51 SPECIAL NO START CONDITION

[Guest 51SPECIAL40]

Hello to all....wondering if someone can shine some light on a fuel problem i am having with my 1951 Buick model 48d straight eight. I had the gas tank reconditioned and the carb as well. Car started and ran great with no issues. I took it out last month and unfortunately it started to rain. I went to turn on the wipers and as soon as i did the engine quit and wouldnt restart. Turned over but wouldnt start. I noticed in the glass fuel bowl at the carb there was some black sediment in it. Took the bowl down and emptied. I immediately thought the diaphram in the fuel pump failed due to the ethanol gas. The fuel pump was the only component in the fuel system that I didnt have rebuilt/reconditioned. So I took the fuel pump off and sent it to Arthur Gould in NY as I saw his ad in Hemmings. Took him 3 days to rebuild and return to me ( very fast service -good or bad ?? -). I put the pump on,primed the carb and tried to start - turns over but wont start fuel bowl EMPTY-. Removed the fuel tank and checked the pick up tube for possibly being clogged - clear-. disconnected the lines at the pump and blew through the line from the tank to the pump -clear-. Blew through the line from the pump to the carb -clear-. Sent the pump back to Goulds and they retested it and said it was working properly and sent it back to me. I installed and retried still turns over but wont start. I took the line off at inlet side of fuel pump. Hooked up a hose to line and put in a gallon jug of gas and tried to start that way - no good -. I made sure the plunger on the fuel pump was under the cam lobe ( put the pump on loose and cranked the engine..I saw the pump tilt like the lobe was hitting it ) . I am ready to hook up an electric fuel pump but that is not solving the problem that is driving me NUTS!!! Any help??? Suggestions???<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

[60FlatTop]

You didn't say if the car would start by putting a little gas down the carb.

You can prime the fuel system by taking the fuel line off at the carb and attaching a hand vacuum pump, like a MyTeeVac, with the brake bleeder bottle in line. Draw the fuel from the tank to the bottle.

I have done this with long term storage cars to check the fuel condition and "wet" the pump before flexing the diaphragm. In those cases I draw fuel until I get clean clear gas.

Once you have primed the system, put a jar over the disconnected line at the carb and crank the engine a bit. Gas should squirt out in a pretty good stream. If it doesn't the pump is not working.

That would satisfy your fuel delivery question.

I would also cap the vacuum line to the wipers.

Bernie

[Guest 51SPECIAL40]

Thanks for responding bernie i did "prime" the carb by pouring some gas in it and the car just fires off and shuts down immediately...i did cap the wipers as well...i cant figure out for the life of me the original failure that caused the car not to restart...sent the pump out had it rebuilt by a well know rebuilder and even sent it back to them again when i felt the pump was not operating properly...they said it was bench tested and was working peoperly which i think is bull

[JohnD1956]

I'm thinking you have a rusted section of the metal line from the pump to the tank.

If you have a vacuum guage maybe you can pull off the line to the fuel pump and crank the car over for two or three rotations and then see if you have a vacuum reading?

Does you car have the short rubber fuel line between the metal line from the tank to the fuel pump? If so try putting a new piece of line on that.

[Guest 72gs]

My 37 had gas no gas , finally pulled the tankand found the in tank sock ( filter ) was being sucked into the pick up tube. I took the sock off and just run an inline filter. Have had no problems since I did this.

PS

The car would run and then starve for gas and die and not start.