Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

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charliepinto
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Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

Post by charliepinto »

So the other day I started my 2.0 pinto Capri (1986) up. Usually when I start it up I hold the revs a tiny bit until it gets a bit warmer. This time i didn't and started dusting the car off while it was running. Then it died, I started it again and it died soon after. Now it just turns over and doesn't fire, I know its got spark and I smidge of easy start in the carb makes it fire for a second.....So its defiantly fuel. I found the pump wasn't pulling anything through so got a new pump... but its still not pulling any fuel through, there are no leaks or kinks in the fuel line... what could it be?? Thanks in advance!
Paul G
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Re: Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

Post by Paul G »

Could be a blocked pick up in the tank or one of the rubber fuel lines had disintegrated internally and blocked up.
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Re: Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

Post by Bod9084 »

Try to blowing back from the pump to tank to check if it’s blocked if it’s not
Check the petrol pips for perishesing or take pipe of carb crank engine then
Look if petrol comes out
charliepinto
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Re: Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

Post by charliepinto »

Paul G wrote:Could be a blocked pick up in the tank or one of the rubber fuel lines had disintegrated internally and blocked up.
How do I check the pick up??
charliepinto
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Re: Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

Post by charliepinto »

Bod9084 wrote:Try to blowing back from the pump to tank to check if it’s blocked if it’s not
Check the petrol pips for perishesing or take pipe of carb crank engine then
Look if petrol comes out
I took the pipe from the fuel pump off and nothing was coming out, as if the fuel pump wasn't pulling anything through. Which pipe do you mean specifically? theres two coming from the fuel tank, one goes to the carb and the other to the pump
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Re: Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

Post by Peter-S »

charliepinto wrote:
Bod9084 wrote:Try to blowing back from the pump to tank to check if it’s blocked if it’s not
Check the petrol pips for perishesing or take pipe of carb crank engine then
Look if petrol comes out
I took the pipe from the fuel pump off and nothing was coming out, as if the fuel pump wasn't pulling anything through. Which pipe do you mean specifically? theres two coming from the fuel tank, one goes to the carb and the other to the pump
The one you need to blow through is the one to the pump. The other is a return to take excess fuel back to the tank. I would disconnect from the pump and the tank initially and blow through like that. If you blow through with it connected to the tank you are likely to dislodge the filter inside the tank. Not the end of the world though .
When you changed the pump did you make sure that the old insulating gasket was removed because if it wasn't and you fitted another gasket that will cause problems.
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Will01
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Re: Pinto won't fire, it's got spark but no fuel

Post by Will01 »

Mine did this and found the mechanical pump was at fault. Remember however it can take a while for a mechanical pump in a dry system to suck the fuel through.
take the pipe off the bottom of the mechanical pump and put a short piece of hose on it into a fuel tank like one of those 5 litre jobbies, see if it draws up from that. You may need to take filter off top of carb and fill fuel into the top of the carb, that should give it enough suction and run for a second or 2 before it fires up and runs on the fuel from the tank. Obviously take precautions if running with open fuel tank sitting on floor!

If that runs then try to blow off all lines and fill the fuel pickup pipe with funnel. that should help it provide enough suction to get fuel to pump and then up.
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