Vapor lock

[bonsaiwino]

Stuck on the road right now with our 1979 carbureted spider. Hot day, it won't restart. Probably vapor lock, but I don't know how to solve it. Thanks, Don

[Warren]

I am a little surprised you are having vapor lock as these cars have the carb inlet fuel return to the gas tank. I live in Alabama and have never had it on my 1979 with the original carb/manifold or my upgraded 34ADF with 1800 intake manifold. Many years ago I used to have this problem on my 1977 X1/9, which does not have the fuel return line. I believe I solved the problem by installing a rubber insulating hose over the fuel hose to the carb from the fuel pump and over the hose from the gas tank to the fuel pump. I had also changed the fuel pump to an electric pump but I think that did not solve the problem. On my 1982 X1/9, with fuel injection and thus the return line to the gas tank, I never had vapor lock and I noticed the factory had installed a rubber insulator hose on the electric fuel pump suction line.

[So Cal Mark]

if it happened after the car was shut off, you're probably boiling the fuel in the float bowl and flooding the engine. Common problem from a heat soak. Fiat used a phenolic gasket as a heat insulator under the carb originally

[tartan18]

I had the same vapor lock problem after running on regular ethanol gas. Normally I run 92 octane non-ethanol gas. I also only had one phenolic spacer under the carb -- when I rebuild the engine I am going with two spacers. I have a 1800 engine with a EMPI DFEV 32/36 carb.