Fellow Listers:
I wanted to give you an update on my fuel delivery problem--which I
think I have solved.
This past weekend I removed the fuel filter and drained the gas tank.
Crud in the line was definitely a big part of the problem, but I had
also unknowingly contributed to the situation.
Turns out I had over-tightened the clamps holding the fuel lines, such
that they crushed the inlet and outlet of the plastic fuel filter.
Therefore it only took a small piece of trash to block the fuel flow.
>From now on I'll change the filter every driving season and keep some
extras in the trunk. And I'll tighten the clamps just until snug, not
until my forearm aches.
I appreciate all the suggestions and encouragement from the list.
Thanks and I'll see you on the road.
Michael Campsmith
1974 TR6 (now BRG)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Campsmith, Michael" <mgc4@cdc.gov>
To: "6pack" <6pack@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 9:05 AM
Subject: Fuel delivery problem
> Fellow listers:
>
> I'm having an intermittent fuel flow problem with my 1974 TR6 and
wanted
> to get your thoughts on possible causes and solutions.
>
> Three weeks ago I was driving in town and the car started to sputter
and
> cough under load, but if I pushed in the clutch it would rev normally.
> Finally it stalled and I coasted into a parking lot. When I popped
the
> hood I noticed that the see-through fuel filter was only about 1/3
full.
> I let the car sit for a while and started it back up; however it only
> drove another half mile before it stalled again. The fuel filter was
> again less than full and this time I disconnected the hose from the
> outlet side of the filter--fuel flowed freely out of the filter. I
put
> everything back together and drove home without incident. Since it
was
> a hot day and the tank was near empty I thought it might have been due
> to low volume so I filled the tank and forgot about it.
>
> Today I was on the highway driving to an event in north Georgia when
it
> did the same thing. Same stalling, same nearly empty fuel filter,
same
> ability to drive home after I confirmed fuel was flowing through the
> filter. When I got home the fuel filter was observed to be full.
>
> The car was apart from February 2004 until May 2005 for a frame off
> restoration. I drove it all last summer without incident, including
> 3,000 miles in one week. Now I am afraid of getting stranded until I
> figure this out.
>
> Mechanical fuel pump is less than a year old and is the expensive one.
> The fuel tank and rigid lines are original, although I did clean them
> thoroughly (at least I thought so) before reinstalling last summer.
>
> My best guess is either a bad fuel pump or a blocked line. Anyone
ever
> have a fuel pump fail intermittently?
>
> I'm going to put the old fuel pump back on (was working fine when I
> replaced it) and drain some fuel out of the tank in case any crud is
> blocking the outlet. Other than that I don't have a guess.
>
> Your ideas are most appreciated.
>
> Michael Campsmith
> 1974 TR6 (now BRG)
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