Stalling ....maiden voyage

[steve welder]

I registered the 48 CJ today, took it out maybe ten miles....The last time I drove a old jeep was my dads 48 CJ2A around 1971. I was about 19, quite the experience today at 70 yrs old.....She runs drives stops but needs a full restoration which she will get soon
I installed a new Solex carb and she runs and idle's nice but often stall's when I come to a light or when im in second gear and backing off throttle, like coming to a stop sign....
Ive also noticed the fuel pump bowl has no gas in it, I see the gas in the bottom right below the gas and it moving but I thought the bowl should be full or close to it
The pump looks fairly new.......Any ideas
BTW the temp gauge was reading close to 200 and then would drop to 180 when we were moving.....The motor is 60 over and I have no clue as to the condition of the radiator
or the thermostat. Will have to dig into this as I think thats getting a little to warm...Thanks. for help

[bmorgil]

Solex carbs can be a little difficult to set up. It sounds like it needs a little more fuel in the idle transition circuit. I would try bumping the idle up a bit. Try 750 rpm at idle and see if it likes that better. The glass bowl on the fuel pump does not fill with fuel. It provides an expansion area for the fuel as it heats up and cools down. It might fill up after you shut it down on a hot day. Idling at 200 but cooling down when you get going sounds like maybe a radiator flush and a good cleaning of the core fins might help. A 180 thermostat will climb all the way to 200 at idle on a hot day. It sounds like it might have a 180 thermostat in it. Also make sure the fan is not bent and the belt is tight. Make sure the shroud is on and positioned correctly. The shroud is essential for keeping it cool at idle. If you see any signs the water pump is dripping replace it.

[LarrBeard]

"It sounds like it might have a 180 thermostat in it."

BMorgil - I can never remember the vendor and part number for the best thermostat in the world for old Jeeps - the one you recommended to me. Go ahead and share it again, please.

Steve: This is really the thermostat you want. Solid 160-degrees, no "180 - 200" overshoot. I don't worry about that overshoot and creep up in traffic any longer,.

[bmorgil]

Milodon 16400

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mil-16400

[51 CJ3]

It looks like it’s going to be tough to source. I haven’t found one in stock yet. Summit is saying mid-July.

[bmorgil]

Wow everybody is out of them. They fit a lot of early to 1990's era vehicles. Must be a "supply chain" thing.

[steve welder]

Solex carbs can be a little difficult to set up. It sounds like it needs a little more fuel in the idle transition circuit. I would try bumping the idle up a bit. Try 750 rpm at idle and see if it likes that better. The glass bowl on the fuel pump does not fill with fuel. It provides an expansion area for the fuel as it heats up and cools down. It might fill up after you shut it down on a hot day. Idling at 200 but cooling down when you get going sounds like maybe a radiator flush and a good cleaning of the core fins might help. A 180 thermostat will climb all the way to 200 at idle on a hot day. It sounds like it might have a 180 thermostat in it. Also make sure the fan is not bent and the belt is tight. Make sure the shroud is on and positioned correctly. The shroud is essential for keeping it cool at idle. If you see any signs the water pump is dripping replace it.

. She is definitely running hot, overheating......When I remove the cap I saw this copper looking sludge inside which I assume is stop leak....I see it slightly around the head gasket area.....Im positive its stop leak and the prior owner im betting loaded the radiator up with it....
I was planing on doing a rebuild but id like to drive it a little over the summer.....Im pulling the radiator tomorrow and taking it to be boiled out.....Another problem as not many if anyone close by does this anymore.....I will change the thermostat also......Thanks very much for advise

[bmorgil]

I found it very difficult to find a radiator shop also. No one works on them anymore. For decades they have been plastic and aluminum, glued and crimped and not repairable.

[gmwillys]

There are very few radiator shops around anymore, like Bmorgil said. The environmental impact, plus the demand is so low that nobody learned the trade, so when the owners retired, so did the business. If you find a shop that can, consider yourself blessed!

[LarrBeard]

Several years ago,Pelago - one of our late forum contributors who was restoring Magoo (his M38) had radiator issues and the shop he took it to told him;"It's clogged and split internally - get a new one".

So he did... and several months later at another shop he found that his problem was a split solder joint where he had hit the drain cock moving things around.

His comments were .. pithy.. to say the least!

Good luck.