My 79 Continental dies while going down the road but will idle just fine

Asked by GreyGhost1488 May 05, 2014 at 09:39 AM about the 1979 Lincoln Continental

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Have spark, have fuel to the filter and
through it, but none in the carburetor
after it quits. Will restart after a few
minutes, only to choke and die again
1/2 mile later. Have done a rebuild kit
on carb 3k miles ago, and the fuel
pump is less than 6 weeks old. Couple
that with a fresh full tune-up (plugs,
wires, cap, rotor) and I'm at a loss.  
Maybe sucking the tank to pump line
flat????

2 Answers
45

Frank_Riccardi answered 10 years ago

This is gonna sound weird but check you catalytic converter. If it's plugged or falling appart it might give you the same symptons.

Mark helpful
2,385

Mike answered 10 years ago

Your Lincoln has 2 cats, and yes, they may be the culprits. My other suggestion is a defective needle valve or possibly a waterlogged or punctured float. Normally the float is not part of the rebuild kit, and it is has a small hole in it, the float can sink, shutting down the fuel supply. If the hole is in the wrong (right) place on the float, it will drain enough out to lift some and allow the car to idle, but there will not be enough fuel in the bowl to power the car when driving. That is probably where the issue is.

1 people found this helpful.
Best Answer Mark helpful

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