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Posted By Discussion Topic: Fuel Delivery Problem -- page: 1 2 3 4     TonyM 07-29-2014 @ 7:00 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 458 Joined: Sep 2010 I am having an apparent fuel delivery problem with my 1937 Ford 85hp with Stromberg 97 carb and mechanical fuel pump. Last time I drove the car in June I thought that I had run out of gas (gas gauge don't work). The car was evidently suffering from fuel starvation--it had sputtered and then quit. I put gas in the tank and the car started right up. I drove back to my garage and parked it. I took off the generator and voltage reg for rebuild. When the gen and vr came back I reinstalled them. The car would not start. I have spark but it appears that fuel is not getting to the carb. I tried starting it with starting fluid and gas poured in the carb. The car would fire up but stop when the fuel ran out. I cranked it over a bunch of times and pressed the pedal down a bunch of times but I could not smell gas during the start attempts. I disconnected the fuel line from the carb to fuel pump. No gas came out of the fuel pump when I cranked it. I drained the fuel from the fuel tank and I disconnected the fuel line from fire wall to tank and blew it out with air. Some gas came out. I reconnected all and no start. Again, appears no gas getting to carb from pump. I removed the fuel pump (new about 600 miles ago). When I removed the fuel line from the fire wall to pump, a small amount of gas came out. And a very very small amount of gas could be seen weeping from the hole at rear of the pump. I put the old fuel pump on (it worked when I replaced it with the new one) and reconnected everything and put in fresh new gasoline in the tank--still no start. I took off the fuel pump and a small amount of gas came out of the fuel line to fire wall and again small amount of fuel weeped out of the back hole. Seemed like fuel was getting to the pump but not beyond it. I put the new fuel pump back on. I decided to test the pump further. I connected a hose to the fuel pump and ran it to a small gas can. Cranked it but it appeared that no gas was being drawn into the make shift hose set up from the gas can. I thought that maybe the new fuel pump was bad, but the old fuel pump did not work either. The car ran good for about 600 miles. When I removed each fuel pump, gas dripped out of the firewall to pump fuel line and a very small amount of fuel appeared to weep out of the back hole of the pump. Could both pumps be bad? Not sure. Fuel appears to get up to the pump but not beyond it. Also noticed some gas staining at the base of the carb and then noticed that the nuts holding the carb were not very tight and the one on the left was real loose. Tightened all those down. After tightening all up and reinstalling the pump still no start. Any help appreciated. TonyM . . . 78-73B nelsb01 07-29-2014 @ 9:07 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 982 Joined: Oct 2009 TonyM; It almost sounds like your fuel line from the tank is plugged. Or, you have a leak that is letting air into the transfer of gas. You are trying the right thing by trying to see if the fuel will travel from the tank to the pump. If it worked with the old pump, I would blow out the fuel line from firewall to tank and reinstall the old pump (that you knew worked) and try to see if you can get it to pump to the carb line that you disconnected. Make sure that you have tight connections to remove any chance of air being sucked into the delivery line. If you still dont get gas at the pump, then try a 3rd pump. If still no fuel -- it has to be the gas line from tank to pump. I am sure others will add to my suggestions....... 40 Coupe 07-30-2014 @ 4:15 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1675 Joined: Oct 2009 Tony: Since you bypassed the fuel line with the gas can and the fuel pumps still did not deliver fuel I think you have narrowed it down to bad fuel pumps or the installation of the pump to the adapter. If your using a pump, like the original 38 with the steel cover, often the cover gasket will leak air into the pump preventing the pump from drawing fuel from the fuel line. You may try, as a temporary measure, to wrap a couple turns of electrical tape around the junction of the top cover to the pump body and see if you can get fuel through the pump, if that fails replace the pump. Charlie Schwendler sells rebuilt and tested pumps with a special diaphragm to stand up to todays fuels. His ad is in the V8 Times. TomO 07-30-2014 @ 8:08 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7252 Joined: Oct 2009 Tony, If you are having a problem with priming the fuel pump, hook a vacuum gauge to the input of the fuel pump and crank the engine. The vacuum gauge reading should rise to 10 inches in 18 seconds. Stop cranking the engine and watch the needle on the gauge. It should take at least one minute to reach 0. In order of probability causes of failure in this area are top cover or sediment bowl gasket leaks, input valve not working or defective diaphragm. The valves in the new after market pumps made by Air-Tek will not hold vacuum above 5 inches. This may lead to priming failures. The valves in the pre 1941 fuel pumps are more likely to fail than the later type. The flex lines can leak at the crimp for the connection or from pinholes caused by not being alcohol resistant causing a vacuum leak. Tom TonyM 07-30-2014 @ 9:42 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 458 Joined: Sep 2010 Thanks all for the help. Still no start. Fuel is getting to the pump, but not beyond it. When I take the pump off, fuel drips out of it from the after port. When I turned the pump upside down, fuel leached out of the top cap. So fuel is getting there but not to the carb. . . . 78-73B ken ct. 07-31-2014 @ 3:27 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1513 Joined: Jan 2010 Either your inlet valve is not creating enough of a seal to suck fuel and or leaking fuel from the top cap when held upside down you have a bad gasket [cork or rubber]on the cover. There is also a small fiber gasket under the hold down bolt on the cover. Pump should NOT leak gas from there when held upside down. You will also be sucking air if you have a leak there.Sounds like you need a competent rebuilder on that pump. OMO. ken ct. David J 07-31-2014 @ 5:20 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 136 Joined: Jan 2014 Hey Tony , Try MANUALLY running the pump with all hooked up . Just take the 2 bolts out and push the pump up and down on the pushrod . This will tell you if your cam or fuel pump pushrod have worn down to the point of not functioning properly any more . You can also do it by hand but for sure check this as it sounds like you have classic symptoms of pushroditis !!!!!! Anyways it is easy to check and will get you one base closer . David J 07-31-2014 @ 9:24 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 136 Joined: Jan 2014 Tony , Just read your posts on the other site . Your last post said you get gas leaking out of the dome if you turn it over . If that is not sealed it is problem #1 with these pumps . The dome cover has to be sealed and the gasket probably went bad sitting OR maybe you have corn gas in it ? Anywayz the dome HAS TO BE SEALED for these to work properly . David J TonyM 08-05-2014 @ 7:23 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 458 Joined: Sep 2010 Installed new fuel pump and new fuel line. No start. When I disconnected the fuel line from the pump to firewall, fuel was seen to come out of the fuel line. Tested the pump-- Ran a fuel line from the fuel pump to a gas can. No start. When I disconnected the fuel line from the gas can and fuel pump, a few ounces of fuel poured out of the hose. Seems the fuel gets to the pump, but not beyond it. Stumped. Vacuum? Damaged fuel pump rod? Carb? Any help appreciated. . . . 78-73B This message was edited by TonyM on 8-5-14 @ 7:26 AM TonyM 08-05-2014 @ 8:23 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 458 Joined: Sep 2010 DavidJ. I just saw your posts. I hope it isn't the cam. I'll mess with the Push rod and see what happens. . . . 78-73B This message was edited by TonyM on 8-5-14 @ 8:24 AM

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