Hey there. i have an '84 D150 with the 318 that i picked up for cheap to run errands to the dump/home improvement places etc. It ran fine, turned over on the first try and ran great once she warmed up a little. About a month ago as i was running errands i noticed that it was leaking fuel so i garaged it and just got around to repairing the fuel line this weekend. Long story short, the gas line was more rust than steel and after replacing about a 4' section it appears i've managed to stop the leak. As i had one anyway i replaced the fuel filter at the same time.
Now I can't seem to get it to start. If i dribble a little gas in the carb, it'll catch but obviously won't keep running so i know there's good spark, I'm just not getting fuel to the carb. I checked the pump by hooking up a length of hose to the output and cranking it a bit and the pump appears to be working fine and the bottom hose of the fuel filter is wet with gas when i pop it off but the output at the top never gets wet so it seems like gas is never getting past the filter. The filter is brand new and there doesn't appear to be any obstruction in it, i can blow through it with no major resistance.

Any thoughts? do i need to somehow prime the carb or purge the air from the fuel line somewhere? pumping the gas pedal doesn't seem to prime the carb as it should but i'm guessing that sitting for a month has let the whole thing dry out completely. Could the fuel pump just be toast after sitting dry for a month?

Thanks in advance!

 

It is possible that the fuel pump went bad. When one is borderline often all it takes to finish it off is to let it dry out. I'd run a hose from the pump input to a can or bottle of gas and get it running like that. You can dribble a little gas in the carb to get itpumpingquicker. If your pump is working fine then it will eventually fill the carb back up and start...when it is running that way then hook the fuel line back up. Hopefully it'll run long enough on the gas in the carb to get the gas pumped up from the tank. Starting with a dry carb, lines, and filter you really have to crank it a long time. And with a dry system sometimes it is hard to get it primed and sucking.

If you are going to be letting the truck sit for long periods of time you might consider putting an electric pump in close to the tank. That way you can get in, turn on the pump to prime the carb, filter, and lines and it'll fire up like you had just shut it off.

Derek

 

Spot on, PushnFords.. replaced the pump after finding out that a pressure test kit was almost $40 and the pump was only $15. of course now the return line has decided to spring a leak so i'm off to find some 1/4" hard line...

Thanks for the help!