Hi guys
I recently rebuilt my 72 & am attempting to start.We used air at the tank to get fuel through the line to the pump.The pump doesn't appear to be pumping fuel to the carb.Changed fuel pump with one that should be good & still get no fuel to the carb. During rebuild I could not find original fuel pump activating rod & put one in from another small block chevy.My question is do all small block chevys have the same fuel pump activating rod?Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks Randy

pushrod is the same. Look for cracks or breaks in the rubber lines on the fuel line, any air getting in will keep the pump from working..assuming there is gas in the tank and the sending unit sock isnt plugged.

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Dave (NY)
70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
72 chevelle
55 chevy prostreet
69/71 camaros
61 impala bubbletop
TC member #493

Let me elaborate (Randy is my bro in law)..we used compressed air to blow fuel up to the fuel pump connector. With the motor cranking and the line going to the carb unhooked, it didn't pump any fuel out. Tried this with 2 different pumps.
Another question-do you need to "prime" the pump before mounting it? This hasn't been a problem for me before.
Rubber lines are pretty darn tight, have about 3" of hose pushed over the line coming from the tank, along with a screw type clamp torqued as much as the 1/4" rachet would allow.

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71 Ragtop, finally under reconstruction!
MCC #347, TC (Gold) #174
N3JHV@bellatlantic.net

Sid,
The pushrod didn't drop down as you put the pump in, did it? Happened to me a few times in the past. Wish I had your problem. My son and I went to prelube his new 3.8 litre engine we just put in his Olds and have NO oil pressure at all! Aaaarrrggggh!!

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MalibuJerry350
Original owner '70 Chevelle.
540,000+ miles on car.
My Chevelle: http://hometown.aol.com/erie614/myhomepage/index.html

Did you guys get the pump rod in right.try a rubber hose from the pump to a pail of fuel this will see if it is befor or after the pump.

Hey Jerry, did ya pack the oil pump with vaseline before installing? Works like a charm to get the pump primed. Sid, Im not just talking about the rubber line at the end of the steel line, but also at the tank output and if there are any splices anywhere. I have never had to prime a fuel pump, or had to use compressed air. Normally on a fresh setup I fill the carb bowls manually and then fire it up. Was this car running before the engine build so you can rule out the lines? If so double check the pump rod, are you sure it stayed up against the cam and didnt slide down when you put the pump on?

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Dave (NY)
70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
72 chevelle
55 chevy prostreet
69/71 camaros
61 impala bubbletop
TC member #493

I would take the pump back off to make sure the rod isn't stuck. If I remember correctly, it may be possible to put too long a bolt in the block that may interfere with the fuel pump rod travel. I think it was a tech tip to push the rod up then swap out the bolt with a longer one to hold the rod while you reinstalled the pump. Then all you had to do was swap bolts.

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Never be afraid to try something new.
An amatuer built the Arc,
Professionals built the Titanic.
Team Chevelle Gold #33
ACES Member #02913
Chevelle Club of Michigan
Rode shotgun in the ONLY Z16 convertible made.

Thanks all!
Jerry-sure the drill is turning the correct direction and you're not blowing bubbles in the pan???

Dave-gas is in the tank. Fairly sure the plumbing is OK up to the pump-had it pressurized and didn't see or hear any leaks from the rear. Not sure about the sock, however with air pressure in the tank, it blew fuel out the pipe up front.

Snake-will try that tomorrow, think Randy's picking up a new pump as well.

Tom-didn't use the "long bolt" trick when Randy assembled it, assume it wouldn't turn over if the rod was stuck. Think he packed it full of grease at the cam end to help hold the rod up.

Thanks to all guys-we'll let ya know how it turns out.


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71 Ragtop, finally under reconstruction!
MCC #347, TC (Gold) #174
N3JHV@bellatlantic.net

Sid,
Yep, the drill's turning clockwise, the direction of distributor rotation. The thing that's bothering me is that in the gasket set that came with the engine, there seems to be a gasket that looks curiously like the one that SHOULD be between the oil pickup pipe and the block! I'm just wondering if some idiot left it out when the engine was remanufactured. It's an AC Delco reman. Even on the old engine when we changed the timing chain cover and oil pump, by packing the pump with vasoline it primed right away. With this, there's no pressure at all. I guess I'll have to call AC Delco Tech Support tomorrow to see what they say. I'd sure hate to have to pull that beast out again. Hopefully, pulling the pan should tell the story, but they need to give me authorization to do so, otherwise it might void the warranty. Should have gone with an ATK like I did with the Chevelle! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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MalibuJerry350
Original owner '70 Chevelle.
540,000+ miles on car.
My Chevelle: http://hometown.aol.com/erie614/myhomepage/index.html

Fuel pumps will self prime. But on these cars, you have rubber fuel lines that connect the tank line to the line on the frame. You need to get the rear end on jackstands and look directly above the rear housing. All of mine were cracked and badly deteriorated when I installed my 350 in my car and I had to spend a couple of hours replacing all those hoses. Did you pull the sender out of the tank? The little sock filter at the end of the pickup tube may be stopped up. You can still get those at your local parts house.

Jerry, there also could be a leak in the oil system. I had a installed a rebuild 2.8 v6 in a camaro years ago, and couldnt get oil pressure. I pulled the intake and spun the pump, and oil came shooting out of a oil gallery hole that had never had its plug reinstalled. Put the plug in and it was fine..just a thought if you run out of ideas.

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Dave (NY)
70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
72 chevelle
55 chevy prostreet
69/71 camaros
61 impala bubbletop
TC member #493

Dave,
What seems to be happening is that the pump "pushes" out the vasoline I packed into the filter cavity, but doesn't lift any oil. This is the "infamous" Buick V6 with the oil pump in the timing chain cover. As I had said before, the little gasket "left over" in the gasket set IS the gasket that belongs between the oil pickup tube mounting flange and the engine block. I just need to pull the pan to see if one was ever installed. At the rate I'm going, I could find that the pickup tube was never installed! I'll let you guys know what I find. That'll teach me not to do this on the engine stand!

UPDATE: I pulled the pan, with the blessing of the dealer I bought the engine from, and found that the two bolts that hold the oil pickup pipe to the block were never tightened! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/eek.gif The gasket was there, but the bolts still had at least 1/8 inch to go before they were tight! Took the pipe off, put a new Fel Pro gasket on and tightened everything up! 50 pounds of oil pressure on pre-lube. The Chevy/Olds dealer I purchased the engine from is going to reimburse me for the pan gasket set. He was ready, if needed, to flatbed the car to his facility at his expense if this hadn't worked. Kinda makes me wonder how the rest of the engine is assembled, huh? I guess we'll find out at startup, which could be tomorrow night.
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MalibuJerry350
Original owner '70 Chevelle.
540,000+ miles on car.
My Chevelle: http://hometown.aol.com/erie614/myhomepage/index.html

[This message has been edited by MalibuJerry350 (edited 01-29-2001).]