[CairnsZook]

Drove down to Hobart the other day and the Zook didn't like being on the highway at all.

After about an hour's driving, the power seemed to drop off for some reason.
The tank was low so I pulled into a servo to fill up. Maybe I had a bit of bad fuel, so I filled up with premium. It was raining a bit too, so I turned the snorkel head around to keep any excess water out of the air filter.
When I got going again, she started well and revved happily. Back to full power it seemed.

A bit later, power dropped right off. If my foot was not flat on the floor, she would stutter and cough, like she was out of fuel. If I put my foot back down, she would go, but there was bugger all power.

Every now and again I would drive through a town and the speed would slow to 60. After slowing she would be back to normal, then the same thing would happen...

On the way home, I was going up a long slight gradient hill, still making good speed. About half way up she just totally died. Again it was like there was no fuel. I waited about 30 seconds, started up, she spluttered a bit, then ran fine, for a while...

Seems like a fuel issue to me. Carby possibly?

I have a G13A with extractors. Air comes in through the snorkel via a finer filter (which was cleaned a few weeks ago) then direct to the carby.
I have removed the hot air pipe and valve arrangement. Outside temperature was around 15. The Zook was running at normal temperature the whole time.

I've heard of carbys "iceing up". What do you blokes reckon?

[steak_knife]

Icing up?? doubt it.. Change your fuel filter!
I`d put money on it!!!!!!!

[CairnsZook]

Fuel filter was changed about 3 months ago. I also have a clear filter between the pump and carby. It's clean.

[shep]

mine lose power when they get hot or it is a hotter then 40deg day. but that is probably not your issue.

[steak_knife]

CairnsZook wrote:

Fuel filter was changed about 3 months ago. I also have a clear filter between the pump and carby. It's clean.

So your running 2 on a mechanical pump?

check the rear one, dosen`t mater if its a week old if you got a gut full of shit fuel, that`s what it sounds like to me, may pay to clean out the tank to.

i drove to Mt Isa & changed the filter on the way back because of dodgy prick`s selling watery fuel..


Steve

[303zuke]

It'll be either the Coil or Condensor overheating. Time to replace them.

[31zook]

CairnsZook wrote:

After about an hour's driving,

you should of lapped tas twice

You sound like you have junk in you fuel line. Pull the fuel in line off the fuel pump and off the tank then blow air backwards through it all. Mine did the same thing i had to pull my tank out and retrieve a stick that had lodged it's self in the pick up. The reason it was fine after you stopped was because the fuel was still filling the line once you stopped and had like a reserve to go off while driving around town but exceeded its flow rate on longer trips...

[Scrawny]

303zuke wrote:

It'll be either the Coil or Condensor overheating. Time to replace them.

That was my thought too. Seems to be a heat affected thing

[JrZook]

How old is the fuel pump?

[want33s]

steknig wrote:

i drove to Mt Isa & changed the filter on the way back because of dodgy prick`s selling watery fuel..

I have heard people complain about so and so's fuel has water in it but water and petrol DO NOT mix.
I worked at a servo/garage out west years ago and if the tanker was running late or there was a strike(common in those days) we would add 300 litres of water to the tank to get the last of the fuel. Pickups don't go to the bottom.
After we got the fuel out we'd suck the water back out and then the tanker would refill.
We were the only servo/garage in town as well as being the RACQ agent and only once in the 2 years I worked there did we have a customer with water in his fuel... Turns out he went through a very deep creek crossing the day before.

[shep]

the water in fuel problem happens a lot up here due to the humidity and because no one pumps the water out until it causes problems.

[shep]

some fuel additives like ethanol are also hygroscopic ie attract water.

[ball]

shep wrote:

some fuel additives like ethanol are also hygroscopic ie attract water.

getting technical with big words now

[SuziBlu]

shep wrote:

some fuel additives like ethanol are also hygroscopic ie attract water.

Shep, this is true, but it puts the water into suspension, and so, it passes thru the system causing no damage, and cleaning the fuel line from tank to exhaust.

[flexedup88]

i had the same prblem coming back from morgan it was a fairly hot day but it wasnt coughing and spluttering but the power just dropped off and i couldnt get it over 70kmh, i pulled over at a servo filled her up, as the fuel guage doesnt work so i thought it was out of juice, but it only needed bugger all fuel, i let it sit for about 15 mins then it drove fine again, so i just put it down to heat and a tired engine, but it hasnt done it since.

