fuel starvation!

[MattyG]

Hi all

the van ('81 2ltr Aircooled) has decided it wont draw any fuel up to the carbs.
I ran out of fuel on sunday - but now has fuel in it
i can see fuel bubbling through the filter between tank and pump but there is no fuel getting to the carbs.
ive tried drawing it up with bilge pump thing but still nothing.
is there an easy way to test the fuel pump before i take it off and replace?


thanks

matt

[BOXY]

Pour a bit of petrol straight into the carbs with the air filter off and try to start it. There should be enough fuel to get it running & the fuel pump pumping (assuming you've got a mechanical fuel pump)

[MattyG]

thanks - will try tomorrow

if this doesnt work what would the next course of checking be??

thanks

Matt

[jason k]

most likely a worn pump.

og no longer available

fit a facet eleccy one instead

[BOXY]

Did you change the fuel filter? If the tank ran completely empty 20+ years of sludge & crap have probably blocked the filter.

[jason k]

try towstarting it

get it up to 20 mph and drop the clutch in third dragging it will pull the petrol up nice and quick.

[virgo35]

yeah all in-line filters have been changed !
i might have to try the towing next as im totally stuck for a reason
cheers thou

[BOXY]

If you've got fuel coming out of the carb fuel feed pipe when the ignition is switched on and the electric pump is running then the problem has got to be with the carb or the fuel itself.

Check to see if the carb has got a metal strainer fitted into its inlet port?
Is the fuel fresh? The fact the engine "fired" up with brake cleaner but won't run on your petrol could mean the petrol is contaminated? Petrol does "go off" after a while.

One other possibility is that the fuel tank isn't vented properly. If air can't get in to the tank to replace the fuel that's being drawn out eventually the partial vacuum will get too strong for the pump to pull anymore fuel out? I never heard of it happening with a camper but used to happen on motorbikes with the wrong fuel cap fitted. Try it without the fuel cap on.

[MattyG]

the conection on the fuel tank had somehow taken a knock and hed bent in and was starving the fuel?!?
ive switched the pipe over to the other side for the time being and it works fine

[BOXY]