I woke up Bugsy this afternoon after about a month long nap and he was cranky

[Jim_Gruber]

I discovered a fuel leak when I tried to start Bugsy IV this
AM and this afternoon replaced the rubber ethanol proof, yeah right, fuel line and changed the inline filter by the carb. An SU is back mounted on the wheel Well if front of tire. This was a new SU that I installed. Cranked a bit and Bugsy fired right up. Revved trying to get him warmed up and played with choke. Things got worse and worse and kept getting rougher and rougher. Finally with no power Bugsy just quit.

Bummer! So I noticed rusty sediment in the clear fuel filter. That's not good. Next question will be is there sediment in the tank and has it plugged things up. no time to deal with it anymore today but I want to resolve ASAP. so should next steps be.

1) Drain tank?
2) Do SU's have a built in filter, I don't think so
3) Take tops off of carbs and see if there is sediment in the bowls.

Tank looked pretty shiny and clean when I dropped it and shown a flashlight in the tank. Tank had been drained and car had been stored with a dry tank.

Need recommendations on next steps.

 

[Gerard]

If you didn't clean out the carbs, the float bowls will almost certainly have sediment in them. There is a chamber in the bottom that much of it will collect in, and usually need to be swabbed out with a Q-tip.

If the tank is original, it's a virtual certainly you'll have sediment there as well.

SU pumps do have screens over the ports (both, if I remember correctly), so those should be checked also.

On older tanks. I add a large filter at the tank, and another smaller before the carb inlets.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

I'll have a chance to pull the tops off of the bowls tomorrow afternoon I think, If not on Monday. Engine was running like a scalded dog when I put him away. That's the only thing that has changed in the last month. Thanks.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

I pulled front bowl off this PM and while there was evidence of old dried crud in the bottom of the bowl, no new crud or sediment I could move around with a Q-Tip. I did not pull the rear bowl. But I did a Master of the Obvious Test and used a long stick to measure how much gas is in the tank. The stick shows only about 1 - 1.5" of gas in the tank. So the question is how low can I go on fuel before the pickup stops working. I did test the fuel pump and it spurted and clicked but not a real strong spurt. So I think I found the issue. No gas dummy.

Gas gauge does not work properly. Only will read 1/8 tank when full. Not sure if I have a ground issue or if I have faulty sender or gauge. So anyone know what the Ohm Range is on a BE Fuel Sender Unit so I can pull the tank and test. I know I wrote this down and saved this information in a safe place one time. But I can't remember where that place is. Thanks,

 

[59diamond]

I think Scott MacDonald could give you a good answer

 

[Boink]

If you have old gunk in the bowls, I'd be examining the float valves too. Was there gas on the top of the float bowls at the overflows?

 

[SaxMan]

When I dropped the tank on my '69 Sprite, there most certainly was sediment in it. If there was sediment in my tank, I'd wager dollars to donuts that there is sediment in yours as well.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Mark, no issue with overflows although I didn't see exactly what was leaking. I think major issue is jack if gas in the tank. Pkan would be to drain what us left in there and refill with fresh. Question being drain Now to clean up sediment or wait till Spring to refill and leave the tank dry. With front and rear end to work it will be months before Bugsy will be back on the road