<VV> Do I need to prime fuel pump/fuel system?

[RoboMan91324 at aol.com]

Jedd,
 
Three things .....
 
1.)  Is your car on an incline.  In effect, is the  front where the fuel is 
lower than the rear where the fuel needs to go.   This shouldn't matter but I 
have heard that sometimes a pump that has been  allowed to completely dry out 
needs a little help getting fuel to wet the inside  flaps the first time.  If 
the car is inclined the wrong way, try switching  it around or jacking the 
front up.  Obviously, be careful the vehicle  doesn't slip off whatever you have 
raised it with if you are jacking it  up.  You may want to fill the tank if it 
is too low.  What we are  talking about here is the highest level of fuel in 
the tank as compared to the  level of the inlet to the pump.
 
2.)  Again, if the insides of the pump have dried out,  you may want to pull 
the pump and squirt or pour a little bit of gas into the  inlet and outlet to 
prime it and wet the flaps.  
 
3.)  The rubber coupling in the line may have developed a  crack or two.  
Blowing on the gas line at the rubber connection or in the  engine compartment 
could still create bubbles in the tank but still leak just  enough air that the 
weak suction from you pump can't pull the gas  through.
 
4.)  I have heard that a used pump that has remained dry  too long can be 
ruined and be unusable thereafter.  If you are sure that  your lines are clear 
and intact, you may need to replace the pump or perhaps  borrow a know good pump 
to test the theory.
 
Good luck,
 
Doc
60' Corvette, 61' Rampside, 62' Rampside, 64' Spyder coupe,  65' Greenbriar, 
66' Canadian Corsa Turbo Coupe, 67' Nova Super Sport, 68' Camaro  Ragtop
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a message dated 8/5/2008 11:36:46 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
virtualvairs-request at corvair.org writes:

Message:  10
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2008 13:21:30 -0500
From: "Jedd Hebrink"  <jhebrink at anvilcom.com>
Subject: <VV> Do I need to prime fuel  pump/fuel system?
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Message-ID:  <005f01c8f728$152aad10$0301a8c0 at HEBRINK>
Content-Type:  text/plain;    charset="windows-1250"

Thanks to all for the  great advice over the past few months - I finally have 
 the engine back  together and back in my daughter's 66 Monza 110 PG.  I am 
trying to start  it, and it will start if I pour a tablespoon of gas in each 
carb.  But I  cannot keep it running because it is not drawing gas from the 
tank.  I  checked the line at the rubber/metal connection just in front of the 
firewall,  and no gas.  I can blow into that line and hear bubbles in the  tank.  
I am a little nervous about siphoning the line by mouth, and I  don't have an 
adequate pump to draw gas to that point.

Should the  mechanical fuel pump be able to draw gas all the way from the 
tank if the line  has not been purged?  In other words, do I need to prime the 
system, or  vent the air that is in the line?  Or, does this scenario suggest I 
have  a fault with my fuel pump?

The good news is that I seem to have the  timing close enough that the engine 
will actually run for as long as the gas  in the carb holds out.

Thanks,
Jedd
1966 Monza 110 PG 
Austin,  TX




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