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Posted by Clint Dixon [74.206.62.94] on Monday, June 07, 2010 at 12:51:08 :
Ten years ago, I buy my '51 B3PW from the original owner in Wisconsin. I check it all over, install a fresh carb, water pump, and fuel pump, and drive it 50 miles further north to stay at friends overnight. The next morning, I am letting it idle to warm up for the 7-hour trip home, and it dies just like someone turned off the key. After about five minutes of diagnosing, I find that the condenser has failed. Install an new condenser and it starts right up and drives home. Not a miss.
About two years later - I am at the Power Wagon Rally in Fairfield, Iowa and having all kinds of problems with the truck. It continually misses and cuts out completely at speed. Everything points to fuel delivery problems. By the time I give up, I have rebuilt the carburetor, replaced the fuel pump, replaced the fuel hose, and blown out the lines. I have the truck trailered home. At home, I quickly find the problem is the condenser that is failing intermittently. It really fooled me as it was practically brand new and the symptoms this time were nothing like the first time. I have carried spare condensers with me every since.
Flash forward to this morning. I am on vacation and getting the truck ready to go to Fairfield on Wednesday. I start the truck up early in the morning and back it into the driveway to give it its yearly wax and spit polish. It starts and runs flawlessly. With the waxing and window cleaning complete, I am ready to drive it back into the garage to load up all my necessities. I turn the key, press the starter, she pops once and that is all she wrote. It acts like I have flooded it which is nearly impossible seeing as how the carb has a vacuum accelerator pump and you can not get gas to squirt down the carb now matter how much you pump the accelerator pedal (unless it is already running).
So, I start getting my tools together and gathering everything else I need to get loaded. Every so often, I crank her over but no go. She is not even firing. I continue to pack up my tools and other things I always take but never need. Pull the plugs, they are all dry.
The whole time, this little annoying voice is haunting me, telling me to check the electrical. So I finally give in. Of course all of the tools I need are already packed up. After about five minutes of diagnosing, I find.....wonder of all wonders....the condenser is bad........
After about one half hour of fighting the sun at exactly the wrong position to see anything in the engine compartment, dropping the condenser hold down screw, finally finding it on the dust shield, I have a new condenser installed and she starts right up.
If anyone sees me stranded along the road to Fairfield, see if you happen to have a spare condenser with you....if you are brave....or....head the other way as fast as you can.
Junior
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