Automobiles? Any other car freaks out there?

[edblanford]

The symptoms sound like the electric (and probably the mechanical) fuel pump are sucking air somewhere between them and the fuel pickup. This could be a pin hole in a steel line (I have found rust holes before) or a cracked rubber line either between the pump and the tank, or even inside the tank. They can be hard to find. If the problem is obvious while the car is stationary you could pup a line from the inlet side of the electric pump directly into a gas can. If that solves the symptom, you have determined the cause and just need to locate it. I am a farm boy who worked as a professional mechanic for many years (before and after the prevalence of fuel injection).

 

[Chevette Girl]

The whole line's been checked (twice), found a couple problems which we fixed, we've applied vacuum to it too and it wasn't sucking air last time we checked (it's been gutless ever since though), I'm wondering if the diaphragm in the electric pump is not doing its job, as it did sit around in my friend's garage for a few years before I ended up with it... I know currently the fuel filter in at the carb leaks a little (gonna tighten that when I charge up the battery, soon!) but it's on the wrong side of the fuel pump to be drawing in air... Unfortunately I can't even take her for a drive around the block right now because I'm having some issues with changing insurance companies (the girl who set it all up for me left the company and didn't get everything done and left a big mess the replacement is still trying to untangle) and I can't renew my plates till it's insured. Hopefully Wednesday is garage-cleaning day so I'll have room to work on it again. And also it will no longer be barricaded in by scrap metal we need to take to the recycler!

The mechanical fuel pump doesn't leak and is fitted well, it just doesn't move as much as it should (new-ish pump which makes me suspect it's the cam on the engine that's worn) so I left it attached. I suppose I could just attach the two hoses together and bypass it, but so long as it's not leaking I can't see it actually impeding the flow... unless there's something about engine-driven mechanical fuel pumps that I don't understand (which is distinctly possible). But when I had the thing out, if I squished the plunger, it would squirt gas just fine...

 

[mannye]

Before you do that bypass the entire fuel system (gas can and tube straight into the filter using your inline electric pump and see what happens. If it works I would try running a new rubber fuel line from the tank to the part of the fuel lines you KNOW are good and just by pass the mechanical pump or the whole shebang.


Sent from my TARDIS at the restaurant at the end of the universe while eating Phil.

 

[mannye]

The symptoms sound like the electric (and probably the mechanical) fuel pump are sucking air somewhere between them and the fuel pickup. This could be a pin hole in a steel line (I have found rust holes before) or a cracked rubber line either between the pump and the tank, or even inside the tank. They can be hard to find. If the problem is obvious while the car is stationary you could pup a line from the inlet side of the electric pump directly into a gas can. If that solves the symptom, you have determined the cause and just need to locate it. I am a farm boy who worked as a professional mechanic for many years (before and after the prevalence of fuel injection).

Oops. Didn't read this. He said what I said but better.


Sent from my TARDIS at the restaurant at the end of the universe while eating Phil.

 

[Chevette Girl]

The bypass of the mechanical pump is actually easier than getting a gas can in the right place to test the electric pump but I will give both a go once I've un-barricaded the garage...