I think it is the fuel pump?

[jimincalif]

My spider died when pulling into a parking lot this morning. Got it towed home, checked for spark, good spark. opened up the air box and pushed on the air flap with the key on. I could hear the relay in front of the passenger seat clicking, but no pumping sounds from the rear of the car.

Hotwired a wire to the green/black wire on the fuel pump and took it directly to positive terminal. I hear a slight thud each time I make the connection, but no continuous sound like I think an electric pump would make, after the initial thud, nothing.

I'm new to this, had the car two months and my prior fiat was 26 years ago, I could definitely hear its fuel pump. Would the pump normally run and I could hear it? Any further diagnostics I should perform?

Thanks,

Jim

[amsiegel]

Jim

All I can tell you is that when my fuel pump is on you can hear it. Have to tried taking off the hose to see if is pumping.

Make sure there is someting there to catch the gas if it comes out

[So Cal Mark]

if the pump tries to turn but is locked up, it has debris in it

[jimincalif]

if the pump tries to turn but is locked up, it has debris in it

You're right there. I pulled the pump off, started tapping on it with a rubber mallet, and got all kinds of rusty scale material coming out the intake (tank) side of it. This leads to a couple of other issues. I assume all this gunk is coming from the tank, so I have a mess in there. What's the best solution, a new tank? Also it does not appear that the pump is something designed to come apart, so I will have to replace it as well, and no use replacing it just to have a new one get clogged up with rust from the tank.

Is it feasible to put a filter between the tank and the pump to protect the pump?

[So Cal Mark]

there should be a screen on the pickup inside the tank. You can try flushing the pump out and perhaps run it backwards to help dislodge the debris. I'd take the sending unit out of the top of tank and look inside with a flashlight (don't use a match or lighter ). If you add a filter on the inlet side of the pump, make sure it flows well. The pump doesn't create much suction, just high pressure

[mbouse]

har har har... i remember a song like that!
"she lighted a match to inspect it... Oh, Bring back my Bonnie to me!"

yeah, i am betting that the brass sock at the end of the fuel sender has fallen off or has a hole in it. and there is bunches of gunkess in the fuel tank.

drain the tank, discarding the fuel, and remove the tank from the car. thorougly clean the tank and replace the sending unit. don't add an additional filter before the pump. But, do replace your filter in the engine bay with a glass see-through filter.

[So Cal Mark]

the car is FI, so adding a filter in the engine bay is a no=no and the sending unit does not have the fuel pickup in it

[jimincalif]

I see where the pickup and return are, down in the corner. since they are not part of the sending unit, is the screen on the pickup accessible such that it can be replaced if it is missing or damaged?

[mbouse]

this is the sending unit. look carefully at the "brass" tube. you should see a (barely visible) wire mesh "sock" on the end of the tube.

this assembly is sold as a single unit, and fits into your fuel tank from the top.

[jimincalif]

That's the one for the carb'd cars, I believe. My FI the sending unit is separate from the fuel pickup and return. These are located at the forward inboard corner of the tank, at the level of the mounting flange.

[mbouse]

until today, i did not know they were different... sorry for the confusion

[jimincalif]

there should be a screen on the pickup inside the tank. You can try flushing the pump out and perhaps run it backwards to help dislodge the debris.

I did try reversing polarity to get it to dislodge, no luck. Can I force air into the output (engine) side of the pump without damaging it? How else might I flush it out? Pour in fresh gas and continue shaking and tapping maybe?

Thanks

[ga.spyder]

If you have to replace the pump here is a substitute part
Autozone Master #E2182 w/ lifetime warranty, around $80
It is for a 1989 Ford F150 w/302,among others. It is an exact fit!
Craig

[So Cal Mark]

blowing air through it won't hurt it.

[jimincalif]

OK, I got the fuel pump working again. Just a bit more tapping with the mallet, reversed polarity a couple of more times and it began to spin I did not let it run dry very long. I rigged up a hose to it and ran some mineral spirits through it til it came out fairly clean, did not get any more rust bits out of it (from either end). Do you think it is a reasonable bet to reuse the pump? It probably has just 1000 miles on it.

Next I've got to drain the tank so I can get it cleaned. I've got a few choices, there is a local radiator shop that cleans them, the Eastwood kit and the "ReNu" process, or a new tank. Some of the folks on mira strongly recommend the ReNu process, they've had problems with the other options and the aftermarket tanks rusting. I will call the local ReNu franchise tomorrow, but from what I've seen online I suspect it will be about the same or slightly more than a replacement tank. I'm told the FI tank has 4 baffles inside, in which case I don't think I'd have much success cleaning it myself.

And I suppose I should replace the fill pipe elbow while I'm at it. Mark do you have these or do I need to order? I will replace the supply and return hoses as well while it is out.

Thanks everyone,

Jim