1971 Type III won't get or stay running, has spark

[whc03grady]

One of my return hoses burst in a faraway town and I got a ride from a stranger to get some more at the store. I took the old stuff, handed it to the kid, and took the new stuff he gave me. I replaced the burst hose and the car worked fine during the long interstate drive home (~70mph).

Later, I had some pretty bad stuttering issues, especially over bumps and heading uphill. The car has always had something of a stutter but now it was much worse. I also experienced some hard starts (lots of cranking before firing up). Then a couple days later it just died while idling. I suspected a bad filter, so I replaced it even though it looked okay. That's when I noticed some of the hoses in that tangle at the front were kind of kinked. "Aha!" I thought, "The bumps and uphill driving make things worse because things shift around and kink them shut [the fuel pump is bungeed to the front beam; proper mounting forthcoming]. I'll just replace all that stuff with what's leftover from that first repair." So I did. That's when I noticed that the kid had sold me, and I had installed 1/4" (6.3mm) fuel hose. Now, nothing; it won't start. Sometimes it barely gets running, but can't be kept alive.

So, the only things that have been changed were a few feet of fuel hose (to a smaller-than-spec ID hose), the fuel filter, and I installed the dampener (because I had one and it looked like fun). Why won't it run? Could I have embolized the pump or something?

[BellePlaine]

Gertie is carbureted, correct? Sounds like she is starving for fuel. Is something clogging the jets? Fuel pump gone bad? Needle valve(s) stuck closed? Someone put water in your gas tank?

You said that the return fuel hose burst; if it's not the fuel filter, is there a rock, gum, or schmuck in your gas tank blocking the out and the return lines? You don't have enough fuel getting the engine to keep it running yet you have too much pressure at the return line. Sounds like a gas tank issue. I don't know, maybe drain the gas tank and poke a wire inside the tank from underneath to see if there is blockage.

[BellePlaine]

When your line burst you had to fill up with more gas, right? I'll bet you that the force of the new gas entering the tank momentarily moved whatever object is in your tank just enough to allow you to get home. Gas tank blockage works with your staling at bumps and hill problem too. I'm convinced that's your problem.

[whc03grady]

Gertie is carbureted, correct?

Nope; fuelie.

Sounds like she is starving for fuel. Is something clogging the jets? Fuel pump gone bad? Needle valve(s) stuck closed? Someone put water in your gas tank?

The injectors are all about a thousand miles old. I worry about water (and other foreign substances) sometimes because I distrust Idle Youth and the gas door doesn't lock. But when I replaced the line around the filter, there didn't seem to be sugar in it or anything.

You said that the return fuel hose burst; if it's not the fuel filter, is there a rock, gum, or schmuck in your gas tank blocking the out and the return lines? You don't have enough fuel getting the engine to keep it running yet you have too much pressure at the return line. Sounds like a gas tank issue. I don't know, maybe drain the gas tank and poke a wire inside the tank from underneath to see if there is blockage.

This is certainly possible, but since the heavy stutter and hard starts only set in after I replaced the burst hose, and then the non-starting after I replaced more hose, I wonder if:
(a) the fact that the hose is too small is a factor;
(b) air got into the pump (and whether or not it'd matter if it did)
There were no real problems until after I changed the filter and hose. I'm inclined to think it's because of something I did/didn't do, rather than something that'd been there all along and just popped up after I did some stuff. Oh, and plenty of gas ran freely out of the tank when I was changing hoses.

[BellePlaine]

But why did the fuel line burst? I'm assuming that some event happened which caused the line burst and hasn't been addressed yet. You say that fuel ran freely from the tank, but was it running freely from BOTH inlet and outlet ports? Could something be clogging one port but not the other?

Perhaps when you clamped the new fuel line, your clamp pinched the line? If that makes sense to you. Maybe.

[BellePlaine]

I know that I'm taking wild guesses, but have you tested the fuel pressure regulator?

[whc03grady]

But why did the fuel line burst? I'm assuming that some event happened which caused the line burst and hasn't been addressed yet.

That's a good question. I was just assuming it burst because it had had enough of this life, but you may be on to something.

[Amskeptic]

But why did the fuel line burst? I'm assuming that some event happened which caused the line burst and hasn't been addressed yet.

That's a good question. I was just assuming it burst because it had had enough of this life, but you may be on to something.

Do you have the correct re-inforced hose? It has nylon threads embedded in it, and you can see them at the edge of the hose where you cut it.

Do you get the fuel pump prime when you turn on the ignition, that little three second buzz of the pump?
Colin

[whc03grady]

Do you have the correct re-inforced hose? It has nylon threads embedded in it, and you can see them at the edge of the hose where you cut it.

Do you get the fuel pump prime when you turn on the ignition, that little three second buzz of the pump?
Colin

Yes (it does), and yes (more than three seconds; when the key's on, it's on).

[Amskeptic]

Do you have the correct re-inforced hose? It has nylon threads embedded in it, and you can see them at the edge of the hose where you cut it.

Do you get the fuel pump prime when you turn on the ignition, that little three second buzz of the pump?
Colin

Yes (it does), and yes (more than three seconds; when the key's on, it's on).

Someone has bypassed the safety circuit. I am rusty on this, but there is a connector at the left front of the engine that serves as a ground path for the fuel pump relay. IIRC, if it is unplugged the pump runs. It is near the reverse light connector where the wiring flows thick and furious.

So, why doesn't the engine run? Smell gasoline in the exhaust after cranking? Have you cleaned the point trigger contacts under the distributor?
Colin

[BellePlaine]

What's the latest? Is Gertie up and running already?