caddy 365 fuel problem HELP

Ok, so my 58 cadillac acted like it ran out of gas on me a while back. Since then I've noticed that the clear fuel filter always looks empty. Maybe just a little gas trickling through. I hadn't driven it much since then, for fear of being stranded. Since then it hadn't acted up though.

So, I blew out the line with air. That didn't seem to do much. I took the gas cap off and ran it, no real change either.

Today I changed the fuel pump and put a new filter on. Fired it up and bingo the fuel filter filled up fast, and looked like it should. Then I let the car idle, slowly the filter emptied. Now the filter is basically empty, maybe more so than before. The car still fires up, but I'm sure it would die on me if I tried to drive it very far.

Again, I blew the line out, no change.

What could be the problem? Any ideas?

thanks,

mike

 

Think I have it narrowed down to being a carb problem. I disconnected the fuel line at the carb and let it pump into a jar. It filled the jar fast.

I took the inlet off the carb, took the little screen out, and cleaned in there and in the main body of the carb. No change.

What in the carb can be stopping gas from coming in?

To me it seems like the filter would still fill up, but I guess not.

Think something is blocked? or a bad part or misadjustment?

 

Ok, I had a carb shop take a look at the car, and hook up a pressure gauge to the fuel pump. He says that the pump pushes good, but has very little pressure on the inlet side. He says that it seems like the line is clear back to the tank.

Since the pump has been replaced with no help to this problem, I'm thinking something is wrong with the cam or the pushrod to the pump.

This motor was rebuilt not long ago. It says on the paper work that a new cam was installed.

Is it possible that they forgot to install something? IS the fuel pump eccentric seperate from the cam?

Anyone?

 

from my experience, i think you're describing something pretty normal.

on my caddy's i dont think the fuel filter ever really fills up, and on most of my cars when i look at the filter i see exactly as you decribe (i think depends on what angle the filter is at.)

if fuel pressure is consistantly good throughout, thats really all that matters.

that said, fuel pump pushrods do go bad... and when it wears it will produce less pumping capability.

-scott noteboom

 

Its not just that it looks empty, something is wrong. The pressure guage only read 1" of pressure on the inlet side. The carb shop said thats basically gravity feed type levels. It should have 4 times that or more.

Hopefully it is just the pushrod.

I'm wondering though, if something is missing. Is it even available...I hate to pull the cam out to inspect everything, and not be able to fix it.

 

Fairly normal from what I've seen that filter bowl drains down a little. I've got a pushrod out of a 57 I'm not using. I'll see if I can find it if you need it. I'm running a electric pump on mine.

 

What pump are you using? I'm thinking about going that route, although if you find the rod, maybe that would fix it. I'd really appreciate that. I'd rather stick with the mechanical if possible.

 

i had a motorcycle that used to do that all the time and then i found a little blockage in the hose. try cleaning your tank maybe the lines not blocked in the line at first and then some big rust chunks fall onto the outlet and boom you got a problem

 

the eccentric is not seperate from the cam, its basically another lobe. That being said, yes a worn rod or lobe for that matter can drop the pressure. Have you checked the filter attached to the fuel line inside the tank. I have experienced this prob. so many times on various makes and it almost always leads back to that filter being clogged or collapsing.

 

I ran into a similar problem with my race car. Thought the pump went bad, took it apart, seemed allright, guessed it was the cam lobe, installed an electric pump, and still no gas. Dropped the tank and found a slight crack in the hose coming from the tank. A whole lot of greif was caused by 25 cents worth of rotten hose. You may want to check your lines.

 

I'm using a carter p/n P-4594 from jeg's. About $40 bucks a few years ago. A BBC fuel pump block off plate fits perfect in place of my stock pump.I hated to give up the looks of the stock pump and gascolator, but the overhaul kit cost too much. I'll look tomorrow and see if I can find that rod. Don't know about the 59's but my 57 actually had a return line to the tank. You might check that and make sure it's clear.