First Gremlin........New 512 Stroker, can't handle the heat-get out of the kitchen.

if you have float bowl sight glasses you could drive it untill it gets bad and jump out to see if fuel starvation or even over flow.saying it is on the bad side of stumble could indicate an ignition part breaking down in the heat.any old parts?

Propwash said:

Thanks for the replies guys. '67, pump is a Clay Smith Mechanical with a line running up to the fuel log for the carb (filter in between). Backside of the fuel log is a Holley Bypass regulator with a return line running back to the tank. I don't mind running header wrap being the headers are ceramic coated and can hold the corrosion at bay a bit better than paint/raw. If it will work better, i'm all for it. Spacer is just a plain phenolic composite, but like mentioned not very tall. I though about the MR. Gasket heat dissapater with the 4 gaskets and 3 aluminum spacers that total up to 1/2", but I have no experience with those.

Krowbar, I have the stock tank with the two vents in the front upper left corner of the tank. The tank cap is non vented, being it's location down low on the backside of the fuel tank. Radiator is a champion 3 core 26", with a 19" steel fan, jaguar clutch and Mopar shroud.

Thing that erks me is how much the car was effected when going down the road. Had plenty of battles in the past with other cars and hot fuel issues with hard starting after shut down, heating up in traffic and fuel boil, but this thing is running on the extreme side of it. I already set in place my book of tricks with a carb spacer, covering the lines, adequate cooling system and blocked crossovers, but the car's heat issue walked all over them.


Thanks lewtot and Northwest.....I have no insulation on the line from the pump to the carb, so I will do that tonight. I also have a roll of wrap I can put on the right header like '67 mentioned. Now where to find Non-Ethenol 93 octane is going to be a treat.

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Dale Gas and get some of that blue koolaid

i have had issues with bypassing/return too much fuel. really makes'em lazy. i use mechanical pumps but i have the return after the pump (pressure side) and don't use enough pressure to need a regulator. is the fuel pressure maintaining at 4-5psi at wide open throttle?

-8 up and -6 return? You shouldn't be having a vapor problem. With the regulator behind the carb, you shouldn't be starving it either. Start with the float level. You're too high. The engine temp being 195° shouldn't be a problem. I've always run my big blocks there.

Welcome to the modern fuel is all I can say. The only known 100% cure is fuel injection.

What about dropping your thermostat down to 165*-185*, if it's a vapor issue cooling the engine bay altogether might help. Anything you could do to promote air flow under the hood would also help but isn't exactly an easy thing to do. The heat spacer you spoke of "layered" sounds like a cool idea "everytime you add a layer less heat is transferred". Header wrap would definetly help, I'll warn you that #$*& smokes like crazey for quite a while and makes you itch like hell "DO NOT TRIM THE STAINLESS TIES THEY'RE LIKE LITTLE RAZORS ONCE TRIMMED, I learned the painful way ". Good luck, hate to hear your having trouble.

must be a thing with strokers at the moment, that's 3 people I know having dramas with strokers including myself

benno440 said:

must be a thing with strokers at the moment, that's 3 people I know having dramas with strokers including myself

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Nah, there is always bugs to work out especially when you venture well off the beaten path. These issues are the things you learn from making your next build a little better.

747mopar said:

What about dropping your thermostat down to 165*-185*, if it's a vapor issue cooling the engine bay altogether might help. Anything you could do to promote air flow under the hood would also help but isn't exactly an easy thing to do. The heat spacer you spoke of "layered" sounds like a cool idea "everytime you add a layer less heat is transferred". Header wrap would definetly help, I'll warn you that #$*& smokes like crazey for quite a while and makes you itch like hell "DO NOT TRIM THE STAINLESS TIES THEY'RE LIKE LITTLE RAZORS ONCE TRIMMED, I learned the painful way ". Good luck, hate to hear your having trouble.

