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Full tank but no fuel!!!!!

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Cooperman

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Guys - I'm ready to fire up my car after it's has been off the road for 40+ years and the fuel pump can not suck any fuel from the tank. Fuel pump works fine but the suction pipe in the tank appears blocked. I've tried blowing compressed air down the pipe but no go!
It's the original tank that looks V clean inside when viewed through the sender unit hole but the suction pipe must be behind a baffle as i can not see it.

1) Does the pipe have a filter on the inlet inside the tank that could be blocked?
2) Does the pipe go vertically from the union into the tank or does it bend and run along inside the bottom?

I'd like to retain the original tank as it seems sound and holds fuel OK. Suggestions as to a fix gratefully received.

Thanks
 
Cooperman said:
Guys - I'm ready to fire up my car after it's has been off the road for 40+ years and the fuel pump can not suck any fuel from the tank. Fuel pump works fine but the suction pipe in the tank appears blocked. I've tried blowing compressed air down the pipe but no go!
It's the original tank that looks V clean inside when viewed through the sender unit hole but the suction pipe must be behind a baffle as i can not see it.

1) Does the pipe have a filter on the inlet inside the tank that could be blocked?
2) Does the pipe go vertically from the union into the tank or does it bend and run along inside the bottom?

I'd like to retain the original tank as it seems sound and holds fuel OK. Suggestions as to a fix gratefully received.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Go buy yourself a 1/8" flexible drain cleaner and fish it through the "pipe" by going from the fuel exit connection and then try blowing the crud out again.
 
Is your drain plug under the tank located near where the suction tube is? I seem to remember when I had my BN2 tank issues a few years ago that when I pulled the drain plug out I had access to the end of the suction tube. Sorry if I'm thinking of something else....
 
Older gas turns to a hard shellac like crust. Probably in intake tube. Had it with a 40 Ford FH a year ago. Used a outboard tank and car ran great but would not suck anything from car tank. Had to poke it out with hard wire to clean it.
 
I bought a BN6 project car with a gas tank that the PO had cleaned and sealed. Too good of a job, the sealer clogged up the outlet pipe solid and no way was I able to clear it- except with a new tank ! Bob
 
I dismantled one 100/6 original tank-- NO filter is present at the outlet pipe, inside the tank
 
I have just made a stainless steel tank for my bj8 and cut the sender and fuel supply out of the old one to use on the new . the fuel supply has a small round very fine nylon mesh filter on the end . The pipe has a slight kink in it but sits just above the drain plug
 
Side note on older fuel tanks: Even if the tank looks OK, has been cleaned, etc. there be dragons. We bought an original used tank for our BN2 in (apparently) good condition from a reputable supplier. After we installed the tank we had an erratic fuel pump--we thought--it pumped furiously for a few seconds then stopped for a while then started pumping furiously again. We tried a new pump, flushed the lines and verified all connections, but still the pumps didn't act like they should. The only thing left was something wrong with the tank so we bought a new one (issue there, but that's a different post). Dad cut out the fitting and the pickup tube and sure enough, as we had suspected, there was a small hole in the pickup tube near the top. There was corrosion in that area, and Dad surmised the flux used to solder the fitting for the outlet pipe had caused the corrosion over the years. There was no screen on that pickup tube, either.
 
Stupid point but one that has actually occurred in the past, just make sure that there is nothing floating around in the tank that could block your outlet pipe inside the tank preventing the suction side from working.

:cheers:

Bob
 
Thanks for all those that responded - Yep the pick up pipe in the tank was blocked solid with a hard fuel residue of some type. I had to cut the pipe out at the union then straighten it and put a long drill down it to get the stuff out. It was set solid. Good to save the original tank and a few quid....... Thanks again - all sorted!
 
I have been lucky several times unclogging dead fuel in lines. I use a piece of emergency brake cable freyed on the end and connected to drill. Then run thru pick up tube or fuel line. Had a piece almost 4 feet long on a truck fuel line once. Lots of carb spray after to wash out the muck. But your results may vary...
 
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I have a 72 MGB and had a 70 and a 79, all had a fine screen on the end of the pickup tube in the tank. If your car has that screen, it's probably plugged, as it is very fine material. Might be your problem. Second, does your car have a suction line with a flexible metal sleeve on it? I've had the hose inside crack where you can not see it and the pump just sucked air. Worth a check if you have that setup. PJ
 
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