60 Buick Invicta fuel issue

Hi everyone. My first post.I inherited this car from my father, and want desperately to keep it running. Just got the plugs/distibutor replaced, but now there's a fuel problem. It'll start, but fuel will blow out of the vent ports on top of the fuel pump. What's going on? Clogged filter??

Thanks for any help,

Mike

Mike

Can't answer your problem, but I'll be watching this thread as I just purchased a 60 Invicta that should be here in a couple of weeks.

You might want to connect with other 60 fans over at the "60 Buick Universe" on Facebook.

The fuel system is closed and does not really have a venting mechanism, so a little clarification would help with the diagnosis. Have you checked the hose clamps for tightness, and the fuel lines for cracks/cuts?

Is the fuel leaking at the pump or at the filter? Is the pump an aftermarket replacement type as shown below?

Or is it the original type with the screw-together housing?

I have never had the fuel pump leak, but have had issues with leaks at the fuel filter, where the glass bowl joins the mount.

A better idea of the exact source will help to pinpoint the problem. And on a positive note, once you work out the initial issues, the 60's are pretty easy to maintain and great road cars.

Great reply.

I was cautioned about the fuel filter

"If fuel filter is to be serviced, use extreme caution do not overtighten glass fuel bowl retainer, will warp housing and cause a fuel leak. "

the 60's are pretty easy to maintain

This is becoming clear to me. There isn't much that is complex or hard to figure out. The only thing unusual I am having to get my head wrapped around is the torque tube, but that will come once I get it up on the lift and start poking around.

I just realized the other day that I've never "owned" a passenger car with a V8 until now ( and only a couple of full size vans with them, and one is a diesel). I began getting disillusioned with American cars in the last quarter of the 60's so the only cars I owned have had no more then 6 and more typically 4 cylinders. Other then purchased new family vehicles, they have all been pre 1970. I think part of the reason was that was when things started getting complex in the early days of smog controls and spagetti bowls of vacuum lines when you opened the hood. The 60 Buick seems really dead simple.

If gas is coming out the hole I see in the picture posted by shorttimer then you need to rebuild or replace that fuel pump. That hole looks like it would be behind the fuel section seal, and escaping fuel indicates that seal is compromised. Chances are you have raw fuel in the oil now, so pull the dipstick and smell the oil for gasoline. Change as needed.

Hello Mike

I agree with JoneD. You almost certainly have a split diaphragm in the fuel pump. The hole is there to let the fuel escape in such circumstances. Replace the fuel pump, they are quite cheap and easy to do. If the pump is old, you might find that the flexible hoses are perished too. Replace them while you are there, it is an important safety item.

You may well need to change the engine oil & filter too, because petrol may have leaked into the sump.

I had a 60 Electra flat top for about 15 years and enjoyed it immensely. I was sorry to let it go, but space dictated the move. They are great fun to drive. Enjoy it!

Adam..

Check also the vent pipe at the tank. They can and do block up and will allow it to run for a short period of time. This however is not your current problem. Here is a photo of mine taken last weekend at a Buick show in Sydney, Australia.

+1 for the diaphragm diagnosis and oil change recommendation. I thought the pictures might help pinpoint the issue and identify a solution. Hope that was the case.