Technical 1954 chevy pick up fuel pick up question

Hi All. I have a 1954 chevy pick up running a 68 chevy 327. My fuel tank is still in the cab as original. She has been laid up for the last 9 months with a distributor issue which I have now rectified. I tried to start her but no joy. No fuel reaching the carb. I thought the mechanical fuel pump must have a split diaphragm. I removed the pump, expecting fuel to then run from the fuel line, but it was dry as a bone. I thought the inline fuel filter must be blocked but this is also dry. I removed the seat to get to the tank. Now am I right in that the fuel pick up line comes out of the top of the tank and is incorporated in the fuel gauge float mechanism and actually needs to be pulled from the tank by the vacuum created by the fuel pump? If so then I was probably right in the first place and it is the pump that is shot. I was just expecting fuel to flow from the bottom of the tank with gravity. Means my wife waas wasting her time stood there with the fire extinguisher. Any help greatly appreciated.

Jamie

 

Sounds like you don't need any help now. You figured out how it works.

But it would be a good idea to see if you can get fuel to flow out of the line...a vacuum pump makes it safer than just ****ing on the fuel line, a mouthful of gas is very unpleasant.

 

if you remove the line from the outlet side of the fuel pump, then take the gas cap off. wrap a rag around a blow gun and jamb it into the fuel filler and using the rag as a stopper. give the blow gun a couple quick "bursts" and hold the pressure with the rag it should push fuel out to the pump and may prime it. not too much air a few pounds of pressure.

 

Great idea. Thank you. I shall try that tomorrow. Yeah, so my pump may actually be ok. Of course, the pump can easily pump fuel which cannot be compressed but it will be very inefficient if just trying to pump air. Cool. Thanks again.

 

somtimes the check valves get stuck, from gas varnish. Or the diaphragm may have a slight leak, so air goes by it, but not fuel.

Usually a good fuel pump will get fuel flowing pretty quickly.