My Champion is sick.

My '55 beloved Champion engine is sick, and it's driving me batsh*t trying to track it down. The engine has a great big dead spot in it's powerband, right off idle it loses power and will grind to a halt when under load, but if the engine has no load on it the engine will rev all the way up into the redline, where ever that's at, no problem. So far I've taken the Carter WE carb apart, blew out all the passages & jets and reassmbled it with a kit from Studebakers West which made it idle and start on a cold frosty morning much better, but still the dead spot. The distributer diaphram appears to have no rupture, the points and condenser have been replaced recently, and I can't find any point where the tiny wire inside may ground out. The only other thing that I can think of trying is to re-install the old condenser, and if that doesn't work, try the old points again.

Does anyone have any other thoughts? Best regards to all, Chris Houck

Reply to
Chris H.
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CHECK THE FUEL PUMP and filter if you have one.Sounds like its starving under load.

Reply to
Champ TruckingCompny

Reply to
Big E

If you didn't rebuild the carb with a new, supple, expanded, accelerator pump diaphram...I'd have guessed that to be the problem...if I understand your symptoms right. And many times kits have had wrong diameter diaphrams too. And for discussion only: If you have a dead spot as you've described, isn't there enough gas in the carb to rule out the fuel pump ? I'd guess carb pump or vacuum.....

Reply to
jbreen

If you didn't rebuild the carb with a new, supple, expanded, accelerator pump diaphram...I'd have guessed that to be the problem...if I understand your symptoms right. And many times kits have had wrong diameter diaphrams too. And for discussion only: If you have a dead spot as you've described, isn't there enough gas in the carb to rule out the fuel pump ? I'd guess carb pump or vacuum.....

Reply to
jbreen

I would also suggest checking the two rubber fuel hoses (one at tank and one at fuel pump) for deteriation and possibly collapsing under suction and causing a restriction.

Reply to
Ron Butts

I had this stalling problem on my 1955 Champion. The jet at the bottom of the float bowl, (under the 1/4" screen & circlip) was plugged, on mine. I also found I needed to replace the vent flap at the top of the carburetor, as the rubber had cracked. If that flap doesn't seal, the accelerator pump doesn't function properly, even if you have a new leather plunger. I would suggest following the setup procedure in the Studebaker Shop Manual, as this carb is a little sensitive to settings being off. Mine now runs flawlessly. KK

Reply to
keith_kichefski

Just a bit more of a clarification, under that screen, (which is actually located below the accelerator pump plunger) is a small one-way check ball, which on mine was partially corroded. The symptoms were identical to yours. I had thought initially it was an electrical problem, but it was not a problem in the distributor.

Reply to
keith_kichefski

I didn't go under the screen , and I didn't R/R the vent flap, which could use it. Where does one get it? I'll make these two items next weeks projects.

I did R/R a check ball, after I lost the original to the garage floor. It's most likely sitting next to the circlip that went flying from my BSA last spring.

Today I R/R the coil with a brand new one; no change, and serviced the heat riser valve on the intake manifold. No change. I cracked the filter-bolt on top of the float bowel while the engine was idling and not too hot yet, & lots of fuel came spewing out, so I don't think that it's a fuel supply problem, at least to the carb.

The symptons are changing, the engine is getting worse, it'll start and idle great even when the car is covered with frost in the morning, but even after it's warmed up the engine will fall down and die as soon as I begin to engage the clutch, and come back to life as soon as I back off of the throttle. With no load at all on the engine, transmission in neutral, the power will start breaking up once I get past about 1/2 to

2/3 throttle and act like it's either starving of badly miss firing. These problems started shortly after I put new cap, rotor, points & condenser in the engine. I can't help but hear the little voice in my head tell me that I did something wrong in the distributer, but I've had it out a few times since & can't find a problem there. Bad condenser?

Next Monday after I've had my nap I'll try the distributer from my

2R-5, which I know is good., and then go back into the carb. I'll post what happens.

Best to all, Chris

keith snipped-for-privacy@wed.dresser.com wrote:

Reply to
Chris H.

Check the dwell with a dwell meter? Set the timing...with a timing light?

"Chris H." wrote..

Reply to
Jeff Rice

Reply to
nthornton

" I cracked the line and lots of fuel came spewing out" Chris,you cannot assume that just because there is enough fuel to support the base idle setting ,it is not the problem. Your statement about gradually worsening conditions might be indicitive of the fuel pump pressure decreasing. With out sufficient volume (which is measured as pressure) to support the motors increased needs as you open the throttle,you will have the situation you describe. There is no real way to check the fuel pump and the pressure it supplies without installing a gauge between the pump and the carb, and then attempting a test drive. The suggestions Keith (and the others) made are good because those are things that will also affect the fuel delivery,but if you dont know for sure you have adequate fuel pressure to the carb when the motor needs it,you are chasing your tail.

Reply to
Champ TruckingCompny

Well, the car is sitting in my driveway at close to a 30 degree angle, nose up, and the fuel pump moves enough fuel at a half tank to get the engine running under those conditions, with enough surplus to sparay a good volume out of the filter housing at the top of the float bowel if I don't tighten the filter-bolt enough after priming the bowel after it's been sitting awhile.I'll rig up a gauge to measure it anyhow. And when the engine loses power, it is imediate-not a gradual starving of fuel like I've experianced in the past on other engines.

Best regards, Chris

Champ Truck> " I cracked the line and lots of fuel came spewing out"

Reply to
Chris H.

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