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1964 Rambler Classic Typhoon Issues

Maintenance/Repairs
#1

I have a classic car, in great shape (except one issue) :slight_smile:

This weekend I brought the rambler out of the garage and wash, wax and ran the engine. It ran great for about and hr just idiling. When I stopped the car and attempted to restart again. It would not kick over. I sprayed a little starting fluid in the carb. and it started. It would go for a minute or less and In neutreul if I did not apply a little gas all the time. It would stall. I would then have to repeat the above step to get it started again. I did this for about 5 tries before letting it sit over night. I then started it again the next day it ran for 20 min. It started with no issues just fine the first try, but continued to do the sane thing as the day before.

What would come to mind as the most probable reason for this?

#2

Iā€™m confusedā€¦Need some clarificationā€¦

What do you mean by ā€œIt would not kick overā€. This usually means it wonā€™t turn overā€¦(starter or battery)ā€¦but then you said you spayed in starting fluid and it startedā€¦Well if itā€™s NOT turning overā€¦spraying starting fluid isnā€™t going to helpā€¦Just need to know what you meanā€¦

#3

Check the fuel lines to make sure that some rodent hasnā€™t chewed a hole in the line. Iā€™ve had that happen. Since the fuel pump is a mechanical pump on the engine, it may be sucking air when it should be sucking gasoline.
If my memory serves me correctly, your 1964 Typhoon should have the 232 cubic inch 7 bearing engineā€“this was the first year it was introduced. I had a 1965 Rambler Classic 550 with the 199 cubic inch version of this engine, a 1968 Javelin with the 232 cubic inch engine and a 1975 Pacer with the 258 cubic inch version of the engine. I think these were really great engines.

#4

Old gas
comes to mind first for our once a year vehicles.
I use Staybil in the tanks of my 79 pickup. Sunday it merely needed a jump but ran great on the two year old Staybil-ized gas.

#5

Vapor lock? Next time this problem occurs, pour some cold water on the fuel pump and wrap a wet towel around the fuel line near the carburetor.

#6

Also ,
vacuum leaks from anywhere due to age of rubber lines.

#7

Could also be a bad diaphram in the fuel pump.

And why the long idling?

#8

Another possibility is degradation of rubber parts in the carburetor as a result of using gasoline containing ethanol. The fuel system on these old cars canā€™t tolerate ethanol.

#9

I donā€™t think idling for an hour is a good way to ā€˜exerciseā€™ this car.

#10

It could be that the carburetor is going south and loading the engine up due to rich running. Extended idling may cause the engine to die due to fouled plugs.

Allowing this car to idle for an hour, give or take, is not a good idea even if there is no problem at all.

#11

Idling for an excessive amount of time will carbon up the plugs on engines of this era. Iā€™d pull and clean all the plugs first, or take it out on the freeway and ā€œblow it outā€.

ā€œI had a 1965 Rambler Classic 550 with the 199 cubic inch version of this engineā€

Triedaq, you meant 196 didnā€™t you?

#12

"Triedaq, you meant 196 didnā€™t you?"
No, it was a 199 cubic inch 6. The 196 cubic inch 6 had been used in the 1964 and earlier Ramblers. This 196 cubic inch engine was originally a flathead 6, but was modified for overhead valves in 1956. In 1965, the lowest trim line Rambler Classic came with a smaller displacement version of the 232 cubic inch 6. This engine had 7 main bearings as opposed to the 196 cubic inch 6 that had 5 main bearings. In 1965 the Rambler American still used the 196 cubic inch 6 in both flathead and overhead valve form. The top of the line Rambler American, the 440, came with the 232 cubic inch 6. Starting in 1966, the 199 cubic inch 6 was used in the Rambler American line as the standard engine with the 232 as an option, and the 196 cubic inch 6 was discontinued. The same 199 cubic inch 6 was standard in the Hornet that was introduced in 1970. The 232 cubic inch 6 was an option as was a 304 cubic inch V-8.

#13

Carb floats sticking or jets clogged, varnish in bowls and/or channels. Might also be a weak fuel pump, clogged screen at fuel pickup, or clogged fuel filter.

#14

I had a 64 Rambler Classic, a long time ago. I rebuilt the engine in it once. I was thinking that it was a 196 and that it had 7 main bearings, but not sure. It had the intake manifold that was integrated into the head with a removable top plate. The top plates were available for one or two barrel carburetors, mine was a one barrel.

It had the front seat that could lay back to form a bed with the back seat. I bought it when my wife and I got married and was transfered to California. We didnā€™t get to sleep in it as we stuffed it full of stuff for the move. Life was simpler then.

#15

Too bad Jaygraybay has left the discussionā€¦

#16

ā€œI had a 64 Rambler Classic, a long time ago. I rebuilt the engine in it once. I was thinking that it was a 196 and that it had 7 main bearings, but not sureā€.

Keithā€“I am sure thatyou did have a 196 engine. Only the special Typhoon in 1964 had the newly introduced 232 cubic inch 6. The stroke was shortened in the 232 and the displacement became 199 cubic inches. This 199 cubic inch engine was available only in the 1965 Classic 550. The 232 was an option. In the 660 and 770 trim lines, the 232 cubic inch 6 was standard.
I think your engine had only 5 main bearings.

#17

That engine lived a long time in various Jeep models and it pushed Jeeps around into the early 1990ā€™s in fuel injected trimā€¦A stout, reliable engineā€¦

I think Uncle Turbo has this one peggedā€¦

#18

For a couple of years in the 90ā€™s this engine was experiencing a Valve clatter problem. Not sure what the problem was or how it was resolved. But all-in-allā€¦a very reliable engine through-out the years. My Uncle was a Rambler mechanic. He owned a 60 something Rambler that he kept in mint conditionā€¦My Cousin who owns it nowā€¦rebuilt the engine a couple of years agoā€¦It was getting tiredā€¦But it did have almost 500k miles on it. He took on the tradition of keeping it in show-room like condition. It isnā€™t driven much now.