Grey 1.4 won't start

Post by **retrocool73** » 02 Jul 2008 12:46 am

Anybody got a clue what my problem is - my restored grey 1.4 will not start, it turns over & turns over but will not fire up - pour some fuel directly into the carb and it burns that then stops again, so it's being starved of fuel...
I've checked and the carb needle is not stuck, any clues as to what else it could be (there's no smell of fuel & plenty in the tank)

Post by **340GLT** » 02 Jul 2008 12:59 am

Pull the fuel feed from the carb and put it into a pot, crank engine over and see if you have fuel, if not its the pump, if you do it rules out the pump.
If you do have fuel its almost definately a carb problem.
Adam

Website · Post by **antiekeradio** » 02 Jul 2008 09:55 am

have the same with the BB at the moment. there's old fuel in the tank, if you leave it standing for a week the valves in the fuel pump gum up and then it doesn't pump anymore.

solution = remove supply + return hoses, and take off the pressure hose to the carb.

block off the return hose with your finger and apply air pressure to the supply post. 'pop' it goes and fuel comes out the pressure hose.

reconnect the hoses and try again.

Post by **pettaw** » 02 Jul 2008 10:12 pm

I bet the feed hoses to the pump have rotted away so the fuel pump is only drawing in air. The favourite place is at the top of the tank. In the centre of the boot there is a cover with three screws. If you undo this you will then see the fuel tank sender unit with two hoses, one feed and one return. I bet they're both shot to pieces. Get some good fuel hoses from Halfords 6.3mm I think is the correct size and replace them. You may need to jack the car up and release a few of the clips underneath the car so that you can drag the hoses through the boot floor to get at them properly.

Do a forum search for fuel hoses for more details.

Post by **Vart** » 05 Jul 2008 07:34 pm

it seems my 340 has done this too. no fuel getting through, starts fine with a liberal dose down the carb but empty inline filter and nothing when air is supplied, albeit with a bicycle pump, into the supply side (or other side, i tried both). the pump sort of wheezes and fuel (the little left in the inline filter) is pushed through although this stopped after a few pumps. could the pump be shot or are fubar'd fuel lines more likely. the lines are still the braided type and i guess the pump is original. the cars done nearly 150k now..... can't check the hoses if the car must be up as the cars parked in the street and my trolley jack and stands are 200 miles away. is the path from tank to pump convoluted or if i tied the to hoses could i simply pull them through as i remove the old ones?

cheers for any input

toby

Post by **petefarrell360** » 05 Jul 2008 08:14 pm

Hi Toby, the ones in the engine bay are easy enough to do, you'll see where they join to the main clear plastic lines and onto the pump. The rear ones can be done from above if you're lucky and careful with small fingers through the hole in the boot floor, or by lying on your back under the car you can get your hand ontop of the fuel tank to find them once you've disconnected them from above, having an assistant above to push them back on once you've fitted the new ones is useful though.

I'd be pretty sure it's the fuel lines to be honest, as feul pumps aren't very good at pumping air in order to clear that and suck the fuel through, especially when the fuel line is full of holes where it has more than likely perished. Imagine trying to drink a glass of water with a straw with lots of holes in it, you'd be sucking more air in through the holes than lifting the water up the straw, no matter how hard you try! I'd start with those first. It could be that at that mileage your fuel pump has had enough, but make sure the fuel lines are in tip top condtion first.

Pete

Post by **Vart** » 05 Jul 2008 08:25 pm

getting them off the pump wasn't too hard although i'd prefer volvo used jubilee clips rather than crimps(?). i think i have long enough fingers to get the tank end off too.

re: what pettaw said about jacking the car up is this essential or can the clips be reached from street level? i don't mind them hanging for a 3 hour trip back to suffolk to get it on the stands if it turns out to be them.

cheers for info

toby

Post by **Vart** » 07 Jul 2008 03:32 pm

ah, i see what is going on. do the clear lines corrode or just the small lengths of fabric braided stuff? both look ok i suppose. if its just the fabric stuff its do-able quite easily.

do i need to change the clear lines though?

EDIT: also. the pump doesn't appear to match the ones in the green book. the inlets/outlets are pointing about 75 degrees away from each other and are at two different levels on the pump body. its a sort of cross between the b19 pump and the b14 ones. i'll see if i can get a picture.

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/7355/bild0186yy8.jpg
http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/3204/bild0187ow1.jpg
http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/7084/bild0188tr2.jpg

the bare wire will be fixed too...

cheers

Website · Post by **antiekeradio** » 07 Jul 2008 04:02 pm

generally, you do not need to change the clear plastic lines.

On early cars, these are popped to the underside of the car with LPG-like tube clips.

just renew the rubber ones with fuel line that does not have the fabric stuff on the outside.

Post by **Vart** » 07 Jul 2008 07:56 pm

i hold my head in shame. the fuel gauge is a liar or the tank as at a funny angle. a gallon in from a can and after a little cranking it fired up like nothing was wrong.

do the gauges turn stale and bitter as the car ages? is the sender corrupt? the light wasn't flashing the day before it stopped working and its usually ok. it has taken a lot of cranking in the last few days and several attempts to get it going. it'll fire then die and do this over and over. today it was fine after the fuel started moving. the only difference is the weather its cold and raining rather than hot and dry.

i'll sort those hoses anyway but any comment on the fuel pump? anyone with a b14 have the same?

edit: the treachery! was the back hoses after all. drove about for a while then took the cover off and both hoses and top of sender unit covered in fuel. replaced both ends with new hose and jubly clips and no sign of any seepage. kept a fuel can in the back just in case. cheers for all info.

sorry for the hassle and my incompetence.

cheers

toby