Ol' Skool Vapor lock Trick, Cloths-pins on the Gas Line

Ol' Skool Vapor lock Trick, Cloths-pins on the Gas Line

[vwsedanoldsinbackseat]

I installed 10 wooden clothes-pins on my steel fuel line from mechanical fuel pump to the Q-jet carb and completely fixed my vapour-lock problem. Olds 455 in back seat of VW sedan. Gets lots of comments at cruise nights but it really works.

[utubepro]

3 line fuel filter
Just like the guy before me mentioned!
Awesome fix
It’s just fuel in fuel out but on the fuel out side there is another connection with a restricted port that goes back to tank
There’s a guy called TONYS garage on YouTube that talks about it on his mopars

[CrazyWoody]

I have an 83 El Camino that had a vapor canister and return line and all that jazz, of course it was all worn out and generally shot, but what I did was put a t fitting on the fuel line and plumbed a hose into the factory return line and it helped the vapor lock greatly. I wouldn't say it absolutely 100 percent eliminated the problem but it helped a lot.

[jonathanhandsmusic]

The clothespin trick is interesting. I get vapor lock on my old land cruiser once in a while. It's a really old school low tech setup with mechanical fuel pump mounted on the block. If I open the hood, wait 20 minutes, and see fuel in the glass window on the carb, it starts right up. Pretty similar to your vehicle fuel line. Mine does the exact same thing! Good video man.

[glennw.]

Love the birds chirpin' in the background! I grew up in Alachua County, and in fact Tommy Petty was 3 years ahead of me in high school at GHS(69-72). His little bands played the Woman's Club dances my mom forced me to go to when I was a freshman (WWJH). If I only knew I was watching history inthe making! I miss N. Central Fla. I wish I could get back home.

[Iconoclasher]

Where you put the c/pins depends where the vapor lock is occurring. I had a 52 Nash and I put 4 c/pins in the steel line right where it connected to the carburetor. Never had a VL again.

[Evrenthewrencher]

That air filter looks like never been changed since the car was new lol

[robertcortez]

I bought a mechanical fuel pump with a return port to the gas tank and my vapor locking went away

[ronnieyoung]

New custom look black tape wrapped around the ground wire and the heater hoses I like that

[waynep]

the real reason for vapor lock is Sediment in the fuel pump check valves. it does 3 things.. reduces the ability to pull fuel from the tank.. it allows fuel to drain back to the tank when shut off and it reduces the fuel pressure held in the line to the carb.. when the engine heats up the reduced pressure in the line to the carb allows the fuel to boil and turn the vapor.. this expanding vapor pushes liquid fuel backwards thru the fuel pump check valves all the way back to the tank.. leaving the carb low or empty of fuel.. the engine running with this reduces fuel level causes the engine to run crazy hot.. expanding the pistons and rings in their cylinder bores.. so the engine comes to a stop because of the increased friction.. it also is a lot more friction than the starter can over come.



the FIX.. a 1984 corvette fuel filter installed in a NEW section of fuel hose before the pump inlet. then disconnect the fuel line to the carb.. extend the fuel line into a 2 liter bottle.. disconnect the ignition so no sparks will be created.. crank for 15 seconds while you watch the pulses of fuel into the bottle.. do this 15 second cranking sequence 3 times.. reconnect the carb.. reconnect the ignition.. start the engine... get the engine up to around 1800 RPM.. use a pair of Long nose pliers to squeeze the new fuel hose closed between the new filter before the pump and the pump inlet.. when the engine starts to bog down from lack of fuel.. release the pliers.. this allows clean fuel to surge thru a wide open needle and seat in the carb.. cleaning sediment out of that so it seals tight..

 
you will cure the cold start. runs for 15 seconds.. dies and needs a minute of cracking.. as the fuel had drained back to the tank and the pump could not pull it up fast enough .. this will cure the hot vapor lock.. this will cure the carb overflow after shut down.



you will want to remove any devices in the fuel line between the fuel pump and carb inlet.. so its not a reservoir of hot fuel sitting in the hot air off the radiator.



not all fuel filters are 10 Micron rated.. the 1984 corvette has 3/8 inlet and outlet.. the 1990 ford ranger filter is 5/16 and i can squeeze 1/4" fuel line over the ends too. both those are 10 micron rated filters.. others may be 70 micron... do a video on it.. don't believe me.. hook some clear vinyl hose to the fuel line to the carb. loop it over the hood latch .. crank the engine till the clear vinyl hose is almost to the hood.. stop.. watch the fuel vanish..



do an update video on this.. its too noisy in my yard to do videos. the freeway is 8 lanes wide 30 feet away.. if you count off and on ramps its 13 lanes wide.. have to yell to be heard most of the time..

[TheThirdWheel]

Ditch the mechanical fuel pump get a Holly mighty mite pump i have 1 on my ford 390 with no return line and in So Cal summer ive never had vapor lock 🔒 . You can even add a low psi 1.4 to 3 psi close to the gas tank and keep the mechancal pump and it will keep oool gas from the tank coming in to the fuel pump .
Recommend 34 GPH 4-7 psi pump ...if your going to ditch the mechanical pump and 1.4 to 3 if you keep it .

[StevesDIYProjects]

grandpa use to have a old coffee can where he coiled line inside the can. he carried a cooler of ice on hot days and kept putting ice into his coffee can through out the day so he wouldnt get vapor lock.

[ronnieyoung]

Did you get in vapor like you got to fuel line right over the top of the heater hoses it's probably boiling the fuel

[haydave]

the only thing I can think of that will work is running the fuel into a after market trans cooler mounted in front of the condenser and a good heat shield under the carb and a fuel return line. fun fun but its all that you can do.

[OKICUR]

Clothes pins keep heat soak from the metal lines, they don't act as heat sinks, they are insulation that keep engine bay heat out.

[ghettobirdish]

The spacer on the mech pump does not help. Honestly you can pull your hair out trying to solve vapour lock for a month and a half like I did or you can just go get inline fuel pump or a tank pump if you don’t like the whine but the exhaust usually drowns out the whine pretty good. Have it hooked to a kill switch so that you can run your floats dry everytime you park and problem solved forever. I don’t even have a recirc so a lot of fuel does sit in the line to heak soak but the electric has no issue clearing it up.

[StrangeClanTV]

Just thought I’d share some info too cause my car was suffering from vapor lock. Woulda done this if I’d seen it. Things I’ve done is wrap my fuel line In aluminum foil $3. Helped for about an hour. Got a vapor separator fuel filter at autozone $8. Rubber fuel line to run to the tank from the filter. From what I’ve read that should’ve been enough but I went a step beyond just in case and got a Derale atomic fuel cooler kit for about $200. If you can get your fuel cooler why not imo. Hope that helps anyone. I would try this trick in the video along with aluminum foil where possible and the $8 on the vapor separator fuel filter before getting a fuel cooler

[tp]

My grandfather used clothes pins on his farmall tractor, but to keep moisture (dew) from the fuel line.

[dylanclatone]

Does this work on an inline 4 from a 1948 Willys CJ2A?

[jackmehoffen]

thermoelectric peltier junction device with appropriate heatsinking & ZIP ties on the fuel regulator would help vapor lock condition...imo