[eldo]

i reckon it could be either the fuel system or the coil/condensor as mentioned.
if your running 2 filters as per your post above the second filter is always going to be clean!!!! check the one at the back.... it wouldnt hurt to keep a spare condensor in the glove box too

[royce]

if you start to run out of puff at high power but it comes back after you back off the throttle for a few seconds there is a problem getting fuel into the carby

if it runs shit when hot but comes good when the engine bay has cooled down it could be the coil, sierras havent has condensors for 25 years

[ajsr]

id bet you money thats it fuel related
check your fuel pump pressure, filters and failing that clean carby boal

[CairnsZook]

Hmmmm... Very strange...

I did the same trip today, Launceston to Hobart. This time the weather was fine, no wind and the temperature must have been at least a couple of degrees warmer.
The Zook ran fine for the whole three hour journey. Just a little under powered when pushing into a head wind
The engine temperature still remained "as normal" and the fuel consumption was about right for the amount of Km's.

I was convinced it was a fuel issue, but now I'm not so sure...

[Rockhopper]

I reckon you might have just gotten a tank of shit petrol. Will take a couple of tank loads to clear out, but should get back to normal.

[Brett]

my vote is the choke coming on when the engine is warm and outside is cold. had the same thing in my wife's old sierra in ACT in winter. at hwy speed it was just cold enough to make it come back on. its would lose heaps of power splutter and fart when you backed off. when you stop or slow down it warms back up and opens the choke back up.

you drove back and it was warmer so you had no problems. if it was fuel you would still have the problem. don't know about the coil. i've only ever had them die with no warning.

[steak_knife]

Brett wrote:

my vote is the choke coming on when the engine is warm and outside is cold. had the same thing in my wife's old sierra in ACT in winter. at hwy speed it was just cold enough to make it come back on. its would lose heaps of power splutter and fart when you backed off. when you stop or slow down it warms back up and opens the choke back up.

you drove back and it was warmer so you had no problems. if it was fuel you would still have the problem. don't know about the coil. i've only ever had them die with no warning.

Just wondering how you fond this? Did you disconnect the choke & all good?
It`s not as if you can climb under the bonnet at highway speed`s, I`m not doubting you, just wondering.. It dose make scene, to a certain degree.

[laurie]

i have the same(ish) problem
after about 3hrs on the hwy sometimes
all power goes like i have no fuel
if i pull over turn the motor off wait 10-seconds
it starts and drives no worries for another few hours
filter is 2 months old running 95 octane
coil dizzy cap leads plugs 2 months old
carb kit 6 months ago
i was thinking atomisation in the float bowl could be wrong
i have not replaced the condenser

[zookprojectfnq]

Mine use to do something smiler. Gutless and chewed heaps of fuel. I blew all the lines out and changed the fuel filter. It turned out it was a whole heap of scaly shit inside the water lines that go into the carby to turn the auto choke off when it gets up to temperature. It was like the choke was half coming on. I blew them out and cleaned carby out. has been running sweet ever since

[Brett]

steknig wrote:

Brett wrote:

my vote is the choke coming on when the engine is warm and outside is cold. had the same thing in my wife's old sierra in ACT in winter. at hwy speed it was just cold enough to make it come back on. its would lose heaps of power splutter and fart when you backed off. when you stop or slow down it warms back up and opens the choke back up.

you drove back and it was warmer so you had no problems. if it was fuel you would still have the problem. don't know about the coil. i've only ever had them die with no warning.

Just wondering how you fond this? Did you disconnect the choke & all good?
It`s not as if you can climb under the bonnet at highway speed`s, I`m not doubting you, just wondering.. It dose make scene, to a certain degree.

i zip tied the choke open to check when it worked right just left it was a one day job to fix but never got round to it before the car went.

[Reubs]

Could it be a blocked breather for the fuel tank... As you drive a vacuum develops in the tank until the fuel pump struggles to pump fuel. You stop, air entres tank, vacuum decreases and you can drive again normally for a while...

[steak_knife]

Good work Brett..


Is this thing fixed yet!!!