Need a couple of suggestions/hints

[madclarinet]

Hi all, long time lurker - first time posting.

First - background. My wife has a 1973 Ghia Cabriolet which we (actually mostly me) are going to get back on the road after several years stuck in her parents garage. The car itself was owned from new by her mother (my mother-in-law) - it was the first car my wife had (passed on to her). It needs a lot of work (and has a lot of rust) we want to get it at least running before entrusting it to someone to restore (which will be our next problem).

After a fair amount of work we got to the point of starting it - turns over nicely but no fuel in the system. Fuel line was blocked - but a piece of Heath-Robinson inspired work with some pipe and a hand powered weedkiller sprayer cleared that out and fuel runs down the pipe quite happily now.

So, my questions....

Firstly - I removed and cleaned the fuel pump but I'm not 100% if the fuel hoses are refitted in the correct place (my notes on this disappeared). I found a picture of a similar engine/pump online and I believe that the pipe from the tank (inlet) should go to the top.

Link Here

Can anyone confirm this?

Secondly - What's the best way of getting the Ghia to start - it turns over fine. My issue is really getting the fuel to flow - any tricks that I can do?

Anyway, thanks in advance to any replies (from a mad englishman in the bayarea)

I'll get some pictures up (maybe some video) of the car before/after etc. It's not in great shape at the moment but it REALLY seems to want to start.

[raydon01]

The upper hose from fuel pump goes to carb. The hose from gas tank goes to lower pipe on fuel pump. You may need to prime the fuel pump. priming is done by loosening both nuts on fuel pump. While all fuel lines are connected .turn pump on its side and push in and out on the pump foot several times. The pump draws fuel on the release of out motion of pump. If all fuel lines are clear, this will put fuel into Carburator. Now reinstall fuel pump.

[scotty timmerman]

did u drain out the old gas from the gas tank and put new gas in it? replace the front gas line. also blow compressed air threw the metal line that gos from the front of car to the rear. they clog up
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71 ghia coupe
71 type 3 fastback auto
71 type 3 fastback manual
73 super beetle

[madclarinet]

raydon1 - major thanks, as I feared I've got them mixed up. 50/50 choice and I messed up. Thanks for the hints too - I'll give them a go.

scotty - yep, there was no fuel as it had evaporated and I'd cleared out the lines.
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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. (Winston Churchill)

[Harleyelf]

Don't forget the fuel filter up under the tank before the metal line begins. Starting fluid can make the motor fire enough to prime the fuel pump if you don't want to remove it. May take two or three applications on the air filter.

[jason_hamilton]

The fuel has to pass through some very tiny jets and passages in the carburetor before it makes it into the cylinder. As gasoline evaporates and ages it will leave behind gummy varnish as well as whatever crud was suspended in it. You should also consider disassembling the carb and soaking all the bits in carb cleaner before reassemby with fresh gaskets and a new accelerator pump diaphragm.
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Jason Hamilton
The Online Karmann Ghia Resource

[Altema]

[madclarinet]

Thanks for the suggestions jason - I'll probably try that next

Altema - thanks for that too. I think I'll remove the pump again and do some tests to see which is which.
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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. (Winston Churchill)

[Eric&Barb]

Problem with old fuel pumps is once the rubber parts have been exposed to fuel and then sat for quite a while the rubber gets hard brittle and will not last long.
Better to get a new pump and clean out the carb.

Once you have that done you should fill the carb with new fuel and see if that starts up the engine. Plastic fuel filter can be cut into a fuel proof funnel for that and dribble a little fuel in both hoses to the fuel pump to help prime it.

Do replace ALL the flex fuel lines now to avoid a VW BBQ.

Change engine oil before you start it. That old oil even if the engine was only run for five minutes has gone acidic so not good for lubrication. If oil was changed just after last shut down before storage the engine should be good. If not the gunk in the oil has since fallen out of suspension in the oil and now is a layer of gunk in the case. Take it out on the road at a high RPM for long and the gunk will come loose suddenly and clog up cooler and oil passages. To avoid that, drive it in town 15 to 30 minutes at a stretch and at least 15 minutes between drives. Change oil every 50 miles or when oil on dipstick turns dark, which ever happens first. Do that for first 300-500 miles and hopefully you get out all the oil gunk and polish out all the micro-corrosion inside the engine without any problems.

Before driving it even one foot you need to rebuild the entire brake system. Either take apart and clean out all the corrosion in the cylinders or replace them. Replace all brake flex lines.

By now the old grease in the front and rear axles has turned into much less lubricating gunk. So all of those will need to be repacked, and same should be done to CV joints.

Transaxle gear oil needs to be changed, and changed again after 1,000 miles to get rest of gunk out of it. After that check for full every 6,000 miles and change every 30,000 miles or 5 years.

If your VW does not stop, steer, or wheels roll properly you are just begging for an accident.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[madclarinet]

[Rob Timmons]

Top line on pump is from tank bottom to carb. Older cars I think are opposite.

[madclarinet]

Okay, update time

New Pump (and gaskets/flange) installed. Using the 'short' 4" rod as that is what the new pump requires.

So, far - still not starting. I've primed what/where I can and fed fuel around the pipes as best as I can.

I suspect that there is an air bubble somewhere that's causing the problem - the pump seems to be working but it's hard for me to be 100%.

Suggestions anyone? If I don't see any improvement I'll take the pump outlet and feed it to a gas can and see if I can get some flow that way is my next plan.
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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. (Winston Churchill)

[Eric&Barb]

Cut up a plastic fuel filter into a fuel funnel.

Attach to the carb by the fuel line, and dribble in some fuel till no more will go in.

Drip some fuel into the line going to the fuel pump will help prime it.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[Rob Timmons]

You shouldn't need to prime the pump. It should gravity feed from tank. When you unhooked the line from tank did you have any gas coming out? Maybe you have a blockage in line in frame. I would pull line off of carb and hold into container and have someone turn the motor over. Make sure it's in neutral with brake set. See what you get.

[Eric&Barb]

[madclarinet]

Okay,

There was a blockage in the line from the tank to the engine. That is cleared and fuel comes down to the engine fine. The fuel hoses from the tank to the hard feed line, hard feed line to pump, pump to filter and filter to carb have been replaced and are not blocked. The filter has been replaced too.

I tried to prime the pump as best as I can - I also fed some fuel in (via a funnel and some spare hoses/pipes. I took my time and cleared out as much air as I could.

I'm having to leave it for a day or two anyway so maybe that'll help my allowing gravity etc to help move air around a bit. If not, then next week do some more testing.
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You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. (Winston Churchill)