54 Hornet stalls

[Richard M]

Hi,
My 54 Hornet is totally stock with 6 volt system. When I start it, it purrs like a kitten for short runs around town. However, if I drive for more than about 15 minutes ( especially under load some) it sputters and usually dies. Sometimes it dies abruptly. There is a plastic fuel filter between the fuel pump (orig dual action) and the carb. I notice that when it dies, there is no fuel in the filter. After about 30 minutes or so the car will start and run beautifully. That's when I head home because I know I am on borrowed time. I had the gas tank reconditioned and lined this spring and I check the mesh tube filter at the bottom of the fuel pump and there is minimal crud in it. After reading some previous posts, I thought about a coil but the lack of fuel in the plasic fuel filter bugs me. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Richard

[51hornetA]

Looks like vapor lock the fuel is not getting to the carb. You need to check that your fuel lines are good and that they have not collasped inside even though they look good on the outside. Also where the fuel line comes up from the pump to the carb if it isn't insulated do so. You can add some tin foil to reflect the heat.

Also is the fuel pump ok, may need to rebuild or replace.

[Richard M]

Thanks much for the help. I'll try those suggestions and report back.