Is it the fuel pump - 1958 Cadillac?

Hi everyone,

I took my 1958 Caddy out today after having the drums turned and new liners installed. The brakes work good now, but while standing at a red light, the engine just cut off. No stutter, no sputter - as if I had turned the key. First she wouldn't start again, so we pushed her in a parking spot. Once there, she started right back up and kept running.

Once I got her home, I tried to figure out what is going on, and while idling in front of the garage, she did it again. The engine just stopped - again no warning, stutter or sputter.

What I saw though was that the fuel seems to be not delivered evenly. I have a glass bowl fuel filter after the pump and it seems like the fuel is coming in in irregular spurts. If the pump is working properly, I would expect the spurts evenly spaced, or am I wrong?

I would like to get some feedback if I should replace the fuel pump or if it is something different.

Chris

The needs to be more testing done before determining what is causing the stalling. Usually, If a carb is getting irregular fuel flow, it will occasionally act up driving down the road.. at idle, the engine is using the least amount of fuel. So if you have a fuel delivery problem, it should show up driving down the road.

My thoughts are a condenser or the coil getting hot and breaking down. Once it cools a bit, it works again. Get it to someplace that has some experience and ignition testing equipement. A good ignition analyzer will tell right away if it's an ignition problem especially since you seem to be able to duplicate the stalling.

A fuel pump does not deliver fuel evenly, the fuel has to have a place to go, and if the float bowl is full, there will be no fuel flow until the float drops and the needle opens.

Speaking of needles, it could possibly be a sticking rubber tipped float needle in the carb. Try tapping on the side of the carb with the handle of a screwdriver, [not a hammer ! ] and see if it starts back up.

Our ethanol fuel can cause the rubber tip on the needle to get sticky.

GLong.

Update: It was the fuel pump. The one I had on was barely able to keep the filter bowl full during idle. Once I put a different one on the filter bowl stays full without visible air bubbles and the engine keeps running.

Chris

Thanks for the update.......

I had the identical problem with my '65 Mustang.

Luckily that had an opaque filter between the pump and carburetor so I could see what was/wasn't going on.

It was the fuel pump too.......