The week I chased a ghost in a 1998 Dodge Ram that just kept dying on the same hill

So I drive a beater '98 Ram with 230k miles, runs fine most days. But last Tuesday, every single time I hit that steep grade near the old grain mill on Route 9, the engine just cut out. No sputter, no warning, just dead. Coast down, crank it up, fires right back. Happened four times in three days. Mechanic buddy laughed and said fuel pump or vapor lock. Turned out the fuel tank had a dent right where the pickup sits, only starving for gas on a steep incline. Cost me $80 at a junkyard for a used tank. Has anyone else had a car do something silly like that, where it only breaks in one specific spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

felixhenderson3h ago

My cousin had an old Ford that would only stall out turning left into this one gas station. Turned out the float bowl had a crack that only leaked at that specific angle.

ericw933h agoMost Upvoted

Probably a piece of debris floating around in the bowl too.

lucasw842h ago

Bet @ericw93's seen that exact fix before too.