Easy Question

[Don Jordan]

I just had an experience - not good.

The car quit on me 20 miles from home. It seemed like it was starving for gas. I stopped in a big parking lot - my wife was following me so we drove home, got some tools, drove back. Took off the gas line at the carb, turned over the engine and nothing. Drove home, got an electric fuel pump, and that worked for a while.

Question: How important is the ground wire? My friend who was helping me said that because I have positive ground the wires should be switched. It didn't sound right to me but we hooked it up that way.

Question: would that have any effect on how much gas is being pumped. Will the pump run backwards (I know some of you guys are laughing at me but I don't know) I took a jug, turned on the fuel pump, (rated at 4 pounds) and it just trickled out. Does the fact that I have 2 carbs effect anything?

I just got it back from the upholsterers and I was so eager to take pictures and show off and I had to bring it home with a tow bar. I began at 9:30 and I just got home at 7:00.

When it runs it's a fire breathing machine - But it only goes under a mile and then starves for gas and quits.

I'm beat.

[oldmopar]

If the gas only trickled out of the fuel pump and and you put in another pump and still had the problem. It sounds like the fuel line or intank filter is blocked. Have you tried blowing air with a compressor back into the tank to clear the filter.

[Don Jordan]

I'm doing that today. I need to get it running long enough to get it up my driveway and into the garage.

What ever it is I know it's something stupid and minor. The trick is finding it.

Again I wonder about the positive ground aspect.

[Plymouthy Adams]

IF the pump is that of the electrical motor with gear or vane pump then the reversing of the wires would indeed cause the motor to runin reverse and would not pump fuel. The polarity of the pump is important..if you are running positive ground..and the pump itself is isolated windings then grounding of the pump as far as voltage is concerned is of no matter but physical mounting of the pump will have a huge effect on noise..mounting the pump if the case is the negative pole of the motor then you must surely iso-mount the pump from chassis and body. If the pump you use is of the electronic (solid state) like the original Facwett (now Purolator and Carter) then you cannot EVER reverse polarity of the wire..solid state device non diode protected input just is not happy with this condition.

[Don Jordan]

So just to get this straight if the pump works at all then it must be wired correctly?

If it doesn't pump enough then I'm going to assume there is blockage - it's been sitting for over a year. The tank was boiled out a few months ago.

Another thought is carbs... maybe they have caramelized gas in them.

I thought about the collapsing hose line but that's gone now.

I'm going to blow out the fuel line later - both ways. It is truly a conundrum.

If I spray gas into the carb it fires right up - keep my foot on the gas and it will idle (fast) - put any load and it just dies and won't fire without the primer squirt.

ah the joys of elderly cars

[steveplym]

I think if I were you Don I'd check that in tank filter like the others have said. Then I'd check your fuel line and hose. Has it been replaced recently? I had an old truck that would run fine for a while, then leave me stranded 10 miles from home. New fuel pump, cleaned out the tank, added in line fuel filter. Still a problem. The line was older and rusty. So I replaced the fuel line and didn't have any more problems.

I used to drive it down the highway out of a gas can. You could always do that to isolate the fuel line and pump. Run a hose out of a gas can up to the fuel pump and run the car. If it runs fine it is most likely the line, tank, or hoses. If the problem persists then you can assume the fuel pump is probably bad.

[Don Jordan]

Thank you - what a great idea. When the car was up on blocks and the tank was in the shop I used that procedure. If it works then that eliminates fuel pump and I can concentrate on replacing fuel lines and gas tank. I guess it's all a process of elimination.

this forum is the best for mechanically challenged people such as me