how to test a Fuel pump
 

Hey all, the 12A i have isn't starting up for some reason....did a lot of tinkering around and it ran when i sprayed gas straight into the carb...and thats when i realised my fuel line wasn't getting any fuel....is there any way to test the fuel pump....what else do u think is wrong?

thanx

Pull out the storage bin behind the driver's seat, there should be a connector plug there that joins the fuel pump wiring to the wiring harness. You can either test it two ways, see if the wires from the harness are actually getting power, or run a hot wire to the pump itself. I ran into a problem where there was now power actually getting to the pump. I don't know how or why, so I bypassed it with a hotwire and an inline fuse. Humms like a charm now.

There's a safety relay under the dash in the '84 and '85 cars that kills the power going to the fuel pump if the engine is not physically turning over, yours may have frozen/died...:cool:

All true. The first thing to confirm is if you can even hear the fuel pump running with the engine off but the key turned to the "on" position. (Panel warning lights will be on, but key not turned far enough to crank the engine).
With fan and stereo off (and all other ambient noise silenced) you should hear the fuel pump humming. If it is, power to the pump is not the problem.
This can be further confirmed by disconnecting the incoming fuel line from the carb, placing a container under the end to catch any overflow, and then turning the key to the "on" position. You should see fuel pumping into the container. If not, the pump is toast even if it is humming. (but I've never seen this happen). Either that or there's a break in the fuel line, in which case the problem would be obvious.
If you cannot hear the pump running, check the fuses first, as this would be the quickest and easiest fix. Otherwise the above-mentioned electrical coupler under the drivers' side storage bin is probably the culprit.