Engine loses power

Today I showed my son Oscar how to drive stick. He did very well. In the process I noticed a lack of power on the gas pedal. Then the engine started stalling. I tried it again a bit later and the next day.

This is very disappointing because I had gotten used to the car being reliable. Now it intermittently fails to run, which means I can no longer trust it for trips.

This time I don't think its the fuel lines, or the alternator/battery. Here we go again.

Bubbles in the fuel lines

I called Smitty regarding the motor dying. He suggests changing the oil filter as a first step. Glad to have a reason to learn about that. He will have one ready for me today to pick up. I'm optimistic, but I think it could also be the fuel pump, although that has been replaced recently.

Over a period of several weeks I tried introducing cleaning fluids (Magical Mystery oil, based on Smitty's advice), and just learning about how fluids pass into the the engine. I learned that getting rid of the bubbles in the fuel line makes the engine run smoothly.  I built a custom funnel with interior air outlet to be able to pour fuel into the lines directly. Then I video'd the bubbly fuel lines, sent it to a friend and he said that's the problem (or a symptom). Another friend concurred that the bubbles are the sign of the problem. But what is the culprit? Fuel filter? Faulty fittings? Fuel injection pump. In the end I went to a mechanic, Mickey Figueroa from Best Motor Works,  which my friend Jack Stenner recommended. This mechanic was closer by than Smitty when I broke down, and I really wanted to try to drive the car there instead of relying on AAA. Maybe this mechanic will a different view of things, maybe even break the "curse of the rabbit."