No fuel to carb

After sitting for two years, I finally started up my ’66 w/289.  I cleaned out the gas tank, replaced the sending unit, clean/gap all the plugs, rewired to by-pass the pink wire for my electronic ignition.  I also cleaned the carburetor and poured fuel into the well.  The car started right up but died after some time.  The fuel well was empty so the gas was not getting to the carburetor.  Should I change the fuel filter or prime the fuel pump, which I don’t know how to do?  Any suggestions?  

you can prime the pump...

several ways...

you can pour a 1/4 cup of fuel into one of the carb  vent tubes..  this will give it enough in the float bowl to run the engine for 20 seconds..  this might be enough to get the fuel pumped up from the tank...





disconnect the fuel line to the carb at the carb..   extend it with hose into a clear bottle...  crank the engine till you get a squirt of fuel into the bottle..  once you get gas into the bottle.. you can hook the carb back up and it should be ready to crank a little more...


you might want to check the pump to hold fuel pressure after you get a surge of fuel through it.. ..  and if you have a vacuum gauge.. see if it will create vacuum when you crank the engine.....

inside the pump are 2 check valves.. one on the suction side.. one on the outlet side..    when the pump lifts the diaphragm it pulls fuel into the chamber through the inlet check valve..   as the pull back tension is released.. the spring pushes the diaphragm downward and forces any fuel in the chamber out the outlet check valve..   it will do this again and again. until the carb needle and seat stop the flow ...     once this happens. the lever just barely lifts the diaphragm...  so there is fuel pressure actually in the pump for about one crank revolution..


this is probably more than you want to know...

if you have compressed air..    you can also stick the nozzle in the tank opening.. with a shop rag wrapped around it..   so you can build a little pressure in the tank...  try not to do this if the tank is more than 1/3 full..  as fuel may try to come out when you remove the nozzle..

this pressure will push gas through the lines.. some of it through the pump.. perhaps enough to prime it...

i have actually puckered up and blown into the tank while somebody cranked the engine..  without inhaling..  

big rig mechanics actually have a rubber ball with a tire fill valve pushed through it...  so they can plug the opening on the fuel tank to pressurize it  with compressed air to a pound or two to help in priming the diesel engine injection pumps..  

I filled the float bowl ran the engine but it didn't prime the fuel pump.  I'll try your other suggestions. Thanks for the tips.  

I pulled the fuel line from the fuel filter and turned the ignition, fuel shot into the bottle. So the fuel pump was working. I changed the fuel filter, still no fuel to the bowl. I finally took the float off and and pulled the needle and shot some carb cleaner through. Problem solved, stuck needle. Thanks Wayne..., for your help.  

i am glad to have helped..

i kinda worry about spraying carb cleaner into 2100, 4100 carbs... as the orange fuel pump check valve does not like it and distorts..

leaving you with  a carb that acts up..