Fuel problem

[kjphilippona]

I have gone thru a very hard divorce last July and this old girl has been siting at the X's house to be started and run for a little from time to time. I decides to bring her to my new home this week, the battery was replaced and she started up and ran for only a few seconds then shut down, I could not get it to start again. I do not hear the electric fuel pump running and when i loosen the clamp on the fuel line going to the fuel rail, no fuel squirts out. Can someone please give me a good place to start looking for my problem

[siteunseen]

Take the hose off the bottom of the metal fuel filter behind the radiator on the passengers side. Put it in an empty container and spin the motor over. Gas should come out.

Go to a parts store and buy a new filter.

If gas doesn't come out let us know.

Cliff

[FastWoman]

When you turn the key to "start," you can run the fuel pump for up to 5 sec.  It sounds like when you let the key return to "ON" or "IGN," your pump might not continue to receive power.  It may run just a few sec on the fuel pumped when you were cranking the engine.

 

Ordinarily, the fuel pump is designed to shut down when the engine stops running (a safety feature).  The strategy for detecting a non-running engine changed throughout the years.  If your '77 is designed like my '78, this shut-down occurs when there is neither alternator output nor oil pressure.  Either alternator output or oil pressure will enable the fuel pump relay.  But check the FSM for your year to make sure.

 

To get from point A to point B, you could "hot-wire" your pump.  Run a wire from the + post of the pump to the battery, and it should whir away, enough to get you home to a location where you can take your time debugging the issue.  But be warned:  If you get into an accident, and if the integrity of your fuel system is compromised, your fuel pump could spray fuel all over the place, and you could die in a ball of flames, along with everyone around you.  The safest route is just to have the car towed.  Or perhaps you're on good enough terms with your ex that you can take your time debugging the problem where the car sits now.

[Zed Head]

I'm guessing sugar or something else that's not supposed to be there, in the gas tank.

 

The common way to test fuel pump operation and check for pressure is to remove the small yellow wire from the starter solenoid, then turn the key to Start.  The pump will run but the engine won't turn.  Assuming that your system is stock.  If you have the later 1978 style safety system, I've heard that removing the oil pressure sending unit plug will allow the pump to run with the key On.  That's easier for testing pressure since you can leave the key On.

 

A simple way to check which system you have is to look at the oil sender plug.  Early only has one wire, late has two wires.

[kjphilippona]

Thanks for the help, i had the car towed to my apartment, now finding the time to work on it. I will post any progress or set backs!

[kjphilippona]

Ok, got out there this morning before going to work, first i disconnected the small wire to my starter and turned the key to start, i could not here the electric fuel pump running. Second i went to the parts store and purchased a new fuel filter, when i disconnected the old filter, it was full of fuel and there was fuel coming out of the lower hose and just a tiny bit on the other end. After replacing the filter, the engine would still not start!

Edited May 31, 2015 by kjphilippona

[FastWoman]

Try putting a volt meter on your pump.  See if +12 is making it to the pump.  Also check the integrity of your ground.  I believe the ground wire runs from the pump, through a grommet, and into the toolbox area, where there's a ground screw.  (I'm not certain about this.)  Also try hot-wiring the pump to force it to run.  This will rule out a bad pump.

 

If you're not getting +12 to the pump, check the two big connectors just inside the firewall on the passenger side.  In the corner of one of them is the fuel pump wire.  I think it's blue with a green stripe, or maybe green with a blue stripe.  See if that connection looks good.  (That connection had gone bad on my car, and I think the contact is undersized for the electrical load.)

 

Check your relays.  You have both a fuel pump control relay and a fuel pump relay.

[kjphilippona]

Thanks, i will start there as soon as i can get another warm body!

[siteunseen]

I thought for sure the paper in the fuel filter had folded in, sorry.

I'm not 100 percent on this but it seems like one of the four fuse able link wires powers the pump.

I'm with Fastwoman, straight wire to the post on the pump from the battery. I use speaker wire with alligator clips.

Where is Enterprise? Seems like ive been through there going to the beach? Ive got a spare Bosch pump is why I ask.

You could go to ZCON in Memphis this July and put that deevorce in the rearview mirror.

[Zed Head]

It only takes a little bit of moisture to get in to the pump and cause rust, or a few rust particles, and jam things up.  The pumping mechanism is just small roller bearings on an eccentric mechanism with tight clearances to push the low viscosity gasoline.  Not much to it.  

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the pump is just jammed, from sitting.  If the motor windings haven't been damaged you might be able to get it moving again with some hard taps to the body.  Jack up the back, or one side and remove a wheel, check voltage, then tap it with a hammer and see what happens.

[kjphilippona]

I thought for sure the paper in the fuel filter had folded in, sorry.

I'm not 100 percent on this but it seems like one of the four fuse able link wires powers the pump.

I'm with Fastwoman, straight wire to the post on the pump from the battery. I use speaker wire with alligator clips.

Where is Enterprise? Seems like ive been through there going to the beach? Ive got a spare Bosch pump is why I ask.

You could go to ZCON in Memphis this July and put that deevorce in the rearview mirror.

 

Not a problem! Enterprise is in the middle, along the southern edge of Alabama. Thanks everyone for all the ideas!

Edited June 1, 2015 by kjphilippona

[FastWoman]

I wouldn't tap on the fuel pump. You can crack a permanent magnet. If it's really jammed up, I THINK you can disassemble and clean.