Fuel starvation?

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Fuel starvation?

Postby reb78 » Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:01 pm

The Magnum (1800) has sat a while, battery is good, spark is good, if I put fuel in the carb it fires. The fuel filter bowl is pretty empty though and despite a fair bit of cranking, it hasn't filled up.

Does this sound like a failed fuel pump? I was going to take the glass bowl off and clean it all out and blow back down the pickup pipe, but I am worried that the seal wont be in the best condition and won't reseal when I put it back together.

Are rebuild kits for these fuel pumps available and if so could you point me in the right direction? I presume it could be a failed diaphragm?

I have a rebuild kit for the carb, but I am avoiding doing too much as the engine will come out soon and I am going to strip the car so I can get the body on a jig and do various bits then send it for a respray before rebuilding. I just wanted to check she would still run one last time before I strip her completely.
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby droopsnoot » Tue Sep 15, 2020 9:23 am

I bought a rebuild kit for my Delco glass-topped fuel pump and it made a lot of difference, particularly in terms of keeping the fuel in the pump over a period of time. Before the rebuild kit it would easily run back down to the tank when left. The diaphragm helps with this as it gives more "suck", but replacing the two little valves made more difference - initially I didn't do the valves, but when it still emptied itself, I figured it was worth the fiddling.

Can't help with the source unfortunately, though you could try club spares as a first go. I bought mine at an autojumble - I'll recognise the stand straight away, but I can't remember what they're called. This might be them, but no internet details: http://www.motorbase.com/contact/by-id/1911084963
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby reb78 » Tue Sep 15, 2020 11:11 am

Thanks for the contact.

I might try taking the bowl off and cleaning it. I wonder if its gunged up. I should probably deal with this after I have taken the engine out to do the bodywork but its bugging me that I cant get her started!
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby chopper » Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:08 pm

droopsnoot wrote:I bought a rebuild kit for my Delco glass-topped fuel pump and it made a lot of difference, particularly in terms of keeping the fuel in the pump over a period of time. Before the rebuild kit it would easily run back down to the tank when left. The diaphragm helps with this as it gives more "suck", but replacing the two little valves made more difference - initially I didn't do the valves, but when it still emptied itself, I figured it was worth the fiddling.

Can't help with the source unfortunately, though you could try club spares as a first go. I bought mine at an autojumble - I'll recognise the stand straight away, but I can't remember what they're called. This might be them, but no internet details: http://www.motorbase.com/contact/by-id/1911084963


How do you remove the old valves nicely/neatly? :?: :?
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby jpsmit » Tue Sep 15, 2020 2:42 pm

I am not near enough to check and can't remember, but, is there not a fuel hose you can pull off in advance of the filter to check the flow? Into a container as you turn the engine over?
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby reb78 » Tue Sep 15, 2020 6:21 pm

jpsmit wrote:I am not near enough to check and can't remember, but, is there not a fuel hose you can pull off in advance of the filter to check the flow? Into a container as you turn the engine over?


I am not near the car now, but from memory I think the pump and filter housing are one really? Fuel goes into the pump, through the filter bowl on the top of the pump and out to the carb?
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby droopsnoot » Tue Sep 15, 2020 6:21 pm

chopper wrote:How do you remove the old valves nicely/neatly? :?: :?


I didn't. I was hoping they'd come out nicely in case the new ones weren't any good, but they were basically destroyed while being removed.

jpsmit wrote:I am not near enough to check and can't remember, but, is there not a fuel hose you can pull off in advance of the filter to check the flow? Into a container as you turn the engine over?


The filter is part of the pump assembly.
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby reb78 » Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:49 am

Bit of an old thread but I havent made much progress since posting! I searched a bit for rebuild kits for the pump but with no joy initially.

I contacted this ebay seller: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/classic_car_ ... 7675.l2559 and with a few pics he said that this kit will fit:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144204439286

I overlooked it when searching as the title says for 1600 and 2000 engines but in the description the firenza and HC 1800 and 2300 are listed.

Interestingly, AEU2760 is a common part number and also cross references with the kit used on a number of Land Rover series engines... I am fairly familiar with landies and LR parts suppliers so will order one of the cheap LR kits from Britpart for comparison and report back (not that I would ever actually fit Britpart junk but its cheap and will tell me if the contents are the same!). Looking at pictures online, I think that the visual differences are just the paper gaskets but if thats all they can be cut to suit the application.
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby droopsnoot » Wed Sep 22, 2021 6:09 pm

Lots of cars use a very similar fuel pump, with only the actuating arm being a different shape.

I should also update. When I started to try to get the car running earlier this year I found that the fuel pump was leaking around the diaphragm. I tightened the screws down a bit more but couldn't get it to stop. I can't say for sure that the rebuild kit is to blame, but the Firenza has a similar pump, hasn't been rebuilt, and doesn't leak. I fixed it by putting an electric pump and pressure regulator on the car instead.
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Re: Fuel starvation?

Postby reb78 » Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:10 pm

droopsnoot wrote:Lots of cars use a very similar fuel pump, with only the actuating arm being a different shape.

I should also update. When I started to try to get the car running earlier this year I found that the fuel pump was leaking around the diaphragm. I tightened the screws down a bit more but couldn't get it to stop. I can't say for sure that the rebuild kit is to blame, but the Firenza has a similar pump, hasn't been rebuilt, and doesn't leak. I fixed it by putting an electric pump and pressure regulator on the car instead.


I did wonder about going electric Mike. I have done that with the diesel lift pump on my land rover. What pump and pressure regulator did you go for? Any ideas if it would also be suitable for the 1800 on a Zenith carb?
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