Help please - no petrol

[woolfie1948]

I left MLW (164 TWIN CARB AUTO) ticking over on the drive and while I opened the garage door the engine stalled and would not restart.
As the fuel gauge showed 1/4 and I had just had the fuel gauge fixed I called the garage a few rather unpleasant names and put in 10ltrs. from a can, but still no luck.
I could not see any fuel in the online plastic filter just after the fuel pump so pulled it off and spun the engine over - still no fuel came out. A trip down to the local parts shop and I came back with a new Q H pump (and inline filter). Checked it was the same shape and size as the old pump and fitted it.
Spun it over and still no fuel coming out the pump. A suck on the flexible pipe that goes into the pump and fuel comes through, so no blockage.
Took the pump off (three times) and refitted it in case I had not got it on ok, still no output.
Before I take the pump back on Monday can anyone suggest anything I can try?
Jonathan

[ctautos]

put fuel in the float chambers start car see how it goes.if the pump is doing it"s job you should feel the air coming out on your face

[Audrey Old]

Appreciate you told me your problems the other day, but I then remembered I had similar with a 164 a few years ago. That twin-carb car would start with some help from a high-octane spray can, but by the time I reversed it out it stopped again.
Having had wrapped sugar put in a previous cars tank (with the disolving paper blocking the rigid pipe and carb jets) I put my footpump to the flex pipe before the fuel pump and operated it rapidly. We heard fuel and bubbles in the tank so tried a repeat drive, and it stopped again.
As I had a spare tank I took the old one out, and found the metal elbow and spigot delivery pipe VERY rusty. With the replacement tank fitted it worked fine, so I unscrewed the elbow on the original tank and found the suction pipe down into the tank rusted almost solid. On the bench I couldn't blow through it - just a thought but perhaps this may be the problem with your car?
Its a slow process undoing all those screws holding the tank in (usually gummed in with underseal) but perhaps before all that effort get right underneath and have a look with a torch at where the fuel suction pipe fits: if it looks crusty with rust, that may be the cause.

Paul

[woolfie1948]

Paul
Thanks for your suggestion.
I have pushed a clear plastic tube into the flexible fuel pipe that joins the metal pipe to the pump (a good fit) and can easily blow back into the tank. I can also easily suck petrol from the tank and see it coming up the clear tube so don't see how it can be a blockage. The tank was new less than two years ago.
The flexible pipe between the metal pipe and the pump appears to be a preformed shape rather than just a cut length of tubing so is not kinked and appears to be clear of any blockage, and as already said I can suck fuel through it.
There does not seem to me to be any way I can be fitting the pump incorrectly but maybe I am missing something?
Jonathan

[arcturus]

Have you checked that the pump is actually working? By that I mean the internals are moving. what part drives the pump. Is it in goodorder. Perhaps you could get hold of an electric pump, connect that up temporarily and see if it pushes out gas.

[john h]

I'd say that there's very low likelihood of your old pump failing suddenly like that, then a brand new one being faulty.

I'm assuming it is an engine-driven mechanical pump (it's a long time since I owned a carb Volvo!). Is the supply line to the pump blocked, or kinked?

If not, is the car parked on a slope, or jacked up at the front? There may be an airlock in the supply pipe to the pump.

John

[Mike B]

Originally Posted by john h

I'd say that there's very low likelihood of your old pump failing suddenly like that, then a brand new one being faulty.

I'm assuming it is an engine-driven mechanical pump (it's a long time since I owned a carb Volvo!). Is the supply line to the pump blocked, or kinked?

If not, is the car parked on a slope, or jacked up at the front? There may be an airlock in the supply pipe to the pump.

John

This its a mec pump , same as 240 ones.
Regards
Mike B

[woolfie1948]

Thanks to all for suggestions.
The pump is mechanical
The flexible supply pipe (between the pump and metal supply pipe) is pre-shaped so has not kinked and is clear, so I can suck fuel through into the the clear tube I have pushed into it. I can also blow easily back into tank.
Car is not jacked and is on level.
If there is an air lock I don't think I would see fuel coming into the clear tube when I am sucking on it?
The old pump appears to be same shape and size as new one and came with one paper gasket. I have fitted it with this paper gasket and the also put back the heat shield (same shape as paper gasket but thick plastic.) that was between the old pump and the block. This is also how it is shown in the Haynes manual.
Still can't understand what I am doing wrong.
Jonathan

[Clan]

Have the timing gears srtipped hence not turning the camshaft to operate the pump ? Take the oil filler cap off and see if the rockers are moving when you crank the engine over ..

[woolfie1948]

I have now been outside and connected the pump to the flexible fuel supply pipe and worked the lever on the pump by hand.
The result is a very intermittent or weak output from the pump. Sometimes a couple of weak spurts then many pumps without any output.
I suppose I have no alternative but to take the pump back and ask for it to be exchanged, or is there some way it can be drawing in air from somewhere rather than fuel that I can check first?
jonathan