Club 80-90 Forums

Hi everyone

Novice here asking for advice

My 1985 1.9 petrol has been running absolutely fine and now suddenly wont start

I carried out some of the checks mentioned in these forums -

Jam jar test from the fuel pump to the carb is empty - no fuel coming out from the fuel pump

Cap of petrol down the throat of the carb and it starts straight away, burns the fuel off then dies

I've check the fuel filter coming out of the fuel tank and it looks clear

I've this morning changed the fuel pump thinking that was probably the issue but still nothing - fuel still isn't leaving the fuel pump and going into the carb

What would be the next thing for me to check/change? The fuel lines all look fine to my untrained eye and the guy I bought it off just over a year ago told me he'd recently changed them all

Any advice would be appreciated. In the end I'll take it to the garage but would be a shame if its something simple

Thank you!

Fuels run back the the tank, should start with a bit of cranking or manually fill the carb float and the fuel pump to help prime better

Did you change the push rod for the fuel pump at the same time as changing the pump? Must be 100mm long . 
 

IME the pump pushrods don't wear enough for it to be a problem, only once the pump valves fail to seal properly and leak back is it a factor.
A new pump should lift fuel fairly quickly, disconnect the coil supply (black wires) then remove the spark plugs and give it a good cranking. Ao much quicker than trying to do it aginst the engine compression.
Just make sure that the coil is disconnected and remove the king lead too, you don't want a stray spark causing an engine bay fire because of fuel vapours being pumped out of the spark plug holes...

Hi all

Thanks a lot for the replies

Have checked push rod and its fine

Have tried starting again with fuel down the carb - still the same. Starts, burns off the fuel, then dies.

Have tried starting with short cranks as someone told me that should help to prime the pump. Still nothing.

Is there anything else I should try for priming?

Still no fuel going to the carb.

Cheers

Hey man,

Did you by chance run out of fuel before this? Because the pump need some vacuum to be able to draw the fuel.

If that’s the case then just keep pouring in the carb until it picks up and gets rid of the air in the lines

Faulty 'new' pump? Long shout I know but worth trying another.

Don't take this the wrong way but you haven't put the fuel pipes on the the pump the wrong way have you?

I've done it in the past and as I run mine on lpg the petrol could be seen 'bubbling ' in the filter.

I know you said the fuel lines look ok and not very old but I've had some that have perished in less than 2 years in the past, worth swapping them out for how much they cost.