New member/car/problem

Hello all,
Just joined and already need help. I will soon be acquiring a 'Stang from my brother. It's an '85 GT 'vert. 5spd. The problem he is having has stumped him so he is passing it on to me. The car runs great some times and dies others. He says it's as if it stopped getting fuel. After it sits a few minutes it will start again and go for a few miles and it dies again. Dies, stop for a few and goes again. He has a new carb, fuel pump, and re-ran the fuel lines. What should I look for first? What kind of computer stuff is on this year(if any)and could it be the problem. I do have an '85 H.O. 351 I could drop into it, but then I'd have to find another engine for the Falcon when It's finished next spring. If I did go the 351 route what would be required for the swap. I would like to retain the 5 spd (Falcon has a C-4). Thanks for letting me ramble and for any advice.

Aaron Roots and Family
Warrensburg Missouri
'99 Stang (hers)
'67 Falcon (mine)
'85 Stang 'vert (next month)
'95 Corsica 2.2L (what the hell happened there? Oh yea, gas prices)

Thanks for the responses.
I won't get the car until the 22nd of Dec. My brother is hauling it up for me from Texas. As far as how it runs before it dies, he says it runs great. He can sometimes drive all day without a problem. Other days it will die 3-4 times. I'm trying to get a good list of possible problems so I can get the car back on the road quickly. I'm giving him my daily clunker so I need to make a quick decision on either fixing the problem or switching (last resort) the engine.

Yep.
From what he's told me he has replaced the filter,computer module box thingy (plus all the previously mentioned stuff) and has taken it to a mechanic or two. I thought trash in the tank/lines might occasionally cause a blockage but wouldn't the sock in the tank keep that from happening?

PuterAmI said:

The 85 does not have a sock like other cars. It is a small cylindrical screen at the end of the pickup.

Click to expand...

Is it positioned in such a way as to allow debris to collect on the screen, or would this not be a possible cause?

It's arrived. Got my Christmas present on the 22nd . Didn't drive it until Tuesday the 27th. Drove on the highway and in town all day. Ran a half tank tru her with no problems. Drove to work on Friday with out a single sputter. On the way home it died 6 times . It starts with the sensation of hitting a governor. no matter how much you try you just can't gain speed. That's quickly followed by the inability to maintain speed. After downshifting the rpm fall off quickly. Still no sputter, just a loss of power. I tried revving it with the clutch in. I got some response, but it was intermittent at best and soon became non-responsive all together. Then the engine died. I was still going around 50 mph and coasted to the shoulder. After waiting 15 min. I managed to go about 4 more mile. Then it was a half mile at a time till I got it to my brother-in-laws house. The next day him and his brother took it for a spin. Ran great. They took it to his shop and ran a compression test, checked the grounding, timing, carb and fuel pressure and spark. They were all good except the coil was rather weak. They suggested a new coil and ECM. The ECM was replace several years ago, but I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time one went bad before it's time. Got the coil, but the ECU won't be in until the 5th. Hopefully I'll be up and running by next weekend.

"This may sound really out there, but pull off the plastic column covers from the steering column and check the ignition switch."

There's something I would have never of guessed to look at. I'm picking it up Friday and I'll have him look at it.

"I would also recommend finding a new mechanic if there is no conformation of computer failure."

Can't fire family, + the labor is always free and no, he's not a shade tree mechanic .

"If your computer is bad, and it was replaced several years ago, you need to figure out what is killing them"

Thats it, throw another worry on the pile .

"Also sounds like vapor lock"

Fuel vapor lock or coolant vapor lock?
The fuel lines have been rerouted away from heat as much as possible. since I'm using a mechanical fuel pump at the block vs a near or in tank electrical I'm sure I'm susceptible to vapor lock, but a valiant attempted has been made to circumvent that. My brother-n-law / mechanic is also going to install another temp gauge to ensure I'm not getting a false reading. I suspect the thermostat is also stuck open as I get very little heat.

"a glass filter is very cheap and can be put right inline"

It already had the glass filter and it had fuel. I thought maybe it was a problem with the carb. or maybe it needed a spacer. He thought that was unlikely since it runs great 90% of the time. He said if it were it would have worsened over the last year or so that this problem has been occurring and would happen much more frequently.

Something I did notice was that right after it died, it wouldn't start. It would turn over, but act like it was not getting fuel, or was flooded out. It just tried and tried but wouldn't start. Fuel was flowing though. After a few minutes it would fire right up.

The ECU has already been replaced once due to it "frying". Wires were literally burned. Why, I have no idea. The coil is original and was producing low spark. Could that cause undue strain on the ECU or are they not intertwined that way?

I've had bad luck with ECU's before. The one on my Falcon went bad as well. It's running an '85 351 H.O. from an F-150. The guy I got it from jacked up most of the wiring in the steering column though, so it may have had help in going bad.

I'll pass on the advise and hopefully get this thing going.
Thanks guys

BTW: Got the wife a new Durango for Christmas, so she's feeling a little cheery. I found a truck with an '89 GT motor and auto tranny for $500 for an engine swap (that would cure the problem). She said buy it. Went to look at it and had to pass. got a little suspicious when I saw the F-150 style intake. He said he had documentation and showed me a hand written note saying (1989 GT H.O. 302 $1200). WOW, how could I argue with that kind of proof.