The front end of my '48 GMC, stock 228, was up on jack stands while I worked on the king pins and brakes. I liked to run the engine every week for 20 minutes or so and managed to run the truck out of gas. I thought it was the combination of the inop gas gauge and the raised height of the front end.
Finishing my brake work I got the truck off the stands and back on the ground. The stock fuel pump with the glass bowl showed no fuel. 6 gallons of fresh fuel went into the tank, still no fuel showing. I disconnected the fuel line at the tank side of the pump, put my hand powered vacuum pump on the line and had gas after 2 quick pumps.
Cranking the engine over still didn't get fuel to the pump. I started the engine by priming the carb but it only ran for a few moments. I repeated this several times and the truck, with choke, started and ran each time it got gas. Still no gas in the pump.
I disconnected the fuel line at the carb and back filled the line until I could see fuel in the pump. Primed the carb, started the truck, it ran again for a few moments and died. I can still see fuel in the pump but it isn't getting to the carb.
I disconnected the fuel line at the carb again, cranked the engine and saw just a couple of weak squirts of fuel come out of the line.
Reconnecting the line I started the truck again, ran and died, still just a little fuel in the pump.
Questions: what should the fuel level look like in the glass bowl on the pump? Should the pump be able to pull fuel from the tank without having to be filled with gas? What else should I try to do?
As always, thanks in advance! Jim
