[TR] Triumphs Digest, Vol 4, Issue 407

Ben Zwissler bjzwissler at gmail.com
Sun Sep 19 10:25:06 MDT 2010


OK, before you go to that trouble, let me tell you my history - 
abbreviated.  Bought a 67 TR4A in pieces (age 15, 1976) after it had 
passed through several hands in pieces.  Put it back together, mostly, 
started driving it shortly after age 16.  Started having trouble with 
fuel starvation - sometimes low power sometimes no go.  Went through 
much of what you did.  Got a flashlight and peered into the fuel tank 
through the filler neck.  Saw several "sticks" - tree limbs almost - 
laying on bottom of tank.   Thought, hmmm, how do I get these out and 
could these be causing my problem?  Removed the fuel line feeding the 
the fuel pump (no debris in the fuel bowl BTW), hooked up a bicycle pump 
and blew backwards through fuel line (no air compressor in those days).  
Car starts running.  Problem solved!!!! ----at least temporarily.  
Temporarily turned into more or less permanently - never had time to 
remove the tank as long as it kept running.  However, I did start 
carrying a bicycle pump with me after it died on me with my girlfriend 
in the car and a friendly local policeman gave us a ride to her folks 
house to borrow a bicycle pump.  Got rid of the car on college 
graduation in 1983 having never removed or cleaned out the tank.

Anyway, my recommendation - try the bicycle pump trick and see if the 
problem improves before you go to trouble of draining and removing the 
tank.  Could use compressed air but be sure to turn the pressure 
regulator down to bicycle pump levels.  Come to think of it a MityVac 
would be perfect with those tapered adapters.

Ben.....


Ben Zwissler
bjzwissler at gmail.com
Columbus, IN
1966 Triumph TR4A
1973 MG Midget
1980 Triumph TR8
2007 Mazda RX8
2002 Yamaha FZ1
2003 Honda ST1300


On 9/19/2010 6:49 AM, triumphs-request at autox.team.net wrote:
> I'm thinking that he next step is to drain the fuel tank and back blow the
> fuel line to convince myself that there is nothing clogging it.  I'm running
> out of ideas if that doesn't solve the problem.  This car has been
> remarkably simple to maintain and reliable in the 19 years that I've had it.
> This loss of power at high speed problem is getting pretty frustrating.
>
> Dean Mericas
> Austin, TX
> 1965 TR4 / 1974 2000 GTV / 1976 Giulia Nuova Super


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