Fuel by day, no fuel by night!

[Iain T]

Fuel gremlins again! I had a good incident free run to Brooklands and back then went to the car this evening to give it another blast and no fuel! I took the hose off at the carb pipe...nothing. Took the hose off at the Huco outlet....nothing! After pushing it up the slope to my car park space (with the help of my (un)complaining wife and checking to see if the fuse is ok I called it a day. Or should I say night. These cars do test ones patience! I'll take the Huco pump off and check it tomorrow but any other suggestions? I have a filter in the hose coming out of the tank, I could check that. Looks as thought there is fuel in it. 

'ot n bovvered of East London🥵

Iain 

[Wagger]

The electric pump that PO fitted to my Vitesse occasionally failed to run. Connecting a temporary wire direct  to battery and stabbing the connection vibrated it enough to start. I have since fitted a glass bowl mechanical pump after changing the valves. No problems since except the usual delayed starting if left standing more than two weeks. It may have been crud making the pump stick. Two filters are now in place, one on the tank outlet and the other just before the pump in the engine bay. They are transparent so I should see problems before they cause failure. Ha!

[Pete Lewis]

the Huco obviuosly reacted to the lack of bacon    

Pete

[Iain T]

Wagger I'm going to tackle it this, afternoon as I have a doctors appointment at 1pm and I don't want to see him stinking of petrol... 

I'll take your advice and hook up a direct line to the battery but first I want to remove the Huco and take a look and also see if any petrol comes out of the fuel line. There's a joint by the chassis that should be low enough to be below the tank. If nothing comes out I'll disconnect at the tank and blow down the line? I'm not sure where the fuel line goes when it disappears out the boot, I assume clipped to the chassis rail? 

If the Huco is duff I do have a new mechanical pump but not sure I still have the fittings and being imperial not something I can get at Halfords. 

Iain 

[Pimp my Vit]

Do you have a cut off valve fitted? It might just need reset!!

[Pimp my Vit]

Just now, Pimp my Vit said:

Do you have a cut off valve fitted? It might just need reset!!

Sorry talking out my arse, should have read the whole thread... 

[Pete Lewis]

i might be missing something but i dont see Iain  mention a cut off   (or i need spec savers)

so you could be right and not need the bum cream 

Pete

[Iain T]

Back from the Doc's, no I don't have a cut off I'm playing dangerously.

Cuppa tea then on with the latex gloves. No I didn't go to that sort of doctor but have in the past😳

Iain 

[Pete Lewis]

all this talk of gloves hose ,pumps and doctors sound like a trip to Dougs alternative web site 

[Josef]

6 hours ago, Iain T said:

Wagger I'm going to tackle it this, afternoon as I have a doctors appointment at 1pm and I don't want to see him stinking of petrol... 

I'll take your advice and hook up a direct line to the battery but first I want to remove the Huco and take a look and also see if any petrol comes out of the fuel line. There's a joint by the chassis that should be low enough to be below the tank. If nothing comes out I'll disconnect at the tank and blow down the line? I'm not sure where the fuel line goes when it disappears out the boot, I assume clipped to the chassis rail? 

If the Huco is duff I do have a new mechanical pump but not sure I still have the fittings and being imperial not something I can get at Halfords. 

Iain 

There should be (originally) a rubber hose joint just below the tank at the rear under the boot floor, the line to the front yes does then run along the chassis rail and through the front outrigger. 

[Iain T]

24 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

all this talk of gloves hose ,pumps and doctors sound like a trip to Dougs alternative web site 

You missed out KY...... 

Update:- still no petrol so I took the unions off the top of the Huco and disconnected the wires. The earth wire is connected to the block so I checked continuity of the block to earth and it is fine. Checked the fuse again all good. So as Wagger said I connected it direct to the battery but before I gave it a stern but fair telling off and to stop playing silly bu***rs as this is the second time it's caused this problem. The first being coming out of Duxford meet 3 or 4 years ago. Anyhow it coughed and spluttered and purred away so I reconnected the pipes took the hose off at the carbs and petrol pumped out😁⛽

So it was crud again? Is there a filter in the Huco? Has anyone taken the screws out and taken the top off a Huco. I'd like to clean it out properly but don't want to get into a situation where the whole gubbins spring out like a load of confetti and can't get it all back! Especially as it's Prescott on the 6-7th next month. The filter in the hoop out of the tank looks clean and no discolouration. 

Cheers 

Iain 

 

[Iain T]

15 minutes ago, Josef said:

There should be (originally) a rubber hose joint just below the tank at the rear under the boot floor, the line to the front yes does then run along the chassis rail and through the front outrigger. 

Thanks Josef I'll take a look as if my pipe run has this hose it's one I haven't replaced. 

[Wagger]

In the past, I have used one of those cheap caravan submersible pumps to flush fuel through the line from tank to engine bay. Crud can accumulate in it and it is steel, so will rust inside. No harm in adding a filter before the Huco either. Maybe carry a spare incase it catches you out. Literally.

I have a length of copper pipe waiting to fit from front to back one day when I feel able to tackle it. clipped in, work hardening should not generate a problem.

[Iain T]

There doesn't seem to be a restriction in the feed system subject to me checking out the hose Josef identified. I need to get it up on ramps and grovel underneath. My favourite job, I think not! 

Iain 

[Josef]

15 minutes ago, Iain T said:

There doesn't seem to be a restriction in the feed system subject to me checking out the hose Josef identified. I need to get it up on ramps and grovel underneath. My favourite job, I think not! 

Iain 

I recommend inspecting that particular joint with the wheel off as it makes getting to it that bit easier!

[Iain T]

But has anyone taken a Huco low pressure pump apart? 

Iain 

[Iain T]

I spoke to Gower & Lee and they said there is nothing to clean inside. He said the problem with the pump not pumping is vapour lock as I have it mounted on the side of the engine where the mechanical pump used to be. I used isolators but it was obviously not good enough to stop it getting too hot after stopping. It seems the correct answer to my intermittent problem as it occurred after a fast run to Duxford and a slow run through London. On both occasions it was hot and didn't pump on restarting a few hours later. 

So I'll have to resite before I go to Prescott. The bulkhead or side valance are the only options. 

Iain 

[Paul H]

21 minutes ago, Iain T said:

I spoke to Gower & Lee and they said there is nothing to clean inside. He said the problem with the pump not pumping is vapour lock as I have it mounted on the side of the engine where the mechanical pump used to be. I used isolators but it was obviously not good enough to stop it getting too hot after stopping. It seems the correct answer to my intermittent problem as it occurred after a fast run to Duxford and a slow run through London. On both occasions it was hot and didn't pump on restarting a few hours later. 

So I'll have to resite before I go to Prescott. The bulkhead or side valance are the only options. 

Iain 

This is where I’ve fitted the Huco on my Vitesse 

Paul 

[Iain T]

1 minute ago, Paul H said:

This is where I’ve fitted the Huco on my Vitesse

Ta Paul it looks to be a good location. I have some earth cables  screwed to the body at that spot. I have no idea where they go but I could tag the pump earth onto it and the live cable to the fuse box is also ok for length. I'll just need to see if I have enough Gates hose to extend to the copper pipes. 

Thanks for the photo. 

Iain 

[Paul H]

The inhibitor switch is bolted to the side panel 

Paul