The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 72 K5 new fuel pump, still won't start...

Here's the story...72 K5 typically runs great. 350, Edelbrock 600 about 4 years old. Replaced fuel filter 3 mos ago. Got gas 3 days ago (Ethanol blend and yes...i know i shouldn't be running that gas) from a Cenex. 40 miles down the road, I get on it and engine starts coughing, sputtering and loses power big time. it seemed as if it was through it's spat and it continues to do it until today. I added Seafoam to the old tank of ethanol blend, ran it to less than an 1/8th of a tank, then added some HEET (red bottle) and filled up the tank with 91 Octane. THAT didn't do the trick either. Figured it had to be the fuel pump. Put new Holley fuel pump on it this morning, truck fired right up, took it out to jump on it and it finally died. I can't get it started, period. Tried the ether trick and nothing. It turns over, but just won't fire off. I can see gas spraying in the carb, smells like gas and the fuel filter is a Mr. Gasket clear gas filter and it appears clean as a whistle. It does seem like some fuel has leaked thru the gasket between the intake and the carb and besides that, I've replace all the vacuum plugs. From everything I'm reading it's telling me that it could be electrical if even a bit of ether spray in the carb gets me nowhere. Where the hell do I start and that STILL doesn't explain why this engine was sputtering at high revving RPM's on the street...
could the float(s) be stuck because I've heard that as an excuse as well. It's killing me to have a little snow on the ground and this truck is stuck indoors....

Done a tuneup lately? Sparks/wires/rotor and cap?? My S10 was running the same way. Looked at the cap and rotor and they were toast. Put new ones in and it ran like a top. That's pending what kind of setup you have on your 350 of course.

It's time to check ignition. If it's conventional ign. pull the high tention wire out of the center of the dist cap & crank the engine with the vwire close to ground. You should get a spark out of it. If so put the wire back in & pull one off a plug. Put an old spark plug in it & lay it on a grounded part. Crank the engine & you should get spark across the plug gap. If you have HEI use the 2nd test. If you have no spark you need to repair the ign. system.

I agree with George about it being more of an ignition problem. Get down to checking the basics, spark, fuel, and compression. You know you have plenty of fuel, now check the other 2. I also know that some of those mid 70's 350's had plastic teeth on the timing gear that would crumble and fall apart, that can add to the whole deal also.

thanks folks...t'was the battery lead coming out of the distributor. looked like it was connected, yet it was barely lodged inside. connected securely now, runs fine.