I'm trying to get my '73 running (again!) .. It was running about 3 months ago, but I haven't really messed with it since. It was running just fine back then, no fuel problems at all. Aaron tried to start it - it would run for a minute and then die. Poof!

Initially we thought battery - the cables are a bit weary, especially the negative side (very easy and cheap) so I replaced it. Starting improved immensely once I re-attached the positive "quick-lock" connector and installed the new negative cable. However, it would still stall out after a few minutes and be almost impossible to start again. (Not the starter, fuel problem.)

So then I moved to the carburetor - I yanked it - and carefully disassembled it. I've pulled a couple of Q-jets in my time so it wasn't a big deal. The gaskets were fairly new so they pulled off easily without tearing. What I found in the fuel bowl however, absolutely amazed me. The best I can describe it was DOO-DOO! White/rusty/icky gunk. So I pulled out a flat blade to scrape most of it out, and hose the carb down. It wasn't really working too well, so I grabbed some pipe cleaners and Q-tips and had after it. Those did only slightly better. I could get a flashlight and see down the metering tubes - only to find bits of white funk in there.

That's when I snapped and remembered we had a bottle of "CLR" (calcium, lime, rust remover.) I got an eye-dropper and a little glass - I filled the glass first, then gradually added the solution with the eye dropped just in case there was some bad reaction. It worked fine so I filled the fuel bowl with it and used the eye dropper to "slosh" around the mixture. After about 1/2 hour of this, I emptied the CLR solution and hit the Q-tips and pipe cleaner bit again. MUCH better. The passageways were nice and clean now.

On to the fuel filter. Obviously if the bowl was that bad, the filter must be worse. I pulled it, and it came out in gunky mushy pieces. At $2 a filter, I'd be nuts not to replace it, so I did. I did the same CLR treatment to the filter area before I installed the new filter though, to make sure it sealed good and didn't have any gunk in that area, either.

So I drive it around - and the overall conditions improved greatly. Still, it stumbles and feels like the filter is getting clogged to a point where it can't pass fuel anymore. I check the filter and it's fine. I've got just a hair under 1/2 tank of gas, so I know I'm not running out. If I let it sit, it will start again just fine. Just for grins, I decide to see if maybe it's the fuel pump, so last night I replaced the fuel pump. When I pulled the supply side from the tank offf the pump, the fuel looked just fine - it certainly gushed out enough.

Is there something I'm missing? I mean, the car ran just fine a few months ago - what on earth could cause it to run and eventually die out like this? Is there a strainer in the tank? When I rebuilt the carb about 6 months ago, the fuel bowl was clean, and the car ran great.... :confused:

 

is the car a garage animal? sounds like someone addes something to your fuel. I'd check the carb again. I bet it's full of that gunk again

 

If your filter and carb had the 'gunk' in em chances are your pump does to. Do you have a pressure fuel pressure gauge? Would be intersted to see what pressure you are getting.

 

I may be off-base here but this sounds just like a clogged jets problem that i had on my motor cycle. Similar situation, gunk accumuldated in the carb(s) (4 of them). I'd clean the carbs, re-assemble and no improvement. Then bought a rebuild kit with new jets and voila, smooth running engine once again. You may have to clean out the jet orifices in the q-jet. Just a thought.

That CLR may have dislodged more gunk also.

Have never heard of white gunk in gas tank other than when somebody adds sugar (vandalism). I'd have it checked out. Sounds suspicious.

Good luck and keep us advised.

 

Is the fuel filter an inline filter or the filter inside the Carb? I have seen the sintered bronze filters get clogged before while they appeared to be ok. Or is it a paper fliter inside the carb?

 

Fuel pump is brand new (I just replaced it the other night.)

Sugar in the gas tank is IMPOSSIBLE because it has a locking gas cap. (And even with the key, it's a bitch to get off!)

When I disassembled the carb, I took the jets and rods out, and cleaned them VERY thouroughly. Ran a pipe cleaner through the jets repeatedly and they looked pretty clean when I finished. I made sure all the passageways were nice and clean.

Any other suggestions? I haven't even opened the fuel tank, so I'll probably do that this evening when I get home and see if there's anything strange in there. The car sits outside (unfortunately) all the time.

When I pull the carb again maybe I'll take some pics. I probably should have taken some pics of the white/rusty gunk too I suppose.

 

It's the paper one in the fuel fitting up front. It's not a bronze one... I'll check it again just in case.

 

After you found this gunk in your filter and carb, you should have probably flushed the gas tank and fuel lines as well. Chances are that you've got a carb and filter full of crap again. My guess is that you have condensation in your gas tank which settles right to the bottom and starts to corrode away the bottom of the tank. The white stuff may be some of the zinc and iron corrosion from the bottom of the tank. While you have the tank drained look down inside and make sure the tank isn't full of rust which might mean replacing the tank. You can also remove the sending unit from the tank out from the bottom. The fuel line pickup is attached to the sending unit. There is a "sock" made of nylon mesh screen that should be replaced too. Mine had gotten brittle from age and was slit down the side. Could be letting this gunk into the fuel line pickup. The "sock" filters are less than $10.

 

Well, it looks like you're right about the crappy gas. How do I go about flushing the tank? Doesn't look to be more than 1/4 tank of gas in there.

The bottom has a bright orange "glow" to it when I stick the flashlight in the tank (at night.) It looks to be a light film of orange stuff at the bottom.. (but it doesn't look dark like rust?)

I also couldn't see a sock at all. How hard is it to replace..?