Questions and Answers
We did take the fuel line loose from the carburetor and cranked the engine, it did pump gas, we also checked the fuel filter, and it was ok. With the carburetor still on the engine, I took out the float and needle, and then gave the engine a crank, gas did shoot up out of the seat, of course when it did this it did prime the engine, so when I did put it all back together, it fired up and ran just fine.
Cutlass Fuel Pump?
Q. Hi Vincent, my kid has a 1985, Olds, Cutlass, RWD, 231 V-6, mechanical fuel pump, feedback carburetor. About once a month the car won't start. I'll try to shorten this a little, every time this happens, the float bowl is bone dry.
So me and the kid has learned, that when this happens, just spray a little starter fluid in the carburetor, it will start and run just fine for about three weeks, till it does it again. I don't doubt that it needs a carburetor kit. But I can't help think that it is a weak pump. If it was the needle and seat, I think he would have trouble, even if it were running. This car doesn't have an Schrader valve on it, so it's a little harder to check the fuel pressure. Also I know the pump puts out a lot more gas with the engine running, than it does with just cranking.
I check the oil quite often, and there is no gas smell. One day I think, it needs a carburetor kit, the next day I think, it's a weak fuel pump, the next day I think, ah, just do both. I can't tell a short story, but I guess the more info you have the better. What do you think?
Thanks,
JDA. I don't really think you have a bad fuel pump here. The way to test that pump is to disconnect it from the carburetor and fit a fuel pressure tester on the line. Start the car and see what it reads. There will be enough fuel in the bowl to allow the car to run for a few minutes. The pressure should be between 5.5 and 6.5 psi and steady at idle. If it fluctuates wildly, the pump is shot.
However I think it's more likely the fuel is leaking out of the carburetor into the intake. The fact that when it happens and you give it a shot would seem to confirm this. The next time it happens, just let it crank and see if the pump fills the float bowl and the engine start. I'll bet it does.
As far as rebuilding the carburetor goes, the rebuild kit doesn't really include too much other than a couple of gaskets and a new needle and seat. So rebuilding may not fix the problem. Inside the float bowl is the Mixture Control; Solenoid and it has a small "O" ring on the bottom. This "O" ring does go bad and will allow fuel to leak out of the bowl. This "O" ring is not available separately or is included with a rebuild kit. I have had good results using an A/C "O" ring to replace it You might want to try that before anything else.
Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA
