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Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:51 pm

OK I just got my 57 started and it was running great but I started smelling gas in the front so I shut here off and looked under and the petcock was leaking pretty bad, I replaced the rubber hose but still leaking. So I changed the petcock with the another I had laying around. When I installed the rubber line back onto the main fuel line that goes through the tunnel it pushed down about 1 inch and seems kinda flexable, anyway got it all hooked up and now the car wont start! I pulled the outlet of the fuel pump and nothing coming out. I also pulled the rubber line from the petcock and it was flowing fine. I installed the leaky petcock back on just to see if that would get it started but no luck! Do you think I could have bent/kinked the original line when it pushed down the 1 inch? Or does the pump need to be primed I am lost right now :? Its a 36 hp all stock. Thanks for any help!

Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:07 am

I don't think you kinked the line. Check your fuel pump to see if it has a screen in it (later style), and clean it. I have a nice little chemistry squeeze type wash bottle that I use to prime empty carburetors. Take the air cleaner off, fill the float chamber by squirting fuel into the overflow tube, and you have enough to run the motor to prime the pump and fuel lines.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:08 am

Get a helper and try blowing compressed air from the outlet to the fuel pump forward to see if the line is blocked.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:32 pm

Ok I blew air from the back to the fron and there was no blockage that I could tell, they fuel in the lines foutained out. So next check is to see if the fuel pump crapped out. Could the air in the line stop the fuel pump from pumping will it need priming?

Tue Mar 16, 2010 4:31 pm

I've had to prime the pump when everything was dry.
If you have a full tank it should prime itself.

The side of the road solution is suck on the line to the intake to fill the fuel line, and have helper shut off the fuel tap once the siphon effect puts some gas in a soda can or plastic bottle. Rinse your mouth out with the water bottle that has been kicking around on the floor for a few months. Hook up the intake line, choke the carb, have the helper start the car while you carefully pour gas into the carb.

If you are in the driveway I'd say go steal the bulb baster from the kitchen, use it to suck some gas out of the tank, and feed the gas to the carb while the helper starts the car. Once its running, go to the store and get a new baster and stick the old one under the spare- it makes the side of the road experience nicer, especially when the only container you have to put gas in is the water bottle that you are drinking out of.

Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:18 pm

Thanks for all the help guys, I found the problem! The set pin that holds the set up that pumps the diafram worked its way out so I found it in the catch under the pump, thats what I get for trying to fix it at night with minimal light :oops: I put everything back together and after a few cranks she fired right up! Thanks again!

Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:16 pm

Nice that it was something so simple.
My favorite is when I'm cranking it over with no start and then notice I've got the fuel tap set to the 'off' position....

Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:05 pm

to prime system:

while turning over engine have someone else hold hand over carb... doing so will suck/force fuel through lines and into carb... car should start and when it does take hand from opening of carb...

this is also called " the 2 dollar turn up "