Hydrolocking? Or bad fuel pump?

[dorkpunch]

Hey all, finally got my Thing on the road. It sat in a barn for about 20 years before I got it, I got it running (on the original gas... ) and it's sat for about the last 2 years. I've started it every other month or so, but today I finally got new shoes on it and got it registered. Stopped at the gas station then took for about a 10 mile drive, then about 3 blocks from my house it sputtered and died. It was obviously not getting fuel- removed the fuel line from the carb, and nothing was getting spit out. Removed the line from the fuel pump, plenty of gravity flow from the tank. I let it sit for about 2 hours and it started right up, lots of fuel getting pumped through the line now.

SO, bad fuel pump? Or is it getting hot and hydrolocking at the fuel pump?

Here she is with her new shoes:

[CraigInPA]

I assume when you pulled the hose from the carb, you cranked the engine to see if fuel was coming out? The fuel pump in the Thing is mechanical, and only operates when the engine is turning.

If you weren't getting fuel and you were cranking the engine, I'd look at the screen filter inside the carb. Without an earlier fuel filter, and a car that sat for so long (you didn't mention cleaning and sealing the fuel tank), you probably picked up enough rusty bits from the tank to clog that filter. Letting it sit for a while may have allowed the rusty bits to fall away from the filter (you'll see what I mean when you disassemble the fuel pump to replace the filter) and start the car a while later.

If the engine cranks, it's not hydro-locked. Hydro locking occurs when you have water in your fuel. When the water is dropped into the engine, it doesn't combust, and stays in the cylinder. After a number of engine rotations, the cylinder will get enough water in it to interfere with the piston movement and the engine will "lock".

There's a possibility that your carb overheated and percolated the fuel. But, you'd know it by a very high temperature of the engine compartment when you opened the lid. The typical cause of an engine over-heat situation is poorly adjusted valves.

[dorkpunch]

Correct, when it died, I pulled the line off the carb and cranked the engine over. No fuel came out. Then I pulled the line off on the intake side of the fuel pump- Lots of gas flowing out of the line from the tank. After it sat for 2 hours, with the line hooked back up to the pump but not the carb, lots of fuel out of the line to the carb when cranking.

I don't think it has anything to do with the carb getting plugged- there was no fuel getting to the carb from the pump. There is an inline filter between the pump and the carb.

Yes, sorry... Hydrolock / vaporlock are used interchangeably in these parts. It wasn't any hotter when I opened the lid than my Dad's other Thing gets.

[CraigInPA]

I meant to say the "screen filter in the FUEL PUMP", not the carb.

While you're looking in there, you'll also be able to see if the diaphragm is in good shape.

Most people put the inline filter between the tank and the pump, not the pump and the carb.

If you haven't replaced the inline filter, you should probably do so.

[Wildthings]

Add some FI cleaner to the tank and see what happens. A fuel pump will gum up just like a carb and cleaner may clear it up for you.

You can remove the fuel level sender and get a good view down into the tank to see what might be floating around in there that could be clogging the outlet.

[andk5591]

And if course your fuel pump may just have crapped out. After you go through what was suggested, I would proceed with testing it.
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