ERA GT Fuel Feed Problem

speed220mph · #1 (**permalink**) 09-17-2006, 12:48 PM

Anyone experience a fuel-feel problem such as this? While running with both pumps switched on, fuel will be drawn from the right tank only. When I noticed the right gauge indicated 1/4 and the left at over 3/4, I shut off the right pump. It wasn't long after that the engine began to stumble, so I switched on the right pump and the engine came back to lift. Evidently, fuel wasn't being drawn from the left tank.

I stopped at the first gas station and filled both tanks. The right took 7.1 gal. and the left 2.1 gal. I restarted on the left tank--right pump off--and drove another 20 miles to home! No further problems. I have had fuel starvation occur when running on the left pump only with plenty of fuel in the tank. Anyone have a clue as to the problem?

Fuel is feed from the pumps through check valves, to a T, then to the carburetor. Only thing I can attribute the fuel-starvation problem to is an intermittent inoperative left pump.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

PatBuckley · #2 (**permalink**) 09-17-2006, 03:37 PM

Tom,

I'm not sure I understand your post, but is it a possibility that one of the check valves is malfunctioning and allowing fuel to be pumped to the other tank?

speed220mph · #3 (**permalink**) 09-17-2006, 04:15 PM

Pat:
Thanks for the suggestion. That's was my initial thought, so I removed the check valves, soaked and blew them out in each direction. I checked for flow in one direction and checked that the valves closed in the other direction. Something I didn't mention was there was an audible high-frequency vibration on the rear bulkhead where the check valves are mounted. This is intermittment and they aren't even made by Lucas! My first thought was that the right check valve was not closing, allowing fuel from the left pump when only it was operating to flow under low pressure to the right tank, thus starving the carburetor. The question remains: Why does the right tank empty while no fuel is pumped from the left tank when both pumps are operating?

Pantera1889 · #4 (**permalink**) 09-17-2006, 08:59 PM

What type of pick up tube is in the tank? Is it possible that the tube has come loose and is allowing the pump to suck air?

Ron

Rick Parker · #5 (**permalink**) 09-17-2006, 09:29 PM

Why are both pumps running? I am not knowlegeble about the fuel line layout but if both pumps draw from a separate tank (each) and feed to a common line to feed the carburetor and have check valves in the line coming from each pump it would make sense that the pump with the higher pressure output (even if 1/2 lb more than the other) will be the pump that will consistantly be filling the line to the carburetor and keeping the check valve closed on the weaker pump. Perhaps the noise you were hearing was the weaker LH pump cavitating and malfunctioning? Make any sense???

strictlypersonl · #6 (**permalink**) 09-18-2006, 04:11 AM

Tom,

It was a very long time ago (and I'm not sure of how the tanks were put together back then), but I think that the pickup was a flexible hose that ran from the center of the tank to the back corner. It's possible that it has curled up at the back. The bad news is that the tank will probably have to be removed to fix it.

However, you might try removing the fitting on the top of the tank and pushing a piece of stiff cable or wire into the hose to straighten it out.

speed220mph · #7 (**permalink**) 09-18-2006, 05:43 AM

Bob:

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give the "stiff-wire" solution a try. This is an early car--#2002--so a kinked hose may be the problem. It's worth giving easy fixes a try first. Beats removing the tank. Ted did say that foam used in these early tanks was "bullet proof", so the problem is unlikely foam degradation.

jose velez · #8 (**permalink**) 09-24-2006, 03:54 AM

ERA GT 2002 was built in 1992 and is out of order, it should have been a much higher number. But that is another story. I think it was the first with the Gulf rear fender and the front hood radiator cover. I never had any issues with the fuel pumps or ran both at the same time.

speed220mph · #9 (**permalink**) 11-03-2006, 10:32 AM

I think I've found the problem: The left pump "surges". It operates fine most of the time, but when I run with it on only and it "surges" as indicated by a vibration on the left side of the bulkhead, the engine starves for fuel--quits--soon afterwards. When this happes, I switch on the right pump very quickly and the engine instantly comes back to life. I'll then shuft off the left pump and run on the right one for awhile. It will take a while, but the left pump will eventually operate normally and I can go back to running on it. Go figure?

I'm wondering if the problem is vapor lock caused by a restricted pickup, a pump problem, or somewhere else in the circuit.