The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop My Saga - Is it the Carburetor or the Fuel pump - Neither......

Back in April of last year I asked for Help because I thought I had a Carburetor problem........So I have an extra Carb and I Rebuilt it. Put it on and made a little improvement, maybe. So I looked to my fuel pump as it seemed I wasn't getting a consistent supply of fuel. Tried rebuilding the pump myself and failed. So I sent my fuel pump off and had it rebuilt. Time passes and life gets in the way. I finally get some time and put the rebuilt pump on and what do you know I have a leak. First I think it is the Fuel bowl gasket, get a new one no change. So what do I do now? I am not really sure how I found it but the leak wasn't the newly rebuilt pump. It was one of the adapters that the fuel line screws into, bad or worn threads I guess. New adapter, no Leak! Great so I get to setting the timing and making sure everything is good to go.

Fill up the tires and take her for a short test drive down the block. Runs ok. Next test drive a little Longer and get her up and running shaking off the dust. Get home Radiator is got a small leak (yippy)_ Can of stop leak and we are off and running again. So I am feeling brave and Confident so off to the Gas station we head. It is only 2 miles away and I can take the back road and avoid the main Throughfare. I get to the stop light a block from the Gas Station and she dies. No Fuel in the fuel pump bowl. So I wasn't sure of how much fuel was in the truck when I left as the gas gauge isn't hooked up yet. So I though I just ran out of gas. Had my lovely wife bring me the gas can and put the gallon of gas in to get me to the gas station. Truck starts and I drive to the gas station.

Now I go to fill up thinking I will need 10 to 15 gallons. I was very surprised when the pump shut off after only 2 gallons. How can this be? I thought ok the vent must be clogged. So I fill up the gas can and head off toward home. 2 blocks later she dies again. Check the pump no fuel. Am I vapor locking >?? Is my Gas cap not allow air in? I pull the Cap just in case. Give it a minute and try to restart it and it fires off. Couple block later same thing. This happens three times before I have my wife drives me home to get my 2014 chevy Silverado and just tow her home.

Hang in there it is about to get good. Once home I pull the filler neck and make sure the Vent is Clear. While I am unscrewing the hose clamps to the filler neck I notice that there is fuel seeping out from the fuel gauge sender. The tank can't be full, I keep running out of gas?????? I pull the sender and the Tank is FULL. It is then that I notice the Float to the gas gauge sending unit is missing. The brass float is gone, well not gone. It is in the bottom of the tank. Well as best I can tell the float fell off the sender at some point. I have had it out before but I can't remember if I ever checked to see if it leaked. All I can figure is that all this time I thought I had a bad Carb bad fuel pump, it was the float blocking the fuel outlet. I guess getting in and out of the truck would jostle it enough to move and let some fuel go through and then block it again. When I would drive it I would guess the same. It would settle down in to the outlet and block or restrict the flow and the truck would act like it ran out of gas.
I have pulled the float out of the tank and I will confirm all of this tomorrow. Because I left my key in the ignition and the battery is dead.
Working on these old trucks is sooooooooooo much fun ain't it ?

Anyone else ever have that happen to you?

The use of paragraphs would make this a lot easier for people to read and understand.

If you left the key turned on long enough to drain the battery, you've also likely fried the points and ruined the coil.

Hang in there Brian! This is a fun (frustrating) story. The things we learn about having an old truck - so fun. Your luck would be the same as mine. Of all the places the sunken float could go, it ends up on top of and blocking the fuel outlet. That sounds about right. I hope that was the actual problem. I'll wait for an update.

You might have a blocked fuel pickup or line from the tank.

All the fuel lines are new as well as the gas tank is new too.

UPDATE

Went for another test drive today to the gas station. The truck did die on me at 2 stop signs. A quick adjustment of the idle and that issue was resolved. No other problems on the trip there and back. I had put about 5 gallons in the tank before I left and was very pleased that the truck took 11 gallons at the pump. I have a couple of small issues to address but I am getting closer to making this my daily driver, well at least around town here.

Thanks everyone for all your help and support along the way! It is greatly appreciated.

Yay!

We had a seven year old school bus at work that kept shutting off randomly, we found a paper parts tag in the bottom of the tank blocking the inlet. It was in the tank when new, must have been tied to the sender unit and finally fell off, took seven years before it caused an issue.

Glad you figured yours out.

Congrats Brian. Glad it ended up being such a simple adjustment. Now its time to take the rig out on a nice long cruise......just to make sure all is good.

Took the truck out today to get it registered and plates. Did have a couple of issues but on the return trip I found a loose fuel line fitting on the pick up side of the Pump. May have been a contributing factor but I think I have the fuel system locked down now. Now on to the ever so long "To do List" of things that need some attention.

Thanks again to everyone!