invisibleadam

How cool is this- not 2 hours after I pulled the vac tank apart I have a replacement I paid $20 for. A guy who lives just up the road from me, who sells antique tyres, happened to have a complete vac tank in a box in his garage! I was able to make 1 from 2 and now have a spare. And people think it's hard to get parts for old cars. Pah!

Thanks for all the input everybody, I pulled the vac tank apart today and found about a 1-inch crack top to bottom in the float. So now I'll work out either to repair or replace, but the problem has been found. Thanks!

Thanks for all the help. I will endeavour to have a look inside the unit this week. As I've been thinking about it I've come to the conclusion that it's either a clogged up needle valve or leaking/sinking float. I'll see what I can see and report back during the week. Much appreciated for all your suggestions, DDewey yes the tank was sitting on the running board and therefore LOWER than the vac tank but only out of luck, I didn't consider the accidental siphon scenario. I'll also check the flapper valve while I'm at it but I just wanted to get a feel for the system and how it's supposed to work. Incidentally, someone posted a link on an earlier thread about vac tanks so just to repeat: http://clubs.hemmings.com/frameset.cfm?club=durant Click on the "Tech" tab and follow the links for some schematics and an overview of a vac tank system. This page specifically refers to Durants but it's pretty much the same system.

I was hoping some of you old hands could help this old car newby out with some issues. I've recently acquired a '25 DB pickup (cut-down tourer) that's been restored some time ago and is reasonably complete and healthy, but previous to me was owned by a very much non-car-person for the purpose of being a promotional piece at a local pub. Before I got it, the car had been sat for 5 years, and I believe, driven regularly before that. This is my first truly old car, all my other stuff is 60's and 50's, and the vacuum tank fuel system is kind of alien to me. The car hand-cranks and idles well, and drives around normally if fed from a small jar of gasoline. I disconnected the fuel line from the vac tank inlet (the fuel tank is hopelessly clagged with rust and crap) and ran a hose to a little jar of fuel sat on the running board. The vac tank sucks it all up quick smart and the car runs perfectly till it runs out of fuel. When the temporary fuel hose is put in a 10-litre fuel can, the vac tank seems to overflow. I say this because the engine starts to flood and run terribly rich, and eventually fuel seems to weep out the top of the vac tank around the top plate and slowly runs down the outside of it. Also, the air vent tube intermittently shoots gas out of it. Additionally, and I'm not sure if this is related or not, the carburettor leaks fuel (quite quickly), APPARENTLY, from the choke valve shaft. Some of the posts I've been reading blame this on a vacuum tank overflow running down the vacuum line BUT this leak continues with the engine stopped, and, left overnight will form a largish puddle under the car. I put a jar under the carby overnight and caught about maybe 2-3oz (about 60-90 mL) of fuel. I'm looking for some tips on how to start troubleshooting this vacuum tank, and also if anyone thinks the carby fuel leak is or is not related to the vacuum tank. I've bought a late-model japanese car fuel tank which I'm going to install up behind the cab and this has an in-tank electric fuel pump. I was originally going to pull the pump out and just make up a plain pickup tube, but this vac tank issue has me wondering if maybe I should just use the in-tank pump. I'm not too hung up on originality, I just want a fun reliable ole car. But don't worry, I will be carefully removing and storing any original bits I take off so that any mods I do are reversible. Thanks in advance, Adam, Sydney Australia, 30 years old (and younger than ALL of the cars I own, proud to say)

Hi there, Just wanted to know if anybody here had any experience fitting '28 fast four tourer doors to a '25 tourer cowl? I am building a ratty but functional car and I currently have a '25 tourer chassis, cowl, bonnet and grille. I have found some cheap '28 fast four tourer front doors and I'm hoping (before I travel the 100 or so miles to buy them) I can verify fitment before wasting my time and money? Also, does anybody know whether I can use '28 fast four windscreen posts or glass on my '25 cowl? Any help MUCH appreciated! Thanks, Adam