Thread: my engine swap

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thanks charlie but i hate idiot lights.

Barb, if you use copper line, make sure you have it secured all along its length so that it cannot vibrate up and down or sideways from bumps and dips in the road or the motor torquing over as you drive. If allowed to flex, the copper will work harden, then crack and fail. You could find yourself with a lap full of 60psi oil at 200+ degrees F. This is nothing you have to be paranoid about, just secure the line and forget it.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU INSTALL A MECHANCIAL FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE IN THE DRIVER'S COMPARTMENT. If you need a mechanical fuel pressure gauge, mount it on the cowl and read it through the windshield.

I like mechanical gauges for their accuracy but hate them for bringing fluids into the car, as the guys mentioned. I think it was my 63 Pontiac that had a mechanical oil pressure gauge and the plastic line broke and I got a bath of oil all over the floor. I have a set of mechanical gauges to use in my rpu project but am going to go with the copper lines and fasten them as Richard has suggested.

Don

thanks don and tech. never heard of that. wondered why the gauges i see are mounted on the hood. i will certainly do that. thanks again.

Barb, try to not make sharp bends in the copper line as it can crimp and restrict flow. Use a tube cutter, if you have one, to cut the copper or a very fine saw blade. I like to use Xacto saws that are designed for balsa wood and plastic as they make very smooth cuts and the sharp edges are easy to file off. You could use an emory board on tubing that small. Be sure to blow out the tube to eliminate any filings and don't over tighten the barrel nuts when you assemble the tube into the fittings.

thanks ntf. i have a tube cutter. will make sure that it is not crimped and smooth inside and out. thanks again.

Take your time and make loops about 4" in diameter for excess tubing and as tech suggested secure the tubing. I'd suggest that you find a rubber grommeted hole in the firewall to feed the tubing through.

thanks ntf.

ok guys. got the new fuel pump and filter. engine is getting gas, it is wired right. turning over beautifully but not firing. replaced all the plugs, set proper gap. checked wires and everything is clicked into place. what do i do next?

Barb,
Have you pulled a plug wire, like #1, and plugged a spare plug into that wire, grounded the plug and cranked it to verify spark at the plugs? I would probably try a shot of ether into the carb throat to see if it lights off with that.

thanks roger i will try that in the morning. bugs out there will carry you away in the afternoons.

he said that he got it started by putting gas in the carb but could not keep it running to set the timing because of the bad fuel pump. but that he got my wiring figured out. so now i am trying to get it running and i do not know what i am doing. i will do what you said to do first thing tomorrow afternoon. thanks

Seems to me that if the fellow at the shop had the motor running, that there would still be spark at the plugs unless someone changed something since the shop guy had it running. The only variable I can see is that the motor has not operated the fuel pump lever to pump enough fuel to fill the fuel bowl on the carb. Make sure the battery is fully charged and maybe even hook up a charger to it while you try to start the motor. Key the starter and pump the accelerator. Let her grind for 15-20 seconds. Then let the starter cool for a while before you try again. Depending on the suckability of the pump, it could take a little while to get the fuel up there and fill the bowl so that the motor will start. If I were doing it, I would take the line loose at the carb and use a suction bulb to fill the bowl before trying to turn the motor again. The kind of suction bulb I mean is the type that a mom would use to suck mucus from a baby's nose or use to irrigate an ear. But you probably don't have one of them anymore and I don't want you smelling like gas for several days either. Just before you turn the key to try starting it, give the side of the carburetor a pretty good whack with the wooden handle of a hammer. If the float is stuck, that will usually dislodge it.

the fuel line is full as after it would not start i lossened the line after the filter. got a shot of gas in my eyes. thought that someone had put matches in them. when hubby heard me screaming he came out and jammed my face under the water hose. took about a 1/2 hour for the burning sensation to stop. thank goodness that it did not leave any burns. by last night my eyes were all better. will whack the carb today too. thanks tech.

Barb, if it doesn't start, talk to the mechanic you sent it to in the first place. I thought he had fixed this problem? Or at least diagnosed it.