Fuel Pump ?

[kf4anm]

When not completely absorbed with the motorcycle I have a 1969 Plymouth Satellite. Its a work in progress. It has a classic 318 mopar powerplant with the conservative 918 auto tranny. She runs like a top. My problem is when it sits for extended periods of time. The fuels drains back and its a bear to start, Gas in the carb and pump the daylights out of it is the routine. It has a mechanical fuel pump. It was the first part I replaced. I used oem spec pump. Nothing fancy or expensive. If I upgrade to a better quality pump would this help with the priming problems? Any other suggestions or ideas on how to prevent that short of converting to an electrical unit.

Regards

[Ken Talbot]

Some sort of check valve?

[Flatlander]

I have seen some hot rod car builders install a electric fuel pump inline with a switch just for the same reason and it works well for them.
What kinda carb do you have on it? The reason I ask, some have a large enough float bowl vent to fill the bowls with the filter off. This will allow the motor to run long enough to prim the gas line with the mechanical pump.

[CarolynS]

One way valve

HWMBO says go to a good automotive supply store-not Cap or Advanced Auto, nothing like that-more like Napa or your local repair shop supplier. Ask them for a One Way Valve and put it in the line wherever you can. You'll need the diameter of the fuel line to tell them. It should run you around $20 and fix the problem. We had to do that to our front end loader-an Old Fiat Allis 1979-and it solved the problem there.
Better than putting in an electric pump.
Hope that helps.

[kf4anm]

thanks, i'll check into the one way valve. I currently have a two barrel Carter oem replacement. The only difference is an extra vacuum port.

[SiP]

HWMBO

Yeah right - i think that's the first time ever I've heard that.

[trbig]

Makes me wonder if there's a small leak/hole in the accelerator pump diaphram.

I messed up my mechanical fuel pump arm on a motor I had put in once, and had to chose betwen pulling the whole front of the motor back off again, or instaling an electric fuel pump. I used to have to pump the pedal alot like you state. After the electric pump, I'd turn the key on for a few seconds... you can hear the change when it gets the line pressured up.... then pump it once and it would start. I personally loved it after that.


Tod

[CarolynS]

HWMBO

Sip, What kind of women are you exposed to? Good heavens!!

[planedick]

Hac one too

I had a Chrysler product once that pumped the remaining fuel back to the tank when it was turned off. Something about emissions requirements.

[kawa bob]

The fuel pump should have a check valve on it to start with , are you sure the carb is not "leaking" the fuel out of the bowl into the engine when it sits for a while

[LoHo]

Carolyn, the courts said that the exposure charges against SiP would be dropped for insufficient evidence. Although he does have to stay 100 yards away from Girl Scouts, so he has to buy his cookies by mail...and the ankle monitor interferes with shifting a little...otherwise, no problem.

[LoserShoes]

To see if it is the fuel pump, you can disconnect the fitting from the carb and crank the engine. Be prepared for pretty hefty squirt of gas if it is ok, like put a jar or something to catch it.

Steve

[SiP]

What can I say - I do what I'm told! At least that's what she thinks so everyone's happy.

[tarzan]

I would agree with kawa bob.Those carters are famous for leaking float bowl and bad accelarator pumps.I have had a lot of accelerator pump probs on the ones i've owned.

[ccogswel]

Hi kf4anm,

A fellow Mopar fan. Not many of us around. Anyway I believe I can help you out. I read somewhere (I think it was here) that the gas that is used now a days are meant to be under high pressure. So in a old carb it evaporates. What I did and this was before I wrecked my 71 Road Runner was I got a high volume fuel pump made by carter and got it from Summit. Anyway I still had a hard time starting my 440 up in the mornings. So I also put a inline fuel pump in back at the tank. It put out 5 lbs pressure. I hooked it up to a switch that was connected to my throttle shaft. Wired it up so when I pushed the throttle wide open it would run. So in the mornings all I had to do was hold the throttle down to fill up the carb and then pump it a few times and she fire right up. The switch was used for a nos setup but it worked good for this as well. The electric pump also helped when I had it at high rpm's as I had a stumple. It was from the fuel pump floating. Just a thought for you. Hope it helps you out.

Also just a word of advice. Be very carefull of driving on wet roads with it. That is how I lost mine. Now I'm back to square one.

Hope I was some help.