DizzTransAm

Pickin up a L69 bird from my roommate forgive my carb ignorance this is my first carb'd car.
Cars been sitting since 2008. I can get it started and keep it running on carb cleaner. I heard the these cars have two fuel pumps, would it not run if one or the other was dead? The carb was rebuilt 2005 ish and was running great when parked.

dirtywhiteZ28

The car has been sitting a long time, the fuel in the float bowl has long since evaporated, and there is most likely a sticky sticky mess, left in it. Its quite possible that the Main Jet, is glued, in the closed position. No fuel pump is going to over come that. Which means you can't get fuel into the bowl. The primary needles are likely stuck in the open position, but if the residue is blocking the lower inlets then they are not delivering any fuel either. A few short bursts of an engine trying is probably all you will get off the carb cleaner. Double check the contact points in the distributor cap, corrosion may prevent proper spark delivery also. Check the oil dipstick to be sure that water hasn't filled the crankcase, these things happen.

DizzTransAm

Fun carb removal stuff I see.
Oils dirty but fine, and the ignition system is functioning fine as well. I think you misunderstood me when I said I was able to start it and keep it idleing as long as I kept spraying carb cleaner in to it.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

I don't think 1984 had the electric pump. If you look all around the tank underneath, you'll either see wiring, or you won't.

The L69 in a 1984 G-body has a line from the tank and a return line back to the tank. This might be how the F-body is.

After cranking it and then stopping, with the air filter off are you able to roll into the throttle and see a squirt of fuel down each primary?

If no, then use a 1" open end wrench to hold the fuel filter nut and with a proper 5/8" flare nut wrench, loosen the fuel line from the filter retaining nut. (don't screw this up; you'll kink the steel line.) While you're there, the fuel filter is quite easy to change in the carb.

Squeeze rubber hose over the line and into a bucket. Crank the car. If you have no fuel, you can troubleshoot back from there.

You might need to siphon fuel from the tank up to the pump to prime it. This isn't tough to do with a vaccuum pump. If you do so and still aren't getting fuel into the carb, replace the mechanical pump.

Enjoy your new car.

RocketyMan

What I think is easiest to get fuel through the lines is jacking up the rear end of the car and let gravity take care of the rest.

That way you don't need a make-shift vacuum pump (or your mouth--yuck) to try and suck it through.

A full tank of gas tends to help too.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

'84 L69 most likely had an in-tank electric pump. They were prone to failure.

If the car sat without being properly prepared for storage, most likely the entire fuel system is gummed up, starting with the tank. You may get lucky and can flush it out with an additive, but very likely the in-tank pump will have to be replaced, along with the pick-up sock, mechanical fuel pump, and fuel filter in the carb.

As already stated, the carb should be removed, disassembled, cleaned, and a renew kit installed. Wouldn't be money wasted to put in a new float while you're at it.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

The 84 L69's do have an electric in-tank pump, mine had one. I have no advice beyond what the previous posters have already mentioned. It most likely needs a good clean out and rebuild.

The mechanical fuel pump will be powerful enough to overcome a dead in-tank pusher, mine did for years before I replaced the motor and in-tank pump with a new pump and got rid of my block mounted pump.

PeteZ28

Yes 84 L69 cars do have the in-tank pump. I think mine has gone dead too, but I use to hear it run when I turned the key on before starting the car. It will drive without it but pressure may go low at WOT. It does require cranking alot if the car sits for a week or more. With the tank low it may not even get fuel to the front pump by cranking. Today I had to fill the bowl with gas to start it. With the engine running, it ran OK on the mech pump but just light driving. I'd say the non-functioning in tank pump is likely a restriction.

Damon

All L69s got an in-tank electric "helper" pump. Later years of the low output LG4 got it too.

If it's not working it is a restriction, although you can drive it around in normal driving no problem.

RocketyMan

My camaro is an '84 and I've been under the car plenty of times and never seen any electrical wires up to the fuel tank.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right spot, but it just doesn't make sense why the gas tank would need a "helper pump" when it has a strong enough mech fuel pump.

PeteZ28

I think the helper pump helps prevent cavitation by slightly pressurizing the fuel in the line from the tank up to the pump on the engine. Since the mech pump has a return, the in tank pump may constanly circulate fuel to keep it cool as well, also helping to prevent cavitation

DizzTransAm

Had time to work on it todays. Took off the fuel like and put it into a clear water bottle while someone cranked the car, and plenty of gas came out. again I had it started and running off carb cleaner only so I've determined the carb needs a rebuild, fortinantly a junkyard reasonably close to me got in a running L69 so I'll have to get that carb in a few weeks.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

The in tank pusher pump relieves the vapor lock issue common among the cars with only a mechancal pump.