Haven't posted in awhile. Sorry 'bout that. Been playing with my '68 Plymouth Fury and My Honda XR400 dirtbike. But I have a problem and I know I can always count on you guys.

Backstory: Last weekend I filled up the Ford, and forgot my gas cap. Went to ride dirtbikes. Truck sat for a week and went out dirtbiking again this weekend and forgot all about the missing gas cap...

Today on the way home the beast starts to sputter. I slowed down to 45 MPH and the sputtering stopped. She ran alright then back up to speed for about five minutes, then sputtered again. Let her sit for a few hours then had to run to Home Depot for landscaping materials. Had the wife follow "in case" but she (the truck)ran like a champ. Loaded all my landscape timbers, ladder, pick axe, tree in the bed and....SHE WON'T START! AAAAHHHHHHH! Here's what I think I know...

Plugs, Cap, Rotor, Fuel Pump, Radiator, Hoses, Belts are all new.
There is no fuel getting to the carb. I took off the hose connected to the fuel filter on the carb and cranked. The first time I tried it, gas did come out of the hose and squirted across the engine to the opposite valve cover. I pulled the filter and was able to blow through it gently without a problem. Later when I tried to crank it, there was no gas coming out of that hose. (From fuel pump)

Pumping on the accellerator pedal puts no gas into the carb.

My wife is yelling at me like I'm a stinkin' five year old for driving the truck to an MX park with no cap on the gas tank. She's right, I'm an idiot, but could this have caused the problem?

Is there anything else I can check? Sorry this is so long. Just trying to give as much info as possible.

Thanks guys!

 

sounds like maybe the fuel pump, or the throttle on the carb. when you press on the gas a little flap or something should allow gas in. also make sure all the springs and whatnot on the accelerator cable is there. also maybe a feul line is clogged withsomething. maybe dirt from no gas cap

 

Sounds like your wife maybe has concocted a CIA plan to get you to sell that UUUUUUUUUUUUgly truck ------maybe she dropped a Dog #urd in the ole' gas tank , hoping , that alittle "organic material" might improve the octane rating of the gas----One other thought , if you went to any place and "LEFT" the truck where people gather there is no telling what somebody could have dropped into that open filler hole----hope you find the problem , fd :-X11

 

I just think yoy need a new fuel pump. I highly doubt it has anything to do with no gas cap. I know someone who drove his truck for along time with no cap and he lives on a dirt road. Just cant mention his name lol Good Luck Andy

 

Blow some air in the line from pump to the tank and see if you get a blockage there. You'll have to take the line off the pump to do this as most pumps have a anti-return valve that stops the gas flowing back to the tank. Blow on it till you can hear the air in the gas tank bubbling around. Reconnect the hose, dump some gas in the carb (use a small cup and fill the bowl through the vent tube), and starter up.

If it dies try to fill the carb and restart. If it seems to run fine I would guess that you have something in the tank blocking the line. If after you try to start it using this method a couple of times and it fails, then its time for a new pump.

 

Your float is stuck maybe? Can you hook a fuel line to the carb and blow air into it? if not, sometomes water in the fuel will corrode the float or needle and make it stick. If you can blow through the carb, run a peice of fuel line from the supply side of the pump to a bottle of gas and see if it will suck fuel that way. If not, you probably need a fuel pump. Anyway, good luck, hope I helped.

John

 

Thanks guys!

I posted a long reply, but it got lost. And when I posted this thread, it didn't show up right away either. I wonder what's up with that?

I will look into those suggestions. I think the magic dog turd theory has something to it. "Back and to the left..."

 

Tried posting this last night, but computer was actin up...

Wayne_J has a good point. It sounds like you might be the victim of the 'ol box 'o tampons in the gas tank trick, NOT to be confused with the 'ol sugar in the gas tank trick. If your pump is good (more on testing it in a bit) and the truck still runs out of gas, something big and nasty is in your tank. Test your old pump by gettin a gas can, a small coke bottle, and a legnth of hose. Pour some gas into the coke bottle with a small 1/8" hole cut in the cap. Use the coke bottle to prime the carb through the vent tube. 2-3 ozs. should be fine. Disconect the intake(suction) side of the fuel pump, hook the hose up to the pump and sick it in the gas can. take the fuel line to the carb off the carb and put it so that it will fill another container. start the truck and see if and how long it takes to fill the container. It should come out in healthy spurts. when you are done doing that (and if the pump seems ok) replace it anyways. Blow on the fuel line to the tank, put it back together and drive the truck. If you keep having the same problems, siphon the gas out of the tank, drop it and clean the tampons out.
Tony


'77 F250, 4X4 460 transplantee, "Flamer"
'74 F250. 460, "beater" now "1 dead ford"
'73 F250, "midnight auto" now a trailer for the flamer

 

Well, I have not had a chance to even go get the truck yet, but when I do, I will know what to do with it. I appreciate all the advice. Lots of you are saying it's the fuel pump, but it really is only about three months old, so I doubt that's the problem. I'd hate to think somebody would throw something in my tank, but you never know. There is an inline filter under the bed. I figure I'll take that out and see if the tank side drains easily. If not, there is some blockage. If it empties quickly, then I'll try the Coke bottle deal.

I better NOT find anything in that gas tank!

 

It's not the fuel pump, you got something in your tank. I experienced the exact same thing in a Econoline, eventually had to drop the tank and rinse the dirt out. Buy a locking gas cap.

Barry

 

Went out with my buddy and he just poured more gas in the carb than I did. We got it started and she ran perfectly. I still feel uncomfortable because the problem has not been positively identified. What I am going to do is first, take out the main tank that I do not use. It leaks alot when it is full. Then I will remove the fuel line that supplied the gas from that rear tank, just so there's no question about stuff geting in there.

I agree that there is probably something in the tank, but I'm not gonna pull it unless it sputters again. I sure hope this old horse keeps running through the weekend. I have to replace the water pump on my '68 Fury. Doesn't look technically difficult, but it certainly seems like it will be time consuming.

Thanks for the help!