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I used the header wrap on my Road Runner. Hell yeah it smokes. I kept thinking I had a valve cover leak and was constantly dicking with it until it stopped smoking. The only thing to help with those sharp ties is to keep stabbing yourself until it doesn't hurt anymore....

Revhendo said:

I used the header wrap on my Road Runner. Hell yeah it smokes. I kept thinking I had a valve cover leak and was constantly dicking with it until it stopped smoking. The only thing to help with those sharp ties is to keep stabbing yourself until it doesn't hurt anymore....

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LOL, I think I'd bleed to death if I did that.

benno440 said:

must be a thing with strokers at the moment, that's 3 people I know having dramas with strokers including myself

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I don't think it's a stroker thing. I think it's a new, tight motor thing. I experienced some of the same things and some other bugs too when I first got my 440 running. Vapor locked a couple times and didn't want to start, ran too hot, smoked, spewed oil out the breather, sputtered over 4,000 rpm, etc, etc, etc...

I'm happy to say these problems have gone away. Some problems like the smoking and oil spewing out the breather I ignored and they went away with just putting some miles on the car. Some problems like running hot I addressed by running more initial timing and running straight distilled water with Water Wetter.

I always expect there to be all kinds of little problems and bugs to work out with a new motor.

A message for Skeltor..... Get well soon!

67Satty said:

I don't think it's a stroker thing. I think it's a new, tight motor thing. I experienced some of the same things and some other bugs too when I first got my 440 running. Vapor locked a couple times and didn't want to start, ran too hot, smoked, spewed oil out the breather, sputtered over 4,000 rpm, etc, etc, etc...

I'm happy to say these problems have gone away. Some problems like the smoking and oil spewing out the breather I ignored and they went away with just putting some miles on the car. Some problems like running hot I addressed by running more initial timing and running straight distilled water with Water Wetter.

I always expect there to be all kinds of little problems and bugs to work out with a new motor.

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I agree, new motor "teething problems".
To me the 190deg coolant temp isn't a problem. Get some miles on it to loosen it up.

67 coronet said:

if you have float bowl sight glasses you could drive it untill it gets bad and jump out to see if fuel starvation or even over flow.saying it is on the bad side of stumble could indicate an ignition part breaking down in the heat.any old parts?

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Didn't get a chance to try that out '67. I did get a hold of quickfuel and they mentioned their carbs need to be set with the fuel halfway up the sight glasses. Not really any way get it any lower anyways. With the needle fully seated, fuel in the sight glass is just under half.

wannadrag said:

Dale Gas and get some of that blue koolaid

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Right down the road! Too bad my piggy bank exploded. I'd fill'er up pronto...Ah well, time to take in the aluminum "soda" cans for some extra coin I guess.

lewtot184 said:

i have had issues with bypassing/return too much fuel. really makes'em lazy. i use mechanical pumps but i have the return after the pump (pressure side) and don't use enough pressure to need a regulator. is the fuel pressure maintaining at 4-5psi at wide open throttle?

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She bumps down to about 4.5 at WOT. Seems to be running properly on that end.

Revhendo said:

-8 up and -6 return? You shouldn't be having a vapor problem. With the regulator behind the carb, you shouldn't be starving it either. Start with the float level. You're too high. The engine temp being 195° shouldn't be a problem. I've always run my big blocks there.

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Thanks Rev. Well I guess the old saying goes, "horsepower makes heat". 195F doesn't have me too worried, especially since it's a new motor. If it starts busting over 200F, then I'd really start to look at a engine heat/cooling issue.

Meep-Meep said:

Welcome to the modern fuel is all I can say. The only known 100% cure is fuel injection.

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No doubt. Gas stations sure love their old corn whiskey around here. Found plenty of gas stations with 93 octane. Only one 20 miles from here has 93 Ethanol free. Thanks to Northwest I have several around ethanol free, but they're 91.

