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-   -   First Start - HELP (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/fe-talk/55969-first-start-help.html)

joea 07-24-2004 12:19 PM

First Start - HELP
 
I'm trying to start her up for the first time...I have a mechanical fuel pump and I can see no gas is being pulled through the fuel line. I have a glass fuel filter at the tank and it is bone dry.

What do I need to do to get the fuel going? I put 5 gallons of gas into my dry 19 gallon tank

Bruce Edwards 07-24-2004 12:26 PM

Do not take this wrong but are you sure you have the pump hooked up correctly? Some of the after market pumps come with fittings and I have seen some hooked up with the inlet on the carb side and the outlet on the tank side. Of course the car will never start.
Have you tried putting a small amount of gas in the carb? You can prim most by putting a bit of fuel in the carb by way of teh air vents on top of the bowl.

joea 07-24-2004 12:43 PM

The engine has been run on the dyno with this pump and I already had it plumbed to the carbs

I'm goin to try to prime the lines with fuel to see if it helps

Jamo 07-24-2004 01:20 PM

Is your gas line routed through an electric fueol pump that is not turned on (not the best way to do it)? It should pull through an "off" electric, but hey?

Any kinks in the fuel line anywhere?

Fuel pickup at correct level? Disconnect the fuel line and see if you can suck some gas out.

Priming the carb may be all it needs.

HI Cobra 07-24-2004 01:53 PM

You haven't mentioned if it is firing when you prime it.
If it is then try adding 5 more gallens (put a bit of pressure
head from the tank) and continue to prime it.
I ran mine dry once and had to do this. It took several
attempts at priming before it pulled gas in. I have since
added an electric fuel pump in addition to the mechanical
that I have wired to a toggle and use it to bring the gas
pressure up prestart like in an airplane. It works great
for starting if it hasn't been run in a week. Once I am
going I shut the electric off.

Flip

pgermond 07-24-2004 03:18 PM

Try pushing rather than pulling - wrap a rag round an air hose for a seal and blow air in to your fuel tank. The pressure will build and push the fuel all the way to the carb. If you have a double feed Holley, pull the plug on your fuel bar, or disconnect the fuel line from the carb (the pressure could screw up your jets). Remember - VERY IMPORTANT - it doesn't take much pressure in the tank to move the fuel through the lines and fuel pump - so go easy - you're not blowing up a tire.

Good luck!

joea 07-24-2004 08:08 PM

I unhooked the line from the fuel pump to my fuel rail...I put gas in a squeeze bottle and filled the fuel line. It went all the way back to the tank. When I turn it over it pumps fuel just fine. Now I seem to be having MSD issues

Gasman 07-24-2004 08:19 PM

Check your coil, make sure it is creating fire.

xlr8or 07-24-2004 08:27 PM

Never work on spark and fuel issues at the same time..:p
Might go boom! :D

joea 07-24-2004 09:39 PM

I have power to the MSD box. I have no indicator that power is reaching the coil. I tried the test on the MSD site where you pull the coil wire and put it near a ground then "short" the distributor output and you are supposed to see a spark at the coil wire when you break the short. I don't. I also checked the voltage on the small red output wire. I get not reading (with key in "ON" position)

Jamo 07-24-2004 09:43 PM

joea

I moved it here to FE Talk...lots of good folks with good knowledge hang around here that may be of help.

joea 07-24-2004 09:45 PM

Thanks Jamo.

Jamo 07-24-2004 09:46 PM

;)

RedBarchetta 07-24-2004 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pgermond


Try pushing rather than pulling - wrap a rag round an air hose for a seal and blow air in to your fuel tank. The pressure will build and push the fuel all the way to the carb.
Beat me to it....I was going to suggest the same.

MSD problems, huh? Go to their website....

http://www.msdignition.com/1troub.htm

Joe, good luck!

RedBarchetta 07-26-2004 09:20 AM

Joe, did you get her to start?

-Deano

joea 07-26-2004 09:59 AM

From my last post on the ERA forum:

It is looking like I have a bad MSD unit (brand new). I've been over and over the wiring. I am only seeing .009v at the tach wire and MSD tech support says this is OK (Bob's docs sat you ned 1-1.5 v) . Either way I have no spark and no voltage at the small red wire from the MSD. MSD tech said to try a different coil (mine is a brand new Pertronix Flame Thrower II) otherwise the box is probably bad. I'll try a different coil but I'm 99% sure that is not the problem since I see no voltage at the small red wire (should see battery voltage here when the ignition is "ON"). I'll try to send the unit back to Summitt...using MSG Warranty services will take too long.

I probably should test resistance on the fuse...need to find which one it is.


__________________

Ron61 07-26-2004 10:55 AM

Joea,


Just a suggestion. I don't have an ERA so my wiring is different, but I put small terminal blocks on my firewall and ran a ground to one of them and battery to the other so I could just take whatever I need off them for testing. I also used plugs instead of splicing my Jacobs in, so I can just unplug the wires. If your red wire to the MSD is easy to get disconnected, you might try just using a clip cord and hooking it to a source which has 12V when the switch is turned on. You can do this just temporary to see if the car will try to start and you will know for sure that you have battery and ground to the MSD box.

Ron

PatBuckley 07-26-2004 11:32 AM

Is your wiring to the ignition switch done right? Some of those terminals are only hot when in the Start position.

Rick Parker 07-26-2004 12:27 PM

Before you find fault with the MSD box be sure you have 12 Volts at the terminal where you have attached the small diameter red wire. The source should have 12 volts when the key is in the Run position AND when in the Start position, it must be hot in Both positions. If this is not the case, stop and find another connection. All to often we are quick to blame the MSD box.
The heavy 10 gauge wires should be connected to the ground (-) and the starter solenoid or other CONSTANT unswitched 12 (+ red) volt source. Be sure there is a ground cable from the block to the chassis with good contacts. MSD burns the boxes on a bench test before they are boxed for shipment, a fresh box that is faulty is rare. These are good products.

Take it one step at a time.


http://www.msdignition.com/


Click on "Tech Support", then "Trouble Shooting"

Rick


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