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Spitfire No Gas to Carburetor

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FlyingCat

FlyingCat

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In my seemingly never ending quest to start my 1980 Spitfire (1500 federal), I finally got a spark to the plugs. (Thanks to everybody who helped with that!) The car turns over (so I know the starter works, making it one of the few things I haven't had to replace... yet), and when I spray starting fluid in the carburetor, it fires, but it won't stay running. It's a new Weber carburetor, so there could be problems there. For instance, I'm not 100% sure where the gas and chock cables should be set. I also have a new gas pump, new gas lines, new gas filter (facing the right direction), new gas tank, and even a new sending unit. I know I'm getting gas to the pump at the engine block, but it doesn't seem to be going to the engine from there. Is that a pump problem, or a problem with the carburetor, or is it Engine Gnomes?
 
Just out of curiosity, how do you know the new Weber carb has been setup/installed correctly?

If you know gas is reaching the carb, but gas isn't leaving the carb ... seems that's the problem.

If you don't know if gas is reaching the carb - then that's the part of the system to trouble-shoot.

Do you have a manual showing how to install that carb?

Tom M.
 
Disconnect the gas line from the carb, put the line in a glass and turn the engine over. If the glass fills, the problem is inside the carb. If not, check for fuel at the pump outlet. If no fuel there, problem is in the pump; if yes, the problem is in the line.
 
when you changed the fuel pump, did you compare it to the old pump. There are 2 styles of pumps. one is used on the early cars and uses no pump spacer, the other is for the later cars and uses a spacer block between the pump and the block.
 
Well... I don't know the carb has been installed correctly. The installation "manual" from Redline is really awful. It mostly covers how to remove the old carb, and has virtually nothing on how to install the new one. The online manual is the exact same thing they send you in the mail, except harder to read. The few times I've called for technical assistance, I felt like I was keeping the person I talked to from playing Minesweeper. My problem is that gas isn't reaching the carb. Is that a carburetor problem, or a gas pump problem... or what?
 
I've already tried that. The glass does not fill. There is fuel in the pump, though, at the outlet. So which "line" would the problem be in? They're all new.
 
OK - as said before, take the output line from the fuel pump and route it into a container. Crank the engine and see if fuel comes out.

If no fuel, then the pump isn't functioning.
 
Yes, I did compare the pumps. The one I originally had was not the same (the original has a straight lever, and this one had a curved lever, or whatever you call the thing that sticks out). So I got a new one that matches the old one, one without a spacer. I've checked the installation twice, and it seems to be in correctly, but I'm truly not sure. Like most replacement parts I've purchased, they don't come with installation manuals, or even a hint how they should be installed. So I guess my question here is: Does anybody have a clue how that pump should've been installed, because that's where the problem seems to be.
 
I know that the fuel pump is working, and I've got fuel in the carburetor resevoir. It's just not firing. And now my starter's on the blink. Grrrr....
 
FlyingCat, I understand your frustration. Work through this methodically with the understanding that the car hasn't run for a while AND you are changing multiple things.

Fuel: I am not clear from your multiple replies above whether you have confirmed fuel is IN the carb's float chamber. Did you start by disconnecting the fuel hose AT the carb and crank the engine on the starter to see if fuel is pumped into a catch jar? If not, make sure you do that first. Next, if fuel is getting TO the carb, take the top off and make sure that fuel is getting into the float bowl.

Weber: I know next to nothing about Webers. However, they are a traditional non-CD carb that will have an accelerator pump. If you look down the carb throat and work the throttle by hand you should see a jet of fuel being shot into the carb venturi. Others will have to tell you how to check the setting/adjustment of the choke.


Spark: You said in your previous thread that you got the spark at the plugs. In this thread you said that the engine will fire on starter fluid but won't keep running. Clarify this. When the engine runs on starter fluid, are you still holding the key in the start position or have you released the key to the run position and the engine dies? This is important. Remember in your previous thread I warned about checking whether the coil was getting power at the right time because your (ballast) coil wiring did not look right. If the ballast coil wiring is wrong the engine may only be getting coil power when the key is in the start position.
 
Other possibilities. Could the float needles be stuck? Sometimes old gas can turn to varnish and gum things up.
Did you replace all the gas in the tank?

Do you smell gas when you try to start it? That would mean you have gas but no spark.
 
I know what you're saying. I just need to get back in the Zen of Auto Restoration. To answer your questions, the fuel pump works. I've pumped it by hand, and there is gas in the float chamber (I took the top off the carburetor). But, no, I am not able to squirt gas into the venturi. I suppose I could check my choke settings, but I'm not sure what I would check them relative to. I have no idea how the cables should go to both the gas and the choke. Redline gave next to nothing as far as installation instructions, and their online help is... less than helpful. And, no, I'm not sure about the ballast stuff, but the engine dies when I let off the starter. That could be because I've burnt all the starter fluid. When I try to start it back up again immediately after it dies, I get nothing. Of course, I've now managed to run my battery low, so I have to get a recharger. I've got your notes from the previous thread, and I will check the ballast. I was just hoping that the silly thing would start and there wouldn't be any problems. I'm also hoping for world peace.
 
The carb is new, so I don't think the float needles would be stuck. They could be in the wrong position, if such a thing is possible. You'd think a new carburetor would come with detailed instructions, but apparently Redline doesn't feel that way. And I know they're service technicians are busy, and they all have better things to do than actually help their customers.

As far as the gas tank goes, it's all new -- everything: Gas tank, fuel cap, sending unit, fuel filter, all rubber hoses, and fuel pump. The only thing I can figure out is that there's something wrong with the carburetor, or Doug is right and I need to make sure my ballast is working on the starter. What the hey! I wanted a hobby.
 
Installed new Weber on 1980 spitfire ,removed and cleaned gas tank , blew out all gas lines ,fuel filters showing gas, starts and stalls immediately, runs out of gas, pour gas in carb starts and starves out again??? Gas cap open?? Only runs if I feed carb by hand??? Help ??
 
You will draw more interest, views and responses if you post in a new thread instead of one 4 years dead. On your problem, is your fuel pump squirting gas with the hose disconnected at the carb feed?
Bob
 
This is a newer post… removed gas tank as was rusty and cleaned and resealed .. blew out all lines… fuel filters getting gas.. engine starts immediately after pouring gas in carb but runs out of gas fast… if I put hand over new Weber carb it tries to suck palm into carb and gets gas and runs… take hand off runs dry…blue gas line that goes back to canister on top of gas tank…. Why the suction??? It used to run ok????
 
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