No gas from a full gas tank

[Johnnywiffer]

My '54 Land Cruiser has been setting for some time in my drive without starting. Today when I tried, it wouldn't. Traced the problem all the way to the gas tank--full but nothing coming out.

I have not only a regular fuel pump but also an electric back by the gas tank. Finally, took off the gas cap, put a 2' hose on the stub of the steel gas line at the tank and BLEW thru it with a tire air compressor. Gauge went all the way to 70 lbs pressure before I turned it off. Gauge went down, slowly, could hear bubbles in the tank but nothing coming back out of the hose.

Next?

John

[64V-K7]

Siphon most of the gas out, then clamp off the outlet hose underneath and remove the electric fuel pump. If nothing comes out when you release the clamp, you'll have to remove the sending unit and see what's going on with the pickup..

[Johnnywiffer]

I attempted to drain gas from the tank by unscrewing the 1/4" screw on the bottom of the tank. Once the screw was out, nothing came out. I had to push a screw driver thru the drain hole and thru something that felt like chewing gum, then gas came out. I'm assuming there is something coating the floor of the tank and that it has stopped up the pickup tube. As I said I haven't driven it in a long time, so I guess it's decided to teach me a lesson. "Ya don't use it, ya lose it!"

I'm guessing I'll have to completely remove the tank and take it to a gas-tank-fixer-place. Not really hard, just irritating.

John

[Tom Bredehoft]

I performed a do-it-yourself tank sealing on my '55 and wound up replacing the tank. Among other problems, I had sealed the pickup tube, too. After several sessions, there were also still leaks, so I settled for a different tank.

[StudeRich]

Johnnie, I think before going to all the trouble of unbolting the tank, I would pull the sender and have a peek with a good flashlight and see what's going on in there! It could be some kind of blockage like a rag or something that you might get out through the sender or filler hole.

[Johnnywiffer]

Yep. Sounds like a good idea. Tomorrow. I've had all the fun I can handle today.

John

[philbirkeland]

Hi John - If your tank is like my 2R10 PU's tank, then you have two fittings on the tank, one pipe plug as a drain, and the other that the fuel line connects to. You found that the fuel line fitting was plugged. Try also the drain plug. Blow compressed air through the fuel line fitting. That may clean out the pickup line. Even if it does, and that cures your present problem, you still have gum in the tank and the potential for a future repeated stoppage. Take off the fuel sender and shine a flashlight down the hole to see what you've got covering the tank bottom. Likely a good layer of crud. Then do yourself a favor. I suggest you drain and then drop the tank (to avoid explosions, do this outside, well away from ignition sources such as light switches, and using a fluorescent trouble light, NOT an incandescent bulb). Then either clean and line the tank yourself (Eastwood kit as I used, or POR15 kit), or take it to a radiator shop. Blow out the fuel line from tank to engine fuel pump (unless your area has vapor lock issues, you should not need the electric pump), and install a full flow fuel filter just upstream of the fuel pump. Also clean out the carburetor. After all that, you should have a trouble free fuel supply system. Then, use STABIL for your last tank of gas (running the engine long enough to get the STABIL into the carburetor) before leaving the car for 6 weeks or more. This last works also for lawn equipment left for the winter. Best wishes, Phil B.

[64V-K7]

......before you open any access to the tank, siphon as much fuel as you can out. You don't want it to be raining gasoline in your garage .. or on top of yourself...

[Johnnywiffer]

As I stated, when I opened the drain hole in the bottom of the tank, nothing flowed out, just as with the intake. I had to push a screw driver thru the crud in the bottom of the tank to get any fuel out at all. When I drained out about a gallon, it looked like good gas. But now the front fuel mechanical pump doesn't work, so I've ordered one from SI. I won't be working on it for another week, so will post then. I'm sure I need to drain the tank and take it to a repair shop to get the "tar"(?) out of it. Just putting off doing it.

Thanx to everyone for the help.

John