When I recently struggled with pump capacity - finally dumped the T-bird stocker for the Airtex 362 (428 FE) pump - I rigged up a jug on the floor to absolutely eliminate the fuel tank and plumbing as a problem source for the starvation situation.

The old "double action" vacuum pump on mine was a loser. You aren't sucking an internal fuel leak up into the vacuum port?

You installed your new tank and the outlet tube flows easily?  

Your electric booster pump isn't a suction problem is it? Does it have an internal screen?

And you've got the old style glass bowl filter out of the line by now, right?

And extended idle causes the carb to flood? or starve? You don't have a "Titanic" (sinking) float?

 I know all of the goofy questions can be annoying - got a friend with a carb you know works?

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

I still haven't been able to fix it.

I thought I had it when the dist. was recurved and we found a small piece of the weld broken off, put it all back together ran great for awhile then started to sputter again.

Also I rubber hose rigged a fuel filter and temp ditched the stock one so I could keep checking it or changing it.

I don't know what is next?? carb has been off about four times now.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

Alan,

    That does sound like rust, keep watching the filter for a while, might even carry a spare element with you, if it's possible to change easily. Eventually it'll slow down or stop.

         I got so frustrated with mine I finally went and bought a new tank, I could NOT get the old one clean. Used bolts and shook it washed it out about ten times, kept on clogging up. Very frustrating. 

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

thanks for all your suggestions, guys. I disassembled and cleaned the carb 4 times I think!, lost track. But was finally able to "clear the idle screw adjustment with compressed air while the carb was on the car. I would have done that first I just couldn't locate the problem.

I had to replace the other old fuel lines to get it to run clean. even added fuel strained thru a sock, trying to get things straitened out

All at the same time I was getting weaker and weaker spark???

So once the carb got strait I put a timing light on it -No advance! Pulled the distributor and checked it on the machine-no advance AND something was rattling around in there! A buddy's shop will fix that for me I hope in the am, probably a loose screw or something and will reset the mech advance.

Nothing has been simple on this redo.

Still trying to make it run again to get to the tranny shop for the AOD adjust and check.

Still trying to make it drive to Columbus

Hopefully this dist. issue will be sorted out in am and I can move on. Still a ton a stuff to get done.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

I call it grit? looks like a fine reddish gray powder. Seems like rust to me.

It was supposed to be 105 yesterday so that made it a balmy 95ish in my garage. Only going to be a 100 today.



Elevation is 650

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

Alan,

         Can you tell what the "grit" is. Might tell you where it came from. As far as the  total evaporation, seems like you live where it's hot and at a higher altitude, right?

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

btw, the test glass of premium fuel I had in the garage overnite had about an inch and half in a 16oz. jar. It completly evaporated overnite leaving aome very fine grit at the bottom.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

Yes, Steve the eldebrock does have two strainers at the fuel inlets-all those have been cleaned now.

I've isolated the problem down to the last piece of old remaining hard line. ( the most difficult one to replace!) It goes from the tank over the diff and between the body and down along the outside of the frame rail. Must have ben installed before the body went on.

Anyway trying this morning to get a braided line locally today to get this thing rolling. ihra and nhra only allow 10" of rubber hose and I don't think I can manage bending up the hard line to get back in there. the original line is available but, still same problem.



I can't believe how bad this line looked inside-all was working fine before I started this project. time takes it toll.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

Al - does the Edelbrock carb have some sort of an integral fuel strainer at the bowl inlet like a Holley? 

How about the suction setup you installed in the new tank? Suction problems can absolutely kill pump capacity. 

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

I had same problem when I first got my TBird. It had gunk in the tank and a piece got loose and got stuck in the inlet to the fuel pump. Had a nightmare trying to figure out what it was. I tried everything and resigned myself to replace everything in the fuel system . When I took the pump and line off I saw the blockage. Been great ever since.

message previewed 08-04-08 1930 hrs 

55Birdman  Hickory NC