Old Ford Truck Question

Howard H. · Oct 23, 2019

I've got an old 70's Ford tandem axle truck and its always started easy as a car.

But its been sitting a year or so - and I can't get it to fire now. I have a good hot battery on it - and it spins easy, with good spark
everywhere, but seems to not have any gas at the carb. I pressured the gas tank slightly to push gas up to the carb ferrule and then we
tightened the line back up on the carb - hoping it might just need priming, but that didn't seem to help.

Do those fuel pumps tend to fail often? Can they "lose prime" or do they typically just need replacing? Or am I missing something
else??

Thanks for any advice,
Howard

rustred · Oct 23, 2019

remove air cleaner and pour a couple ounces of gas down the carb. then start it. it will either pick up gas or die. plus check you fuel filters also. also look in carb while opening throttle plates to see if you have gas dumping into the intake with the accelerator pump. if not then carb has no gas in it.

Stephen Newell · Oct 23, 2019

Well, fuel pumps for a lot of vehicles fail often because of the ethanol they put in gas today. We have a 99 ford contour with an electric fuel pump in the gas tank and we have to put a new fuel pump on it every 12 to 18 months. Then I've got a 1975 jeep which uses a mechanical pump the diaphragm gets a hole in it every couple years and have to change the pump. You might disconnect the fuel line and run a hose into a can and have someone crank the engine. It should tell you quick if the fuel pump is the problem. Another option would be to purchase a fuel pressure tester. HF has a cheap one that works pretty good.

Destroked 450 · Oct 23, 2019

See if the accelerator pump is working, sometimes when they set for a while the check valve in the accelerator pump circuit sticks and wouldn't let it pump fuel.

used red MN · Oct 24, 2019

If it has a mechanical pump with the fuel line to the carb unhooked every stroke should pump a good couple of tablespoons of fuel. If the pump is filling the carb if the choke closes properly even without a working accelerator pump it should still start.

old · Oct 24, 2019

Old gas tends to collect water and well water does not burn. See my post down below about a problem I figured out today. That said try some gas down the carb and see if it fires up and then runs. My Chevy pickup I have to do the gas trick down the carb if it has sat a month or more to start and run

Sprint 6 · Oct 24, 2019

Bet the inlet needle is stuck to the seat in the carb. Couple sharp raps with a wooden hammer handle usually fixes that.

Sprint 6 · Oct 24, 2019

Sounds like you need to install better quality pumps in your vehicles, and/or clean the dirt out of the fuel tanks. Ethanol is not your problem. Every car and replacement part built since the early '80s for US sale has been ethanol compatible since the gasohol debacle in the '70s. If you are using parts from eBay, they may not be ethanol compatible. AC Delco had issues several years ago with fuel pumps intended for the Mexico market illegally imported into the US, those were failing due to ethanol incompatibility.

Stephen Newell · Oct 24, 2019

I think we have tried every different brand available including motorcraft and have had the same results.

Stephen Newell · Oct 24, 2019

With a new pump they pump plenty of fuel but after a while they pump less and less until nothing. Take it off and you can blow air through the pump where you can't with a new pump.

37chief · Oct 24, 2019

Try pouring a little gas down the carburetor, not too much or you will flood it. My 54 chevy flat bed will not start until I pour some gas down the carb. After that it is good all day. I would rather do that than mess with the carb. The truck isn't driven that much now.Stan

Old Ford Truck Question

Howard H.

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rustred

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Stephen Newell

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Destroked 450

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used red MN

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old

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Sprint 6

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Sprint 6

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Stephen Newell

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Stephen Newell

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37chief

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