73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Engine/Drivetrain => Topic started by: txchainsawgogi on January 17, 2011, 03:34:49 pm
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As I write this I am trying to drive home and my engine keeps stalling. Its acting like its starving for fuel.
Considering I was just driving it all day yesterday I'm thinking its the fuel pump or the fuel filter I the carb.
If the filter looks clean, how do I know if its the pump?
78 c10 350, auto.
Helpppp!!!!
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What do you do when it stalls? Stopping, accelerating, coasting, maintaining speed, etc?
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Well it did it like 10 tmes on the way home, so I got a few chances to try different things. Coasting still killed it, mashing the pedal still kills it...however, mashing it down if and when it finally starts is the only way it will stay running long enough to go into gear and go maybe 100-400 ft before stalling again.
Took the fuel line off at the carb to see how much the pump pulls on startup and it was a pathetic trickle,,,wouldn't really even call it a squirt.
Very confused.
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Did you ever fix or replace that fuel line?
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=18547.15
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Can't find a replacement locally...I have to ebay it. But its been running fine. It was stalling at low low speeds.
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you saying you cranked it over while you had the line disconnected? If you only get a trickle with that then you need a new pump.
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Replacing it today, anything i need to look out for?
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Make sure the rod is pushed up into the block. Also you can buy a length of steel line with fittings already installed. If you cut the line and use a short piece by the carb to replace that kink you can splice the 2 lines with fuel hose and clamp it together, or bend up a whole new line if you can't find a pre-bent replacement.
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Replace that kinked line. All you need is a piece of 3/8" and bend it.
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I will bet whats happened is that pump trying to force the fuel past that kink has killed it, Mine was the same way . I replaced the line and the pump and everything is fine.
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Can I use a few inches of reinforced rubber fuel injection line? Just to replace the 90 degree angle.
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As long as you have enough room to get it clamped properly, and the hose is rated for fuel. I know a guy that burned down a real nice Monte Carlo because he was stupid and used 3/8" air hose for his fuel line. The ideal setup would be to use all steel tubing.
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Yeah its fuel line, I've got some leftover from when I replaced some dried out lines coming from the tank last week.
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Replaced the pump and fixed the kinked line. Started and ran fine for 2 minutes then died again. Still acting like its starving for fuel. Its even hard to start too...
Is there a filter I'm missing that might be clogged? Could it be electrical?
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Unhooked the line to the carb to check the flow and its still not pumping fuel. I took the pump off again to make sure the rod was positioned correct...still not pumping.
I have gas. Its a new pump. I fixed the fuel line.
the fuel sending unit can't have anything to do with it right? Unless its clogged solid?
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The pickup tube in the tank has a sock filter on it that can plug up. Didn't you just replace that though? Are you still running the lines through the switch valve?
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Switch valve has been eliminated.
It will run if I put gas in the carb, but when doing that I noticed some of the gas I poured in was coming from beneath the carb...like the gasket is broken. How would this just happen in a day?
It runs so long as I put gas in the carb and leave it in park or nuetral.
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Did the feed line to the fuel pump have gas? How's the oil smell? Maybe your fuel pump lobe on the cam went flat??
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In a day? I drove it around all day Saturday no problems...then Sunday is when it started doing this. What about the oil?
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The pickup tube in the tank has a sock filter on it that can plug up. Didn't you just replace that though?
some possibilities from the tank forward:
tank's empty
plugged sock filter or pickup tube
kinked hose
plugged or kinked steel lines
kinked hose
-misrouted lines-
fuel pump failure from bad pump, wrong pump, or bad lobe like TexasRed said
kinked or plugged fuel line from pump to carb
plugged or improperly installed fuel filter in the carb, although that wouldn't afffect the flow with the line disconnected. That's about all I can think of if the valve is bypassed.
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Wow that sucks. I don't see how any of the lines could be kinked or clogged though...its got a new sending unit with the sock filter, and the old one I took out wasn't very dirty or grimey. If the lobe is flattened hoow would I know?
Would a cheap electric pump be easy to hook up if it were a bad mechanical pump/ lobe situation?
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I've never run an electric one, but lots of people do and most all of them say it's awesome. I would still check and re-check the lines, routing, and maybe take that pump back and exchange it first though. It's possible that you got a bad one.
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Well, the oil bit was to see if it smelled like gas. Maybe your old pump was leaking fuel into the crank case and flattened the lobe due to low lube properties. Was there gas on the inlet side of the pump?
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I didn't smell any... the greasey residue on the pump arm just smelled like old engine grease/oil...but not gassy.
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OK, but when you changed the pump, did the line that feeds the pump have gas?
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some, but not much came out...should it have been pouring out?
Also would the gasket between the manifold and carb leaking have anything to do with it?
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So how do I check the fuel line? Just try and force gas through an unhooked line?
I have a feeling I might be hooking up a universal electric pump :/
Anyone suggest a good cheap brand?
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As soon as I get off work I'm going to check for a gasolinne smell, flush the feed line and see if it flows ok, drop the tank and check the sending unit filter... in that order.
Are electric pumps easy to install?
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I would assume the feed line should be gravity fed with plenty of gas. If you don't have a lot of gas there, that would be a problem. Electric pumps aren't bad.
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Electric Pumps are pretty easy to install, just two bolts, a hot and a ground wire. Make sure you mount the pump on the frame, near the tank for the best results. The hot wire can be ran to your fuse box and connected with a female spade terminal on an ignition hot circuit, then ground it on itself on the frame, just make sure that piece of frame rail is clean. The job can be done in about a half an hour on your back.
Oreilly has a 4-7 psi universal pump for $50 or less if I remember right. They hold up alright on daily drivers, we ran one on my buddies dodge for over a year with no problems.
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Well it looks like the fuel line I used between the sending unit and the metal line got soft and bent in on itself. But it was only doing it when the pump was pumping! I only noticed it by accident .
Took out all the slack and primed the line, bam... started up loud and nice. Put it in gear and revved the heck out of it, then backed off. No sputtering or stalling. Hopefully that's all it was!
Now on to getting a rebuilt carb and fixing the trans' leaky "weep hole".
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Glad to hear it, That's the way to go about trouble shooting on your own, its good to figure out whats wrong with your stuff on your own because that's how you learn, Not by reading it on a forum. :)
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True...BUT, this site has helped a lot. I know ill need it if and when I ever get into the engine.
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When you cant think of any other options for troubleshooting, this forum is great.
Even BEFORE I attempted to rebuild my axle, I came on here to search and get answers. We all know manuals are not the best at describing everything.