I just thought I'd mention that the modern solid state electric fuel pumps
click continually, unlike the SU electric pump.
I'm mentioning it because a local fellow recently bought a sprite and was
quite happy until another sprite person told him his car was about to catch
fire and to stop driving it immediately! What the second fellow didn't
realise
was that unlike his car, this one had a solid state pump.
Of course, if you do have an SU pump, then it should stop clicking after it
has
run up pressure and it is either a leak in the line or a stuck float if it
doesn't.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Daryl and Jennifer May <mayfam@sprynet.com>
To: Jeff Boatright <jboatri@emory.edu>; spridgets@autox.team.net
<spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 5:00 PM
Subject: Re: Re-fuel pump run-on
>Jeff,
>
>For the fuel pump to continue to pump when the engine is off, it pretty
>well has to push the fuel somewhere. There are a few obvious alternatives:
>
>1. There's a leak in the carb. This is probably due to the float valve
>sticking (not cutting off), which means the fuel ought to jettison into an
>overflow system which depends on the model, or depart the carb through a
>faulty gasket over one or both of the float chambers. This could mean a
>gas stream over a hot exhaust (ouch). Solution is to fix the float valves,
>make sure the gaskets are good, and check that the overflow tube goes
>somewhere safe. (I'm not 100% sure, but I think that the overflow tube on
>newer models goes to the charcoal canister and from there back to the gas
>tank; this would be an example of a leak that you cannot see, and is
>probably not dangerous, but it would still amount to a leak in that the
>float valve is not cutting off and needs fixing.)
>
>2. There's a leak in or after the fuel pump before the carb. An example
>would be a hose, union, or filter leak. Depending where it is, it could
>also exit fuel on to a hot exhaust. Solution is to fix the leak.
>
>If the fuel pump runs with the engine off, look for the leak and fix. That
>ticking fuel pump is a potential ticking bomb.
>
>Daryl
>
>
>----------
>> From: Jeff Boatright <jboatri@emory.edu>
>> To: spridgets@autox.team.net
>> Subject: Re-fuel pump run-on
>> Date: Monday, September 14, 1998 4:43 AM
>>
>> Dear Spridgeteers,
>>
>> As I wrote earlier, yesterday my fuel pump ran on continuously at
>start-up.
>> I smelled fuel as I pulled away. It has not happened again (yet). The
>reply
>> I got on this is below (thanks to the sender). Has anyone else had this
>> run-on problem and what were the results?
>>
>> >This is EXACTLY what my first Lotus did moments before it burst into
>> >flames. I don't know what to tell you, other than if it happens again
>look
>> >for leaks, and if you find no leaks look for another fuel pump. I would
>> >not screw around - I found out the hard way!
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> Jeffrey H. Boatright, PhD
>> Editor-in-Chief, Molecular Vision
>> http://www.emory.edu/molvis
>> "Seeing the Future in a Very Tiny Way"
>
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