747mopar said:

What about dropping your thermostat down to 165*-185*, if it's a vapor issue cooling the engine bay altogether might help. Anything you could do to promote air flow under the hood would also help but isn't exactly an easy thing to do. The heat spacer you spoke of "layered" sounds like a cool idea "everytime you add a layer less heat is transferred". Header wrap would definetly help, I'll warn you that #$*& smokes like crazey for quite a while and makes you itch like hell "DO NOT TRIM THE STAINLESS TIES THEY'RE LIKE LITTLE RAZORS ONCE TRIMMED, I learned the painful way ". Good luck, hate to hear your having trouble.

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Shredded! LOL I caught that just in time. Thought I was cut, but just grazed me. I bent the cut off tabs back. Kinda like a keystone clamp.

benno440 said:

must be a thing with strokers at the moment, that's 3 people I know having dramas with strokers including myself

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Part of the joy mate! But, pretty expected. Could be a lot worse I guess....Could be shooting valve springs through the roof and shelling piston rods through the pan..lol

Gpuller said:

I agree, new motor "teething problems".
To me the 190deg coolant temp isn't a problem. Get some miles on it to loosen it up.

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Thanks Gpuller and 67Satty.........Hopefully she ages like like wine/cheese (better as it goes). Have had other cars/motors do the same thing after rebuild, just this one was pretty extreme.

I'll send Skeletor your regards 440+6...lol


Well guys, thanks for all the awesome responses. Really covered a lot of bases on this thread. Gotta love all the folks here at FBBO! Made some changes/mods off what you guys mentioned:

-Wrapped the entire inlet and return line with cool tape all the way from the engine to where they pass through the torsion bar crossmember
-Heat sleeved the entire inlet and return line to the torsion bar X-member
-Cool taped and heat sleeved the entire inlet line from the pump to the fuel log
-Cool taped the fuel log
-Cool taped the fuel filter
-Header wrapped the passenger header from about halfway down till about the collector. (Smoked like a $20 rummage sale push mower, but smothered out pretty quick)
-Filled the tank with 91 Non-Ethanol, then added AMS Oil Octane boost (no pinging)
-Flushed the cooling system one more time (had a little bit of a rust/brownish hue)

So, the verdict...........No more vapor lock! Granted the temps were mid to upper 70's, but never the less I had no issues. Even took it into to town for about an hour cruise. Drove over by the rat race they call the mall, (where traffic is always a jolly good time) and no issue. Stopped at a couple gas stations, shut her off, let sit 5 minutes...started back up no problem. Got home, shut her off and started her back up 15 minutes later with no issues. She didn't pop over like a cool motor in one crank, (more like 3-4) but never the less I think all your guys recommendations put the kibosh on the vapor lock issue. No idle or stumbling problems either. I will be adding the holley heat deflector like mentioned as well as the multi layered Mr Gasket heat dissapater/carb spacer down the road, just for a little more assurance for when those temps start creeping from the 80's into the 90's. So thanks again guys! Again the folks here at FBBO pull through. Yesterday I was able to take my bird on a nice long cruise through town after 3 long years of resurrecting her and had absolutely no issues.....Grinning ear to ear and loving every minute of it.

Hope it stays that way... Did you cool tape the lines first then put the heat sleeve on? What size sleeve and from who? Just asking because I have to do the same thing.

krowbar said:

Hope it stays that way... Did you cool tape the lines first then put the heat sleeve on? What size sleeve and from who? Just asking because I have to do the same thing.

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Thanks! Sure did Krowbar. Wrapped the lines first in the cool tape and then slid over the heat barrier sleeve. The stuff is manufactured by Design Engineering (DEI) and I bought 1" sleeving. Picked it up locally at an O'reilly auto parts down the road, but may have been cheaper if I ordered through Summit or Jegs.

Excellent.. Thanks

Good to hear it is running better, enjoy it now.

Great to hear, now time to enjoy it.

Thanks guys! Back on the road again for work....Grrrrrr!!!! Well, better than the alternative I guess, so I shouldn't complain. Thanks again fella's!