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Primary fuel bowl will not fill up


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Rooster1984
New User

Jul 22, 2017, 3:45 PM

Post #1 of 10 (2399 views)
post icon Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

1987 Chevy R10 Truck: new carburetor Holley Avenger. The primary fuel bowl will not fill up with any fuel. The secondary fuel bowl fills up just fine. When I pulled off the fuel line that goes to the primary fuel bowl and slightly place my finger over the hose hole there is no fuel coming out but once I remove my finger it barley comes out. Could this mean the my mechanical fuel pump is bad and it is not creating enough pressure to fill up the primary fuel bowl?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 22, 2017, 4:00 PM

Post #2 of 10 (2392 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

It does sound like a low fuel pressure issue. That may or may not be the fault of the pump. There are numerous other possible causes like

Plugged fuel filter
Cam lobe worn off
Bad pump
Porous rubber fuel line sucking air instead of fuel
restriction in the pick-up inside the fuel tank.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rooster1984
New User

Jul 23, 2017, 2:45 PM

Post #3 of 10 (2356 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

I took off the fuel line that goes to the carburetor and placed the hose in a bottle and had someone turn the engine over for 10 sec and there was only about 1-3 oz of fuel in the bottle. It did like 1-2 big squirts then little squirts after that.


Hammer Time
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Jul 23, 2017, 3:07 PM

Post #4 of 10 (2352 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

That tends to point toward it starving on the pull side.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rooster1984
New User

Jul 23, 2017, 7:17 PM

Post #5 of 10 (2345 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

Not to sound weird but I took off the hose from the fuel pump on the side that comes from the fuel filter (which is brand new) and barley sucked on it and got plenty of fuel out of it.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 23, 2017, 7:21 PM

Post #6 of 10 (2343 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

There's one way to find out. Get a portable can of gas, put a hose in it and connect it to the fuel pump and see if that makes a difference.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Sidom
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Jul 23, 2017, 10:42 PM

Post #7 of 10 (2336 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

I haven't worked on any of the new Holleys (actually any carb) for years but I know on the old ones they had an external float adjustment...

The pressure reading you are getting definitely sounds like you have some pump issues going on......It just struck me as odd the secondary bowl would fill and no fuel going into the primary....almost sounds like something is going on with that primary needle and seat....


Rooster1984
New User

Jul 24, 2017, 7:31 PM

Post #8 of 10 (2318 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

I thought the same thing until I took a surenge and unscrewed the float adjustment screw and filled it up that way. The float wasn't stuck and fuel went in with ease.


Sidom
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Jul 24, 2017, 10:06 PM

Post #9 of 10 (2309 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

What exact model is that?..... i know some of those Holleys had a double fuel inlet and some were a single inlet and used a transfer tube to fill the secondary bowl....

Definitely what to get a handle on the pressure problem.....I know a lot of those old chevys the socket in the tank would get plugged....Most guys would just blow those off with an air hose a put another fuel filter inline upstream of the pump


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jul 25, 2017, 1:05 AM

Post #10 of 10 (2305 views)
Re: Primary fuel bowl will not fill up Sign In

? Thoughts: 87 Chev with carb. Very late for that alone not a problem. Know this thing isn't going to tolerate ethanol fuels from the tank, sock, hoses - not much of the whole set up. Pump only $15 +/- probably a hose not the metal line now real hard to make one up for a non OE carb. Add an in line filter again.


Somehow this exact engine I've never seen? Pump looks like those that are typical pushrod and a lifter like type that falls down to replace but would just do it. Tilt whole vehicle on those and still fuss with wire and turn engine by hand/crank bolt till push rod is up all the way to put pump in that will be ethanol tolerant now.


Does fuel gauge even work? My point is this should like ethanol even plastic items all thru system may need to do about all items that touch it,


T







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