engine and drivetrain priming the fuel pump after longterm shutdown

[jerry]

folks, i've been working on a forelorn car i saved from the scrapyard to replace the one i sold last month.

this particular car arrived with a replacement used head and dirty engine bay. the car has been sitting on jackstands for the past 2 years.

i've got everything cleaned, torqued properly, hooked up etc. put a new fuel filter ahead of the existing Pierburg fuel pump. Battery checks out at 12.2 Volts. starter spins alittle slower than i'd like but spins none-the-less.

i put about a gallon of fresh gas in the tank. so far, the gas has not been sucked into the fuel filter.

i poured a little gas down the carburetor and the engine did 'fire-off', so to speak. sounded good for a couple revolutions until the fuel source was exhausted. tried that again and quickly had to snuff out the small fire that ensued in the single-barrel solex carb.

i'm encouraged that the engine 'wants' to start-up.

am i stuck with running this starter in the hopes of the fuel pump sucking gas? at what point to i replace the fuel pump?

[quinnfiske]

Is the carb float bowl filling with fuel? The float valve may be stuck or gummed up.

Maybe you can take out the spark plugs and crank it a while that way. It will spin faster and build up oil pressure as an added plus.

[jerry]

i'd imagine the fuel filter would show fuel before the carb saw any fuel, so i can't comment on the float yet.

i'll undo the spark plugs. good idea. i was afraid to burn out my starter. it's one of those big heavy ones that are hard to wrestle out of there.

[FunkyLaneO]

The float controls a valve that lets fuel into the carb, if that is not functioning correctly the the fuel pump is pumping against a brick wall. try disconnecting the fuel line at the carb and redirect it into some type of container and crank it again and see if fuel flows, if it does then it is time to take apart that carb.

[inkatouring]

If you have a mechanical fuel pump, all you can do is have the motor turn over to get fuel through. You can do that via the starter (with or without plugs, depending on your concerns) or by running the motor on starting fluid down the carb -- or a little of both.

Or you could put your A4 system on it instead.

Good luck.

[c.d.iesel]

GIVEN THE AGE, AND NEGLECT - THE SOFT FUEL HOSES

may also be sucking air - replace all the rubber fuel

hoses. and as above be really carefull while cranking with

the feed hose removed from the carb and your measuring the

pump output into a jar - any spark and your up-in-smoke!!!

the mechanical pump diaphram will rot and not suck given

the history you state

and don't be so cheep - put 5-gallons into the tank

the crud plugged tank pick-up strainer wants to see

a higher fuel level

[TobyB]

Mity-Vac!

Attach it to the fuel line at the firewall, and see if you get gas there.

If you do, hook the pump up and do the same thing to the hose

that comes out of the pump. You should be able to draw fuel through

the pump.

If that works, crank the engine with the pump outlet in a bottle- if you get

gas, your fuel delivery system works, and you can focus on the carb.

t

[dpecsok]

i had the same exact problem as you did. i replaced the fuel pump then just about every thing from the carb to fuel tank. got ANOTHER fuel pump and it solved that problem. you might want to clean/rebuld your carb as well.