Packard Forum Index » Studebaker Built Packards (1957 - 58)

Hello All!

Newbie here dealing with a pesky problem with a fuel pump. Issue started after shortly bringing the car home.

Car sitting on a slight sloped driveway would not pull fuel up to the carburetor. The mechanical fuel pump marked ( 4227 62) was on the car. Replaced with another mechanical fuel pump would still not pull fuel.

The only way to car to start was to bottle feed down carb. Once started could idle in driveway for over in hour . Go to takeoff and the car would need fuel . Eventually it would run for about 30 mins then stall and stop pumping fuel. Decided to purchase an electric I fuel pump and mounted as close to the tank as possible . Got about 20 miles out of pump and it would pull any fuel up to carburetor .

After this issue dropped the tank and cleaned it not much debris in tank and the pickup tube was clean. With the hose attached to steel fuel line can blow air through to the tank. Can also blow air from one end of the line to the other . Replaced the rubber hoses. The only thing left would be the steel lines . Is it possible that my steel lines could bad? The only way I can get the new pump to pull fuel is to run a long rubber fuel hose from fuel tank directly up to the carburetor .

I'm very new here asking to learn!

Thanks!

It sounds like you have a dent or rust in the steel line, or else a very slight air leak, either a pinhole in the line or a tiny leak at any connection anywhere on the suction side of the system. It's possible for a leak to allow air in and yet not leak fuel to leak out. Any air leak on the suction side will cause problems.ALSO: Be sure your gas cap vent is not plugged or obstructed.

Pretty easy to change fuel line on 57 58 Packards as from tank to joint near front of chassis near brake pedal bracket where frame kicks or bends up . short piece from that point to where fuel pump line connects. If you put your electric fuel pump near front of rear springs easy to replace line which is not expensive or hard job and will make sure you have no small . With new fuel lines and pump you should have no fuel problems as all will be new. If car is supercharged fuel line is 3/8 from tank to factory mechanical pump pump. From pump to carb is 5/16. pic is my electric pump mounting location

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That's basically wear I put mine . Won't pump fuel from tank to fuel pump .

Then the only thing it could be is a blockage in your fuel line or, more likely, in the flex hose at the pump. The flex hoses, just as happens on flexible brake lines, can collapse internally while still looking fine on the outside.

It could also be in the tank's pickup inside the tank where there may be a screen or just lots of debris blocking it.

I've never needed an electric pump, preferring to fix the actual problem rather than throwing electric pumps at it.

I believe that some of these pumps will run in either direction depending on whether the red wire is grounded or hot.
For a positive ground Packard, the red wire would need to be grounded, and the black wire would be hot. I'd check the wiring polarity, and then test the entire installation by putting a length of fuel line hose on the carburetor line and placing the other end of it in a suitable container, and then turning on the pump. Fuel should flow from the hose almost instantly and it should be a good stream. (Do this outdoors and use caution to avoid fire/explosion. Best to have 2 persons, but one can do it if caution is used.)

Thank you did that very thing . Using a Edelbrock Red Fuel Pump. Can hear the pump running the directional area is in the correct flow for fuel.

I was able to get it to pump fuel today and drive about 10 miles, ran good and fuel in filter .

I bypassed the small hose coming out of the fuel tank that went to the steel line and ran ran rubber fuel line up to the fuel pump . So I'm thinking the small fuel line is collapsing or the steel line that goes to fuel pump has a leak. Rubber hose straight from fuel tank to pump work and pumps fuel!

Reading carefully, I can about guarantee you that there is a small pinhole in your steel line. That often happens where the line passes over the axle, usually under one of the retaining clips.

Given the age of these cars I automatically replace the entire fuel line when waking one up. The time in the garage is much shorter than the time along the side of the road.

I dropped and cleaned the tank the pick up tube was clear , and free of any debris .

Yes, I hear you that the tube is clear. But if there is the tiniest pinhole in the tube the pump will suck air rather than lift the fuel out of the tank.