starting after sitting
10-13-20, 10:31 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
starting after sitting
Greetings all! just bought a '79 sa with 12a, it's been sitting at a local garage for ten years, it cranks, fuel pump is bad, no gas to carb. it (sort of) fired with a little starting fluid, so I believe ignition is ok. my question is is do I try to start it after a new fuel pump? the carb secondary seems to be frozen, so I assume a rebuild is in order, but should I try just cleaning it and getting things moving to see if it starts? I previously owned an 84 gsl 15 years ago, so I've replaced/rebuilt the carb before, and know it's a big job, so I would prefer to wait til next spring to do it. thanks in advance!
Last edited by Steve Adleman; 10-13-20 at 10:36 AM.
10-14-20, 02:33 PM
#2
welcome to the board. 
if you don't have a problem waiting, then it would probably make more sense to pull the carb and sort it out first. however, spring is a long time from now, and i'm not sure if waiting that long doesn't count as "cruel and unusual punishment".
before you try to start the engine, i would say bare minimum would be to:
1. put fresh oil and filter
2. flush the antifreeze and refill, replace the thermostat and check/replace the hoses while you're at it
3. inspect the ignition components and see if they require replacement
i know you said it almost fired when you tried it with the starter fluid, but it's not too late to put a couple teaspoons of oil down the intakes and turn it by hand through a few revolutions, just to be extra careful.
if you don't have a problem waiting, then it would probably make more sense to pull the carb and sort it out first. however, spring is a long time from now, and i'm not sure if waiting that long doesn't count as "cruel and unusual punishment".
before you try to start the engine, i would say bare minimum would be to:
1. put fresh oil and filter
2. flush the antifreeze and refill, replace the thermostat and check/replace the hoses while you're at it
3. inspect the ignition components and see if they require replacement
i know you said it almost fired when you tried it with the starter fluid, but it's not too late to put a couple teaspoons of oil down the intakes and turn it by hand through a few revolutions, just to be extra careful.
10-15-20, 01:13 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
all the fluids look fresh and clean, Ignition parts look good, hoses all good, used gumout and some penetrating oil and got the carb clean and the secondary loose today. I think it'll run with a new fuel pump/filter and fresh gas (and maybe a little MMO)
10-15-20, 11:38 AM
#4
If it has at for 10 years, I'd try to pump fuel into a milk jug or something first, to see how clean it is. Otherwise you may just be pumping a bunch of gunk and contaminates back into the carb. Maybe buy a couple filters, installing one when you'r ready to start pumping fresh gas. If its really nasty, you may need to drop the tank (no drain on 79 tanks) and clean it out. Could have it flushed at a radiator shop.
In addition to mystery oil, some seafoam will help clean the fuel system and break up carbon deposits in the engine.
In addition to mystery oil, some seafoam will help clean the fuel system and break up carbon deposits in the engine.
Last edited by Banzai; 10-15-20 at 11:40 AM.
10-18-20, 08:49 PM
#6
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pump/filter installed, but...
new fuel pump and filter installed and confirmed that it gets power and works, but still not getting gas to the carb. I was getting fuel from the tank ok, so I guess the fuel line and/or rollover valve are clogged. not sure what else might be involved, the Chiltons manual that came w the car is not great and the haynes manual that I ordered has not arrived, how do I deal with the line between the pump and the carb? is replacement the only option or can it be cleaned/blown out with air or something else?
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10-22-20, 09:08 PM
#8
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cleaned fuel lines, finally got fuel from pump to carb. float chambers didn't fill up, but gas poured into secondary uncontrollably, so carb rebuild is in order I guess
11-08-20, 01:41 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
rebuilt carb
Ok, so I rebuilt the carb fri/sat went ok, just put it back on motor to check for leaks, no external leaks, float chambers filled to proper level, but gasoline poured through into the intake just like before! not sure what I might have missed or why this is still happening. any ideas?
11-08-20, 08:16 PM
#14
well, the pump is probably not issue then, though it can't hurt to see what pressure it puts out.
that said, when you rebuilt the carb, what condition were the needles and seats in?
did you replace them with the ones that came in the kit? i understand that sometimes they are a hit-and-miss affair, and it may mean you need to put the originals back in (provided they were not completely FUBAR'd)..
anyway, here is a thread that may give you some better ideas: Nikki keeps flooding.
that said, when you rebuilt the carb, what condition were the needles and seats in?
did you replace them with the ones that came in the kit? i understand that sometimes they are a hit-and-miss affair, and it may mean you need to put the originals back in (provided they were not completely FUBAR'd)..
anyway, here is a thread that may give you some better ideas: Nikki keeps flooding.
11-08-20, 10:06 PM
#15
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Thread Starter
pump
thanks, it's a GMB pump, couldn't find any specs on it, I don't have the equipment to test it.I put the original needles and seats back in, but it was flooding before I ever worked on it, so I don't think it's anything I did myself. I'm thinking about just getting a carb from a salvage yard. that's what I ended up doing last time i tried rebuilding a nikki, or I might just have my mechanic tow it in and check the pump pressure, compression, etc. and maybe get a better idea where this motor is at.
11-09-20, 07:12 AM
#16
possible specs on the GMB HERE. based on that, the pump is not likely to be a factor, so that's something.
do you have any photos or video of the leak that you can post? it may go a long in getting help. yes, you may end up having to get another Nikki, but i think there are some ideas left unexplored. i simply may not be the right person, that's all.
however, i can poke around and see if i can involve smarter people than myself.
if worse comes to worst, then i can move your thread to the Gen 1 section and it will likely see more traffic from better people. fair enough?
do you have any photos or video of the leak that you can post? it may go a long in getting help. yes, you may end up having to get another Nikki, but i think there are some ideas left unexplored. i simply may not be the right person, that's all.
however, i can poke around and see if i can involve smarter people than myself.
if worse comes to worst, then i can move your thread to the Gen 1 section and it will likely see more traffic from better people. fair enough?
11-09-20, 09:13 AM
#17
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Thread Starter
carb leak/flooding
thanks for your help. I will try again today and take pics of the carb hooked up to fuel lines. I didn't connect any of the vacuum hoses or electrical connectors because I was just checking for leaks. could that have been a problem?
11-09-20, 09:34 AM
#18
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i've seen a few carbs that have sticky floats, and work once you give them a tap.
11-09-20, 01:24 PM
#19
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still flooding
still flooding, I made a video but can't upload it. the float chambers seem to fill to the correct level but then fuel starts to drip in from the lower left of the secondary(from the passenger side) then the other secondary, then the primaries start dripping. then the rear rotor chamber fills up with gas .
Last edited by Steve Adleman; 11-09-20 at 01:29 PM.
11-10-20, 08:24 PM
#23
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Thread Starter
put the carb back on again, still flooding, shut it off, tapped the top, much better! had to take it off and on a few times to get the linkage right, flooded again, tapped again, had to clear the chambers of all the gas...and IT STARTED! and ran! not great, but sounds like the engine is solid, just needs some fine tuning. didn't even have the huge cloud of oil smoke after sitting for so long. still need to get the clutch hydraulics functioning to get it moving, and need to check to see if the OMP is working, but I'm stoked!
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