As most of you know, I now own a Blue & White really neat & custom built Cobra. Seems the prior owner didn't like the Carter fuel pump I originally installed and have been using over 30 years without the first failure.
Any way it now has a very nice (read expensive) Holley black and chrome fuel pump in its place. (Remember the complaint about my customizing the fuel tank pick up system and after +/- 6 months started to drip-leak at the fitting to the pump? It seems whoever installed the new Holley pump galled the A.R.E. threads on the fitting. I cleaned up the threads, re-tightened the same fitting and...no more drips!)
Anyway...this same system has a full sized fuel filter, read same size as a normal
oil filter, which I had originally installed.
Well.....Although "WE" all know Cobras do not run out of fuel!
Ok, I did. This thing is NOT a fuel miser by any means. I put in 5 gallons...and the car refused to start! Checked the fuel pressure and read -0- while the pump was running..
Since the pump was running, no other indications anything else was wrong... I pulled the fitting off the tank, dropped the tank!
, eventually pulled the pump, took it apart looking for either a running pump or an obstruction. NOTHING!
Ok, re- installed the tank, fule pump, fuel lines after cleaning them out etc.. Hit the safety switch, pump kicks in, NO start! NO pressure on the regulator!
The Holley is only putting out 4.5 psi by the way.
I've got it!
The filter must be clogged! OK, can't figure out why with limited run time, but.....??? The Holley pump is running, I crack the first A.R.E. fitting to the filter and get a huge rush of air!
I think to myself....hmmmm?? Tighten the fitting again, look at the pressure gauge ---wow a full 4.5 p.s.i. immediately.
Turn the key and fires right up! (Did all of the above twice!)
OK, moral of the story, IF you run out of fuel, re-load and if you are using one of the larger filters and it wont start. Check for an "Air-Lock" at the filter!
Never used a Holley pump before, maybe it's low pressure refused to blow by the large air bubble in the filter. Or the air-block would have happened regardless of the pump!?
Moral: Don't run out of gas!
DV