put in an electric fuel pump?

[Mister 4x4]

My car will sit for a month or so. I had the same problem as you. I solved it with a bottle of starting fluid. I spray some into the air cleaner and it fires right up. The higher RPMs gets the mechanical pumping enough to get the fuel flowing again.

If you are going through the trouble of opening the hood, just fill the primary float bowl with gas via the vent.

It will idle for a while like that....plenty enough time to prime the pump and have it take over.

I do that currently with my Jeep. That's why I'm going to install one of those electric pumps. :whistling:

 

[rcadd1ct]

My car will sit for a month or so. I had the same problem as you. I solved it with a bottle of starting fluid. I spray some into the air cleaner and it fires right up. The higher RPMs gets the mechanical pumping enough to get the fuel flowing again.

If you are going through the trouble of opening the hood, just fill the primary float bowl with gas via the vent.

It will idle for a while like that....plenty enough time to prime the pump and have it take over.

I do that currently with my Jeep. That's why I'm going to install one of those electric pumps. :whistling:

Fair enough.

 

[will e]

If you are going through the trouble of opening the hood, just fill the primary float bowl with gas via the vent.

It will idle for a while like that....plenty enough time to prime the pump and have it take over.

I do that currently with my Jeep. That's why I'm going to install one of those electric pumps. :whistling:

Fair enough.

I open the hood anyways to disconnect the battery tender (and check for cats). Really, just 3 seconds of starting fluid in the center carb air cleaner and it fires right up.

 

[Vinnie]

So I had a look last night. Before I touched anything I checked the accelarationpump in my carb and when pulling the throttle lever, it sprayed fuel in 2 or 3 times and after that nothing came out anymore. I guess there was no more fuel left in the carb.

Then I sat down and tried to start. Unexpectedly so the engine started running on the 2nd attempt to start it... It didn't run very pretty though and when putting the pedal down it sounded like it would stop. After about 30 seconds it started running and respond normal again and the world once more became a brighter place ;-)

However, why does the engine behave like this?

This is my fuel filter after not having touched my car for 2 weeks:

This is my fuel filter with the engine running (including a few revs):

Is it normal to have so much air in the filter? It doesn't feel right. Is it?

Cheers,

Vince.

 

[turtle5353]

Vinnie, It seems like the diaphragm in your mechanical fuel pump maybe going bad. That lets the fuel drain back and not keep the prime to the carb. In the winter I let my car sit for weeks without starting and all I do is pump the gas twice and hit the key and she fires right up. There should definitely be more than 1 or 2 squirts of fuel left in your carb. Once it did fire up it probably ran rough till you got enough fuel in the bowls to properly feed the engine. I would throw on a new pump. They are cheap and easy to install and good insurance from that happening again. Also I don't like to run a fuel filter up on the motor. I usually put mine in the rubber line from the frame rail to the pump. That way you catch any debris before it gets to the pump. I also like to run a solid metal line or steel braided line from the pump all the way to the carb. Less likely to have vapor lock problems if there is no rubber lines going across the motor. Replace the pump, filter and run a good hard line and you should be fine. Here is the style of fuel filter I usually run inline just before the pump. Good luck.

 

[Hemikiller]

Just to reiterate: Edelbrock/Carter/Summit carbs need a good insulator gasket or phenolic spacer. The bowl design is one piece with the baseplate, so it transfers the engine heat directly to the fuel, which will boil and evaporate. The indicator of this is you only have three squirts on your accelerator pump, which should have a full bowl of fuel to draw from.

Bad pump or not, a bowl cannot empty back through the inlet line - the needle and seat are in the way.

 

[Vinnie]

Sorry for not replying to your idea of putting in a spacer, Hemikiller, it's been in the back of my mind though. It doesn't sound like it's very expensive so who not give it a go? I'll look into it, thanks!

Turtle: I'm still having doubts about the pump as well, it feels like it could and should pump with a bit more power so I'll still get a new pump as well.

Cheers guys,

Vince.

 

[Vinnie]

Just a question about the spacer: It's going in between an Edelbrock performer LB 351-2V intake and an 1406 Edelbrock (4bbl) carb. Should I get a spacer with 4 holes or just 1 or 2?