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Help: not getting any fuel

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by RockyJr, Jun 14, 2006.

  1. RockyJr
    Joined: Feb 17, 2005
    Posts: 454

    RockyJr
    Member
    from Wichita KS

    Well, I'm stumped, a fairly useful occurrence if truth be known. But I'm hoping the collective experience of the HAMB can help me out here. I've got a 350 with a Holley 650 that I can only get to start by priming the carb directly. I replaced the fuel pump a couple of months ago and haven't driven in much lately, but its always been a really reliable truck.

    There's fuel in the tank, guage reads 1/2 which has always been reliable. Still I crawled under the truck and tapped on the tank for good measure and it sounds 1/2 full :rolleyes:.

    Today I checked the fuel line forward and aft of the pump all the way up to the carb. there's an in-line fuel filter that checked out OK. I then pulled the carb and the front bowl was pretty much empty as expected. I check the float and it appears to be working correctly. The little mesh filter in the inlet was clean. So I went and bought another new fuel pump and still got nothing.

    Dad told he's had some trouble getting a newly installed fuel pump primed and had to put some air pressure in the tank, but my compressor isn't portable and I don't have enough hose to get it out there anyhow.

    Any suggestions?
     
  2. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,115

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    If you know how to crank the motor over with out the ign on(so there is no spark,take gas line off carb and hold your fingger over end litely when cranking motor/ fuel should start coming after onlt a few turns(stop hook all back up and give it a try. That being said,if there is even the smallist crack or leak between tank and pump it will not pick up fuel(old gas lines crack from just setting around and steel lines rust out ect.
    The Bat
     
  3. nrfleming
    Joined: Nov 17, 2005
    Posts: 387

    nrfleming
    Member

    mechanical pump? has it run since you replaced it?
     
  4. Danimal
    Joined: Apr 23, 2006
    Posts: 4,149

    Danimal
    Member
    1. A-D Truckers

    I replaced my pump and still go nothing out. I ran a 3 foot piece of hose off of the inlet of my fuel pump and into a gas can on my fender. I then KNEW I had no problems before the pump. I ran a piece of wire through my line after the pump and before the fuel filter and poof, I pushed out a bunch of crap! I put some gas in the carb, cranked away, and poof my car runs now. I did have to clean the carb and stuff up a bit because it had sat for a year.
     

  5. RockyJr
    Joined: Feb 17, 2005
    Posts: 454

    RockyJr
    Member
    from Wichita KS

    Dana...i did do that and I get pressure to build in the line but no gas ever comes.

    NRF...yea it's a mechanical pump. It ran after I replaced the pump last May for a day or two, and it started acting up again so I parked it and now this is happening. I just dropped a new mechanical pump in today, guess I got a spare now.

    Danimal...I'll give this a shot. It's been setting quite a bit over the last year. Never set for more than a day or two tops before I bought the wagon.


    Thanks for all the inquiries and suggestions. I appreciate the help.
     
  6. Upchuck
    Joined: Mar 19, 2004
    Posts: 1,576

    Upchuck
    Member
    from Canada BC

    you absolutely sure you got gas in the tank?
    maybe pull the line off between the pump and tank and blow in it or to see if you can hear gas bubbling away in there, or leave the line unhooked drop a chunk of garden hose in the tank pack a rag or something around it to seal and blow in the hose and see if gas comes out? I used to do that to syphon gas but left the lines hooked up and you can get enough pressure in there to get the gas to come back up the hose:D prevents you from getting a mouthful of gas in a hose you can't see thru:)
     
  7. RockyJr
    Joined: Feb 17, 2005
    Posts: 454

    RockyJr
    Member
    from Wichita KS

    UpChuck...yea, I'm sure there's gas in there....i did blow the line from the pump to the tank and heard bubbling in the tank.
     
  8. jerry
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 3,469

    jerry
    Member

    Try an electric pump. Possibility of the pushrod being worn down enough to not making a full stroke. Easy check is to put a pressure/vacuum gauge on the inlet or outlet.


    jerry
     
  9. How easy is it to get to the sending unit?
    I'd pull it out & see if the "sock" on the bottom of the sender is blocked up.
    Get as close to the tanks outlet line as you can,& using a rubber tipped blowgun,,blast it hard towards the tank(lots of psi),& lots of short pulses of air.
    If your lucky,it'll will blow the "sock" off the sender & into the tank,,no biggie.
    Then its just a matter of seeing if it runs,(hopefully),then pull the tank out & put a new "sock" on it & inspect the inside of the tank.As mentioned,fuel lines will suck air through cracked hoses & still not leak gas.
    Ive ran into this before while I was in the trade,& it worked a few times.
    Let us know.
    EDIT,,,dont forget to take the gas cap off when doing this !

    EDIT 2,,,get rid of those sintered bronze fuel filters that are in some carbs' inlet fitting.I know Holley used them on a few & every Q-Jet Ive seen has/had them.Throw them away & use a good inline filter.
     
  10. RockyJr
    Joined: Feb 17, 2005
    Posts: 454

    RockyJr
    Member
    from Wichita KS

    jerry...i do have a fuel pressure guage installed after the pump and it will build/show pressure, I pulled the line and put my finger over it while the motor was cranking.

    FR...the sending unit is pretty easy to get to. I pulled the access panel earlier just to take a look. I installed mooneyes guages in the truck about 4 years ago and the sending unit goes in and out pretty easily. I did notice something I hadn't noticed before. The line going into the tank has some JB Weld smeared all around it. So, I've probably got a crack in the line from the tank to the pump that is not leaking but keeping me from getting gas.

    I'm going to try running a hose from the pump to another tank to see what we got. I'm not looking forward to replacing the line from the tank though. It's heardlined from the pump to the tank and run though the frame that I boxed in a few years ago.

    I'll post once I've got some new information.

    Thanks again guys.
     
  11. scottrod
    Joined: Nov 5, 2002
    Posts: 92

    scottrod
    Member

    Did you prime the fuel pump? By that I mean that you have to take the hose off the carb and pour a cup or so of fuel down the line to the new fuel pump to get some fuel in there. They don't usually pump air very well. Try that before anything else.
     
  12. AnimalAin
    Joined: Jul 20, 2002
    Posts: 3,416

    AnimalAin
    Member

    Two different fuel feed problems I have encountered over the years that are not entirely obvious:

    1. Fuel tank vent. If you can't replace the fuel with air, the fuel won't come out. Usually doesn't give the symptoms you have (usually runs for a while, then quits in cycles), but I suppose it might.

    2. As was already mentioned, if the line between the tank and the pump has a small crack, the pump will pull air instead of fuel.

    Good luck. These deals are always frustrating, but usually don't require replacement of too many parts.....
     

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