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Fuel Pump problem?

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vping

vping

Yoda
Silver
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1974 MGB with Stock pump.

Took the car to work on Monday. No problems. After work I started it up and the pump was ticking and ticking - not random ticking as it usually is when I'm driving. I though I might be running out of gas but made it to pick up my daughter 5 miles away and then another 10 back home. Got in the car Tuesday AM. Drove 5 miles to work no problems but still the pump was always ticking - like I was out of gas.

Tueday night I get in to drive home and I made it about half way. Car started to sputter like I was out of gas so I pulled over. Car stayed running - I revved it a bit and took off. Hmm wierd. I made it two blocks - it sputtered and I pulled over - stayed running revved the engine and continued on. This went on for awhile until it started to get dangerous. I was able to get off the main road and onto a back road. I checked all connections at the pump. Fine. I checked the glass fuel filter and it was full. I tapped on the tank - sounds like I have some gas. Got in turned the key, pumped ticked and stopped. Turned it on and drove away. Two blocks later - sputter - dead. Did this for awhile and then Jeani towed me that last mile home.

What gives? Vapor lock - Bad fuel pump - carb related - too stupid to know that I am really out of gas? I've only got 160 miles on the trip and put in a full tank.

Vince
 
Guess - Parial fuel clog from tank to pump, with the great petrol supply that we have been getting?
 
Vince - The constant running of the pump sounds like an air leak on the inlet side of the pump. the air leak could be in the pump itself as well as in the fuel lines from the tank or even the pickup tube in the tank. See the article, Fuel Delivery Troubleshooting Guide in the SU Fuel Pump Articles section of my web site at: https://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/ for tips on troubleshooting the problem.
Cheers,
 
Sweet. Just printed it so I can head off to the... er.. um., library and read it.
 
Vince, I had that happen a couple months ago and it was the suction line from the pump to the tank, the one with the metal braid around it. Everything was replaced with new in the fuel system, but not having that line, I used the old one until a new one arrived. Guess what, being out of sight, it went out of mind. Fortunately, it went bad close to home.
 
If the glass fuel filter is full, it is getting gas pumped up to the engine compartment, right? I would check the floats and see if they are gunky.

Bruce
 
I'm with Dave (and Paul's experience). It's suckin' air.
 
A political Fuel pump? OK i'll check at that end first.
 
vping said:
A political Fuel pump?
Click to expand...

VINCE!

Don't make us come up there! :wink:
 
Just a follow up on this. I chucked the SU in favor for a Facet. It's quieter than the SU and all is well. I did blow out the lines into a bucket as well as shook all the gas out of the SU. There was evidence of a lot of little metal flakes along with some water. The Glass filter up front was also really dirty. Not sure where the metal in the pump and lines was coming from unless the SU was giving up the ghost and self destructing. I drove it on our Fall fliage run of about 100 miles without a hiccup.
 
Not much but brass in the SU... something else. Tank was cleaned and lined, yes? I hate mysteries like that. Keep checking your filter for a while.
 
Is there room for a "pre-filter" between tank and pump to catch tank schmutz?\
Or does extra filter involve pressure flow rating etc.
 
I purchased the tank new last year and gave it a quick rinse with gas before I painted it. It was not lined however. There is a pre-filer attached to the Facet and a Glass filter up front. The only schmutz should/would be from the Gas stations.
 
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