially 'machined' 90s can cause dead spots in the flow of fuel to the carb. Return lines work but as already said can be cumbersome at best to engineer properly. Over the decades of restoration work we've done we find that going to what was engineered by Packard is the answer. Here in MI we get that nasty high humidity heat that really soaks everything, yet on the hottest days and waiting in show lines, you guessed it, no vapor lock. The best cure is the OEM mechanical pump being in top working order.

Highlander.
Is Jake Levy still in bussiness there with his Oakland County Gas and Oil stations?????? Over the years I've probably eaten over 500 pounds of his "Uncle Jakes Best" jelly that he used to give away with fill ups back in the 60's and 70's.
I still have some of those jelly bottles setting on the shelf in the garage for nuts and bolts storeage.

Perhaps I'm not the best one to comment, having hever experienced vapor lock, even crawling along on 100 deg. days in July 4th parades at 1/2 mph. But it seems we're looking to overengineer things. I think the keys are:

1. Properly rebuilt mechanical pump
2. Heat shields in place where called for
3. Proper size fuel lines, intelligently routed
4. Absence of restrictive fittings or excess elbows
5. Engine cooling system in good condition
6. Engine properly tuned including timing
7. No overrestrictive exhaust (undersize components)
8. NO filters or restrictions on the suction side. If you must have something, use a felt sock on the pickup tube inside the tank.
9. If you must do more, try a small amount of diesel or MMO in the fuel.

Dave, I agree with your assessment. Yesterday I drove my 115C Convertible Coupe on a 30 miles round trip to a car show site. The temperatures in Austin have been 100 or better for the last couple of weeks, and yesterday was 102. The route was on city streets, a highway, and a winding hilly two lane road. The car ran without skipping a beat. The car does not have an electric fuel pump. The car has never overheated nor vapor locked on me, including a long July 4th parade on an equally hot day last year. The car was driven on the 56th Texas Tour last month and it went 300 trouble free miles. The engine is in good tune, the cooling and exhaust systems are stock, but it does have a filter before the fuel pump. Three years ago, I disassembled the fuel pump expecting to overhaul it. It only needed to be cleaned, the diaphrams, valves, and linkage were in good shape. I have not paid any attention to what is in the gasoline here, but do not recall any notice about it containing any ethanol. Maybe I am just lucky.

Glad to hear your experiences are similar to my own. And I was under the impression that all gasoline sold in the US for automotive use contains ethanol though perhaps the requirement for it and/or the amount may vary depending on whether you live in a conforming EPA Clean Air Attainment area, or not.

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"Renewable Fuel Standard At least 2% of all diesel fuel sold in Washington must be biodiesel or renewable diesel. This requirement will increase to 5% 180 days after the Director of the Washington Department of Agriculture has determined that in-state feedstocks and oil-seed crushing capacity can meet a 3% requirement. Renewable diesel is defined as a diesel fuel substitute produced from non-petroleum renewable sources, including vegetable oils and animal fats, meets the federal registration requirements for fuels and fuel additives and ASTM specification D975. Additionally, at least 2% of the total gasoline sold in the state must be denatured ethanol. The ethanol requirement may be increased if the Director of the Department of Ecology determines that this increase would not jeopardize continued attainment of federal Clean Air Act standards and the Director of the Department of Agriculture determines that the state can economically support the production of higher ethanol blends. All state agencies with jurisdiction over renewable fuel infrastructure, specifically storage, blending, and dispensing equipment, are required to expedite related application and permitting processes. The Governor may suspend these requirements by Executive Order if the standard is temporarily technically or economically infeasible, or poses a significant risk to public safety. (Reference House Bill 1010, 2009, and Revised Code of Washington 19.112.010, 19.112.110 through 19.112.180, and 43.21C)"

Similar state have similar codes, this was the easiest one to find. From what I understand, by 2011, ALL gasoline sold in the US will have some content of ethanol, because MBTE is a dangerous substance to your health. Ethanol is not, it's biodegradable and does not harm plants and animals. It really is good stuff if you tune your engine to compensate for it.

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I don't know, in fact I've been here all my life and never heard of em. I'll ask some of the 'old guys' if they know. Around here it's mostly "imported" gas station owners.

Biggest problem with MTBE was not it's performance in gasoline, but rather that when it got into the ground from leaking gasoline storage tanks and contacted ground water, rather than rise to the surface and evaporate with the gasoline, it separated from the gasoline and was solubilized into the ground water where it became a huge health risk because the ground waters eventually get into the drinking water supply and MTBE is harmful to health. I know that was a very long sentence, but I'm too tired to go back and rewrite it.

Dave, not a student of Hemingway? This reminds me of a story I heard about him. As it goes someone bet Hemingway that he could not write a story with just six words. He did, and here it is. For sale, baby shoes, never worn. He was a man of few words, and I enjoyed your explanation of MTBE. Thanks.

Was it 2wo years ago that the US experienced a severe drouhgt??????? Did anyone experience vapor lock symptoms that year????

Or, to ask a different way;
Did everyone have to use their electric priming pump 2wo years ago as often as they use it this year????