Fueling issues?

[De Lorean]

Hey guys

Got exams over with, so got a chance to work at the R4 I am minding. I replaced the starter, battery and sorted out the earth cable and the engine now turns over. However, it wont start, and I think it is fuel pump related. The plugs are sparking, and I cant see fuel flowing through. Do fuel pumps usually go bad/any other suggestions?

I tried taking the air filter cover off in order to drop a bit of fuel into the carb to see if it fires up, but it is proving difficult. I removed the bolt at the top, and the housing swivels, but wont budge and I dont want to force it incase I break anything on my friends car. Something holding it down?

Cheers!
Thomas

 

[malcolm]

Fuel pumps don't normally cause problems, but it's possible. One way to find out is to pull the top off the float chamber to see if there's any fuel in there. If not then most likely pump or filter.

If the car has been standing for more than a year then the fuel might be off. Normally they'll start up if you spray some easystart into the carb and then will run on the bad fuel. Otherwise new fuel.

The air filter casing splits into two with the bottom fixed to the carb and the top and sides coming off when you undo the central acrew. Might need a wiggle if it's not been off for a while.

 

[angel]

Usual problem with R4s left standing for a long time is when the fuel pickup tube inside the tank and/or its filtering gauze gets clogged with rust and loose particles,so the pump cannot suck fuel. You can check it by removing the fuel supply hose before it reaches to the pump and blowing through it,you should be able to blow freely. If this is the problem,you should remove the fuel tank and then the fuel gauge sender/pickup tube to clean it. Other possible cause,apart from a faulty fuel pump,would be a sticking float needle, again likely to happen on a car that has been left unused.

 

[De Lorean]

Thanks for the advice! This is the first time the car has been cranked in over a year now, so I'd say bad fuel is probably the culprit. I better not try to start it again until the old stuff is removed!

Thanks again

 

[De Lorean]

Hey guys
Managed to get the air filter housing and underplate off. The air filter element is stock solid to the plate. God knows when it was last changed.

Anyway, poured a drop of petrol into the carb and she fired up for about a second. So next chance I get I'll inspect the hoses and pump.

Thanks again, I'll keep you updated.

 

[iancr900]

pull off the fuel pipe where it connects to the carb and crank it over.it should come out with quite a force.

 

[Chris H]

take the pipe off the fuel pump to the carb and with a funnel pour fuel into it, should get it running for a while.

The feed line to the pump like someone else said remove it and blow through it, you should hear the fuel bubbling in the tank, take the filler cap off first or it will come out the return.

 

[De Lorean]

Success! Got her running. Took the fuel pump out and cleaned out all the sludge and crap inside, then put it back together. Still wouldnt take up fuel so I connected fuel from a jerry can directly to the carb (thanks gravity) and she fired up, which must have been enough to make the pump start sucking again!

Took her for a test drive which was met with smiles from neighbours lol. Brakes were a bit hairy from sitting for a year but all in all, was an enjoyable drive.

Now, all the crap in the fuel pump must have come from the tank, so I think the owner will have to replace that at some point. I read in the manual that they are prone to rusting from the inside!! Great,

Anyways, thanks for the help everyone, much appreciated!

Thomas