[TR] fule pump trials and tribulations

[Dave]

you may have seen some of my earlier posts about a fuel pump leaking, and 
replacing it.  here is a synapsis of my journey.

late tr3b, had sat for at least a few years; not sure really.  car was in 
pretty good shape and had been restored at one time.  we think it was 
restored and then stored in a storage unit.  something happened; the owner 
quit paying storage and the car was abandoned.  it eventually ended up in my 
hands.

I pumped out as much old gas from the tank as I could, but there was still 
some left.  After cleaning out the fuel lines the whole way, I managed to 
get it to run just on starter fluid.  I had disconnected the fuel line to 
the carbs because I didn't want any of that crap to flow into the carbs.

getting it to run in short bursts, I saw gas flow from the fuel pump out of 
the open fuel line, so I figured the fuel pump did in fact work which I had 
not expected.  So I put some new gas and a couple bottles of carb cleaner in 
the gas tank, started it up, and let it run for a few minutes.

one of my cautions is that I will run a "new" engine for just a few minutes 
and then shut it off, and look around for leaking fluids.  the first time I 
started up an engine that had actually just been sitting for many months I 
did not realize the water plug had been removed.  warped the aluminum head 
because I did not notice the puddle under it.

well done this time as well - the fuel pump was leaking quite a bit. 
fortunately, due to a previous misadventure I had a new in box fuel pump.

as so often happens, a long weekend and busy time at work intervened so it 
was a few weeks before I was able to replace the fuel pump.  The car would 
not run; would not pump gas.  I figured bad pump, made a new cork gasket for 
the old pump (at the sediment bowl), and put it back in.  I'm getting good 
at replacing fuel pumps, btw.  still would not run.

a good time to have dinner and think about things.  and get a good nights 
sleep.  next day I put in my electric fuel pump - this has never let me 
down; I always keep it around; it always works for me when other pumps fail.

no gas and no run.

time to start checking the lines.  I'm getting gas from the tank, but 
nothing out the business end.  disconnect lines one at a time and the pump 
does indeed work.  no gas in the front carb fuel bowl.  check the carb and 
the little thingee that moves up and down and lets gas in is stuck. 
remember the old gas?  whoops.  fix that and put gas in the fuel bowl. 
check the second carb - same thing.  hook things back up and it runs.

remove the electric fuel pump and reconnect the old one with the new gasket. 
car runs just fine.

so I guess I still have a spare.  and recommendations on how to clean the 
"new" one that was only in there for a few minutes?

hope you enjoyed reading this saga.

the blog continues at www.ranteer.com/davescars/tr3b