Author Topic: Fuel Pump  (Read 1468 times)

boatingbill

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Fuel Pump
« on: July 26, 2012, 01:07:24 PM »
I have a starting problem on my '51 Kaiser. If I start the car every 3-4 days, the car starts right
up and runs fine. If the let the car sit a week to 10 days, the car fails to start due to lack of fuel. I
can look in the carb and work the throttle and no gas squirts from the accelerator pump. The fuel
filter between the carb and the fuel pump is empty. Removing the fuel line between the fuel filter
and the fuel pump and the line is empty. So there is no gas at all after the fuel pump. The car has
a Kanter single stage pump put on 10 months ago and a new fuel filter at that time. If I squirt gas
into the carb, the engine fires up and then dies. The third or fourth time I do this, the engine will
fire up and then run normal. The fuel pump has maybe 3 hours on it since I installed it and has
a lifetime warranty. It took months of waiting to get this pump as I did not have a good core to
send in. What do the members of this forum suggest?

glen

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Re: Fuel Pump
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2012, 09:23:16 PM »
Hi,
I had starting problems as well and I ended up installing an electric fuel pump and now starting is a breeze !

dpledger

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Re: Fuel Pump
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2012, 10:52:00 PM »
You almost surely have an air leak in  the vacuum side of the system. This would often not be large enough to allow noticeable amounts of gas to leak out, but enough to kill the vacuum sufficiently that the pump doesn't pump very well. This also permits any gas that gets out of the tank to run back in once the engine is off. The leak could occur at any connection, or in the flexible hose connector. The first step would be to make sure all connections are tight-teflon tape is a good safety move on these. Then carefully inspect the flexible hose-if it is original modern gas may be eating  through, or it could just be tired. The most insidious leak source is where the tube goes into the tank to pick up gas-if this is above the gas level, it can act just like an air leak anywhere else, and there will never be any evidence of it.

As you have just replaced the pump, the connections to it would be the prime suspects. It could also have an internal leak.

I replaced the original AC pump on my '53 with a Carter in antiquity. After 120K + miles I have just rebuilt it. I never had any problems whatever, including the dreaded vapor lock. Air leaks are likely the primary cause of fuel pump issues-if they are not adequate to stop you by themselves, they will team up with other factors such as high underhood temps to do it.

When inspecting your lines, look for either particularly clean areas, indicating gas leaking out, or dirty areas, suggesting wet areas picking up crud.

boatingbill

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Re: Fuel Pump
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2012, 08:39:30 AM »
dpledger, Thanks for the great info. I will check all connections as you suggested.
glen, do you have the make or model and where you purchased the 6v pump? I may put one on
just to stay away from any vapor lock problems in the future.

darrin145

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Re: Fuel Pump
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2012, 10:19:55 AM »
I use a NAPA # P4259 for all my 6 volt cars. If you feel you have to use "sealing tape" on your fuel connections, DON'T use regular teflon tape, as gasoline will desolve it! Your parts place should have a gas friendly tape available, but if your connections are clean, not damaged and tight, it should not be necessary.

Gary.

boatingbill

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Re: Fuel Pump
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2012, 02:17:04 PM »
Gary, Thanks for the info. It is on the KFOC interchange list.
Dpledger, As you suspected it looks like a connection. I started the car up and checked all the
connections I could see and no leaks. Then I set the idle up high and rechecked all connections
again and found the flexible line from the steel line to the fuel pump was seeping. I tightened
that clamp and will wait a week to see what now happens.