Fuel delivery issue, help!!

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
Post Reply
AndyG
Advanced Member
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:17 am
My tercel:: 1984 4wd Dlx. Stock
Location: Mountlake Terrace, Wa
Contact:

Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by AndyG »

Hey guys this has been an ongoing issue for me the last 2 years of owning the car. My car doesn’t like going up hills, especially up in the mountains. I have a ever 32/36 carb with a Mr Gasket 1-5psi fuel regulator. Last month I replaced all the leaky gasket on the carb, new air box, repositioned the fuel bowl vent (sealed the old and drilled a new vent), new fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs (dizzy fairly new). But here I am a month later, stranded eastbound I-90 last night near snoqualmie, on a long slight inclining stretch last night. It starved for fuel. I messed around with the fuel/air screw for an hour and no luck. My new fuel filter is a transparent color and it looked like there was no fuel to it. Ended up getting towed home. My driveway is a steep hill. The car fired up today while facing down. Decided to back it down facing up and it’s doing the same thing, no fuel reaching to the filter and the rest of the system. Is it possibly the fuel tank or the lines that connect the tank to the filter?
Please help!!
This is about the 10th time my car has left me stranded while road tripping and I’m afraid I’ll have to just get rid of it for how unreliable it has been.
Thanks- Andy
xirdneh
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 2121
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by xirdneh »

I would pull the fuel sender that is on top of tank. Just pull up the carpet and remove the screws to the plate then remove fuel sender plate screws . When its out siphon the gas out of the tank. Then inspect the filter in the tank with a flashlight. It should be clean and on bottom of tank. The metal tubeing the filter is attached to might have something wrong with it. Is it rusty? Have a hole in it above the filter. Who knows what you might find. Maybe nothing. But its a simple thing to check.
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
AndyG
Advanced Member
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:17 am
My tercel:: 1984 4wd Dlx. Stock
Location: Mountlake Terrace, Wa
Contact:

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by AndyG »

That I haven’t done yet, and I’m hoping that will help. Thanks for the advice, I shall get at it again!
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by Petros »

to be clear, it starts and runs when the fuel tank is higher than the engine, and it will be fuel starved when the fuel tank is lower than the engine?

Is there any fuel smell near the tank? Sometimes a cracked or leaky fuel line will leak fuel, sometimes it will not.

sounds like the fuel line between the tank and the fuel pump may have a slight leak. It will suck in air when there is when it has to pump fuel up hill, and work okay when there is that extra height to suck the fuel over. It may not leak fuel because the fuel line up stream of the pump is under vacuum when it pumps fuel.

There are flex lines between the top of the fuel tank to the hard lines mounted to the frame under the car, and from the hard line mounted on the firewall to the fuel filter. I would inspect those for cracks or leaks, likely your fuel lines are as old as the car, not unusual for them to get brittle and crack after 35 years.

Check all of the other components in the fuel system up stream of the pump, the filter, connections, in addition to checking the filter screen on the fuel inlet inside the tank that Xirdneh posted.

Occasionally a partially blocked fuel filter will act this way, it allows fuel at part loads, but under heavy demand (like when going up a steep hill), it will not supply enough fuel and the engine will sputter and fail.

likely it will be a fairly easy fix once you find the problem, of course all the time and frustration is spent diagnosing and locating the problem.

Good luck.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
AndyG
Advanced Member
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:17 am
My tercel:: 1984 4wd Dlx. Stock
Location: Mountlake Terrace, Wa
Contact:

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by AndyG »

Thank you for the advice Petros, I’m going to inspect the fuel lines near the tank and the metal lines. No obvious leaks but yes every now and then I would get a whiff of fuel.
The fuel filter is new but unless it is partially blocked. Who knows what it looks like inside the gas tank. I’ll take a look at all this later today. Thanks!
AndyG
Advanced Member
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:17 am
My tercel:: 1984 4wd Dlx. Stock
Location: Mountlake Terrace, Wa
Contact:

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by AndyG »

@Petros I ended up diagnosing the problem! My brand new fuel pump crapped out on me only after a month.. Thanks O’Reilly’s. No vacuum at all from it, and it makes a metallic scrapping noise from the inside. Ended up putting my old back on (works fine) until I can find another fuel pump. Any brand you recommend that won’t fail on me?
User avatar
splatterdog
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1623
Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:26 am
Location: Minnesota, USA

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by splatterdog »

OE or Aisin would be my first choices.

I buy less and less from parts stores every day. Last cheap pump I installed got replaced 3 times in a year. One didn't make it out of the bay.
AndyG
Advanced Member
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:17 am
My tercel:: 1984 4wd Dlx. Stock
Location: Mountlake Terrace, Wa
Contact:

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by AndyG »

Jeeesh, that’s annoying. Yeah I thinks it’s time I go else where. Oreillys has been getting on my nerves with how bad their new parts/remunfactured parts are . Think I’ll stick to ordering from rock auto for better brands even though it’s not a instant access for partys. Thanks for the suggestion @splatterdog
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Fuel delivery issue, help!!

Post by Petros »

I learned some time ago that just because the part is new, does not mean it is good. I always bench test before an installation if possible.

I always try to buy the same as factory parts, usually Aisin, or other "made in Japan" replacement part is usually good quality. US made after market parts are unusually good too. I will not install 'remanufactured' parts, most are junk right out of the box, and avoid communist made parts. sometimes you do not have a choice, but quality is always suspect.

Often you can buy NAPA and Autozone parts on line, at an on-line discount price from store prices, and pick them up at the local store same day or next day, it saves the time and shipping costs from Rockauto, so it makes them more price competitive. Usually if you are pressed for time, it is much cheaper than paying Rockauto for next day air delivery.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Post Reply