Hard starting
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 29
Likes: 7
From: So Cal
Finally got around to replacing the fuel pump yesterday. I think it may have been original and may have been siphoning back fuel out of the float bowl even with the anti siphon fuel filter. With less fuel in the float bowl I think the smaller amount was evaporating with engine heat and causing the gas smell in the garage after driving. It was taking alot of cranking to start in the morning but today it started up normally and didnt smell like gas last night. It took a couple of hours to change the pump. Its a little hard to get the push rod up and get the pump arm under it. It also leaked from the output to the carb and I had to take the gas line off and redo and tighten it.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,370
Likes: 6,364
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
- First, pop the distributor cap off and "bump" the engine over on the starter until the distributor rotor points to where the #1 plug wire tower is located. This puts the engine at TDC on the compression stroke of #1 cylinder, which is the point where the fuel pump pushrod is on the "retracted" part of its stroke.
- Then, remove the short plug bolt from this bolt hole location in your engine block:
- Once removed, install a 2-3" long bolt instead. This long bolt will go through the wall of the block, and it will hit the fuel pump pushrod, jamming it in that fully retracted position. Give the bolt a light snug, but don't tighten it so much that you score or bend the pushrod...
- Once this is done, remove the fuel pump. The rod will stay in the full "up" retracted position when you remove the pump.
- Install the new pump, and then remove the long bolt from the plug hole. Re-install the short bolt.
- Failure to re-install the short plug bolt will result in a massive oil leak under wide open throttle at elevated rpm. Ask me how I know.
Lars
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 29
Likes: 7
From: So Cal
Hey Lars thats a good trick. It wasnt that bad I was able to pull the rod up with a wire and get the arm under somehow. It must have been close to TDS cause the bolts went in easy. 2 days without the gas smell in the garage is good. Thanks for your help
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 79
Likes: 3
From: winter fl
