Fuel issue

[Guest]

I finished refreshing my motor with new gaskets and after re assembly i can not seem to get fuel to my carb. I am sure i have the fuel pump installed properly because when i crank the motor by ratchet i hear the whistle of air coming out of the vacuum ports for the windshield wipers and carb vacuum. I had the fuel line disconnected a month ago and fuel was freely coming out of the line telling me it is not clogged.

I have a clear fuel filter and no fuel comes up from the tank when cranking the motor over. I cranked the motor multiple times but no go.

any advice for me? Could the fuel pump be bad?

OR could i just not have the fuel pump in right and the plunger is not being depressed? I was pretty sure the whistle i heard was coming off of the windshield wiper port on the pump. BUT i could be wrong.

[Yadkin]

I've had two new pumps not work recently. If not installed, bench test it. If installed, test it by disconnecting the hose to the carburetor and set it in a container, crank the motor over and you should get a powerful flow.

Also check the float operation in the carburetor primary bowl. Some of these have a tang that hits the cover when you install it, pushing the rubber seat down onto the brass valve body. If that's the case you'll have to cut the tang off or bend it out of the way. Then re-check your float level.

[jopizz]

It's hard to get fuel from the tank just by cranking the motor. Fill the carburetor so the car starts. Then you should get fuel from the tank. You can also disconnect the line from the tank at the pump and pour gas into it to prime it.

John

[Guest]

when you say put it in a container do you mean a container of fuel and the crank the motor? if i get bubbles then i know the pump is working properly? most likely just need to prime the carb?

[jopizz]

Either the line or the carburetor needs to be primed. It's easier to fill the carburetor. Once the car starts the pump will move fast enough to draw fuel from the tank.

John

[Tbird1044]

Do you still have the dual acting fuel pump with the vacuum portion on the top side of the pump? If you are assuming it is okay, because you hear a whistle, it could be coming from the vacuum side.
If you disconnect the gas line from the carb, and install a rubber hose connected to a bottle, crank the engine and check for a gas stream from the line which should be at about 4 psi. the manual also has a quantity that the pump should flow.
Nyles

[Yadkin]

when you say put it in a container do you mean a container of fuel and the crank the motor? if i get bubbles then i know the pump is working properly? most likely just need to prime the carb?

You can try priming the carb like Joe suggested. I've never had to do that. This is a diaphragm type pump, so develops lots of vacuum.

If that doesn't work then test the pump as I've suggested. The discharge out of a healthy pump will squirt several feet so if you just get some bubbles then something is wrong.

The next thing to test for is the pick-up. If its the original, changes are good that it's full of sludge and clogged.

[simplyconnected]

For testing purposes, I would get a clear fuel line about 5-6 feet long, hose-clamp it to the pump and stick the other end in a one gallon gas can.

Pour a little gas down the carb, and turn the key to START.
The engine should run briefly, then die. If the engine continues to run, your problems are between the tank and the pump. During this time, you can see through the hose. If gas never moved, the pump is not working correctly.

Does that prove the pump is bad? Partially. Even if your car totally ran out of gas the pump should pull enough to re-establish flow by self-priming, when enough new gas is replaced in the tank and the pickup is submerged in it.

Some old pumps lose their check valve, which also loses their prime. Otherwise, the pump still works. It takes extra cranking time to pull gas from the tank, eventually the engine starts and runs just fine.

A more common problem is air in your line. Each fitting and conduit must be solid, all the way back to the tank. The smallest air leak will deliver air, not liquid. Sometimes you can smell raw gas and sometimes you just can't because this line is under a vacuum. - Dave