Hey everybody! It's been a long time since I posted here. I'm trying to get my '86 NA back up and running, and I'm curious as to if my fuel pump is bad. What would you guys suggest I do to determine if I need to buy a new one. For starters, I've replaced the gas because the car has been sitting for about a year and the gas smelled really bad! I replaced the plugs and wires as well. I was trying to start the car and it would only turn over, and I started noticing that I wasn't smelling gas fumes like I normally would after letting the car sit. I read the Haynes manual, and the stupid thing only says to jumper a test plug and test the fuel compression on the fuel lines. For starters, wtf is that test plug!!!? I can't find it anywhere, I looked for over an hour for just that plug.

After not finding the plug, I decided to just unhook the fuel lines from the fuel pump itself and see it sprays gas out. I unhooked one fuel line at a time and tried to start the car, I got absolutly no gas out from either line. I'm thinking that I either have an electrical problem, or my fuel pump is bad. Anybody have any suggestions?

 

well - if you've yet to do the fuel pump re-wire....its possible it could be wiring....

but more than likely your pump is just shot....

do you HEAR it running?

if you aren't getting any gas coming out the feed line to the fuel rails...you obviously aren't getting the fuel pumped to the motor......

more than likely a new pump is in order

edit: but you could just have a bad fuse...bad relay...the list goes on.

First thing I would do is pull the pump cover off and jump power right to it, if you get jack squat then you need a pump

 

Easiest way to know is to take off the intake and spray starting fluid in it. If you can start it and keep it running off starting fluid, then you are not getting fuel. If you can't then it is something else.

-Mac

 

pull the pump out a get it a jump with a 12 source, tell you real quick if you need a new pump. If it works then look for a blown fuse or check the fuel pump relay, the golden square thing just in front of the clutch master cyclinder, when you try to start the car, I believe it should make a clicking noise.

 

Thanks, I don't know why I didn't think about jumpering 12v across it. I'll try that and I know how the relay works under the dash, I actually have a relay switch that could actually have went bad as well. I made it look nice when I installed it, but it's a bear to reach it to test it. I'll 12v the pump this afternoon, thanks for your comments!

 

after sitting for a year, dont forget to replace the fuel filter

 

WOOHOO! Thanks, she is starting up now. Actually smoother than ever! I can't keep it idling yet. If I hold the gas at 3k RPM is sounds good, but I let off the gas it backfires and shuts off. Oh, and the neighbors loved the cloud I gave them too. HAAHA! I'll put the fuel filter on tomorrow, I probably should've done that before trying to start it up.

Oh yea, the problem was the fuel pump. I removed it from the tank, and connected it to the battery with jumper cables, and all I got was sparks, no pumping.

 

gratz on gettin' her running

 

good to hear