If you found a fuel filter on the right, front of the engine, you have a carburetor, and a fuel pickup screen inside the gas tank. The common symptom when they collapse is the engine will run fine for up to 15 miles, then starve for fuel. It will run okay again for a couple of miles after letting the engine sit for five or ten minutes. It will run okay for shorter and shorter periods of time.
One way to diagnose this is to stop the engine as soon as it won't stay running, and don't try to restart it. Look down the throat of the carburetor and work the accelerator by hand to see if there's two strong streams of fuel spraying in. If not, suspect the pickup screen.
If there is plenty of fuel, check for loss of spark. By the way, you'll never solve a running problem on a Chrysler product by replacing the fuel filter, except for diesel engines. They commonly last the life of the vehicle.
Dec 3, 2013 at 5:57 PM
