Fuel Problems

[Gregory Wojcik]

Two Weeks ago I purchased my first Land Rover. A series IIa late. While driving it home for the first time, I only made it about 3 miles and found myself stuck on the side of the road. The place that sold me the LR told me that they drove it a few miles once a week and the gas tank was only a few years old, but the gas may have been bad.

I noticed that the sediment bowl had what looked like "fuzz" and "paint chips". So I drained the gas tank, added new gas. Drove it for 3 miles, and found myself on the side of the road once again!!

I tried one more time, drained the tank, new gas, Three miles, Done!!

What is going on????? I could use some help!!!

[Gregory Wojcik]

During the last attempt, I noticed that as I press firm on the gas, there is a hesitation before acceleration. If I press very slowly, it seems to not hesitate.

[badvibes]

Gregory-

When you drained the tank did you pull the pick-up tube out and make sure it wasn't clogged? Did you replace any inline fuel filters also? When I got my 2A back on the road last year I could drive abour 1/2 mile from home and the truck would just totally die. Started at the carb end of the fuel line, rebuilt the carb, same problem. New fuel filter inline at the carb same prob. New electric fuel pump same problem. New fuel filter between the tank and the fuel pump, same problem. Pulled the pick-up tube out, noticed that the screen that's supposed to be on the end of the tube wasn't there, found the tube clogged with crud, blew it out with a compressor and problem solved. I know this is all pretty basic stuff but it could be something simple. My truck was getting just enough gas to run for a while but under load the supply wasn't enough and the fuel bowls would eventually run dry and leave me stranded.

Jeff

[Jim-ME]

I had to sme problem with fuel starvation and it was my pick-up tube as well. I didn't have anything other than the sediment bowl to collect junk so I added an inline filter at the carb end. The other thng that you could check is the screen on the fuel pump.

[Gregory Wojcik]

Today we put in an a fuel filter, put in a new fuel pump filter and there was no screen on the pickup tube.
Still getting dibris..
Must be the fuel tank???????????????????????????????????

[Tim Smith]

I still agree with the pickup tube getting clogged.

You may want to pull the tank out (don't worry it's easy to do) and give it a total rinsing out to get the debris and junk out of it. While you are at it, blow out the fuel line with an air hose and see if the fuel line might be collapsing on you.

Cheers,
Tim

[Mark Filtranti]

Pull the tank. I had the same problem, but I had been driving mine for about 3 months. The truck idled and ran fine all over the base in Italy. But when I drove off the base the truck would stall and die at the same place out side of the gate. I'd wait a minute, fired right up. First we did the norm. Cleaned the filter, drained the gas. Started right up, idled, reved up and down, let her run, no problems. Drove around the base, no probs. Out the gate stalled at the same place! Pulled the carb, looked for dirt and cleaned. Yes we changed all the fuel lines too (might be collapsing). Yep, same stall/same place. Swapped the coil, figured that it was weak when demand was put on it. Same problem. Then it hit me like a rock. A big simple rock. The speed limit on the base was 25mph. When driving out the gate speed and fuel draw was higher. Yep, silt/rust in the tank. Just draining doesnt rinse it out. So when there is a heavier draw, it sucks it onto the screen/or in the tube. Shut it off and the stuff falls back to the bottom of the tank. All that time and $, for 20 minutes of work. Some times we forget that our rovers are very simple, Thats why we love them soo much.

[badvibes]

Today we put in an a fuel filter, put in a new fuel pump filter and there was no screen on the pickup tube.
Still getting dibris..
Must be the fuel tank???????????????????????????????????

Gregory-

I took a small piece of brass screen and shaped it over the outside of the end of the pick-up tube and then put a couple of tight wraps of wire around it to hold it in place. Seems to help prevent sucking debris into the pick-up tube if there's anything still kicking around inside the tank. Might help.

Jeff

[LaneRover]

My brother has a Rover with the same symptom and it ended up that the fuel pump was soooo gunked up with crap that it wasn't fully pumping, it would pump enough to idle and move around a bit but not run down the road. Basically the pump would be compressed by the lever from the engine but not fully release and thus not pump.

He cleaned up the pump by soaking it in gas for a week (had time as it wasn't his only vehicle) and then scrubbed it up and put it back on. Problem solved.

Brent

[Gregory Wojcik]

Mark, The simptoms I am having sound exactly like what you went through!!
I am going to give it a shot!!

I also think that at this point after five times of breaking down my fuel pump is now shot. I am going to drop the tank and put in a screen next week. If this does not work, I will let you all know.

THis is a great forum!! great advise!! thank you all!!!!!!!!


Greg

[rovertek]

with out a clean tank you will keep putting crap in your fuel sys. no sense cleaning carb or replacing the pump,until you remove the tank and replace it, or you can remove it and pull the sender and the pick up tube and take a steel chain and drop it in and shake it around loosening up all the rust and stuff in there wash it out with the hose and repeat until there is no more debris coming out put upside down and let it dry, and you can get various tank sealers the one i use is from car quest and is $20 qt. and you will need a qt. of MEK from hardware store home depot ext. to clean it so the sealer will adhere you pour it in the tank duct tape the holes swish it around until it is all coated inside turn upside down and let drain and dry now repeat with sealer, this puts a plastic coat inside your tank that is resistant to gas ,and for your pick up tube you can buy a pick up screen for like a 95 chevy cut the end off and use a mini clamp to hold it on the tube, now you can work toward the pump and carb with confidence.

[Gregory Wojcik]

I will get to work this weekend!!

[scott]

mine would die under load, idled great. only happenned on the hotest days. rove in albuquerque.

my fuel system was two new tanks, old pick up tubes w/o screens, an old ford dual tank valve, electric pump w/a small filter. another electric pump with sed bowl, pressure regulator set at 3 lbs, then a new mechanical pump w/ sed bowl, line over the valve cover a glass filter into a weber 2 barrel. all plumbed with 1/4" id rubber fuel line.

i removed every thing from the ford dual tank valve to the weber. put back one elec pump, fuel press regulator, steel line routed up along the firewall, glass fuel fiter. ran great for a week then began crappin out under load again, still idled great. did this on hot afternoons and cool mornings. cleaned the carb and fuel filter and it ran great for about an hour. notice the red silt that used to settle in my two sed bowls clogged the recently cleaned glass filter. i think the red silt is from a lead substittute i use. i replace the small filter before the elec pump with a sed bowl and now it;s catching the silt and not clogging the filter. it's running well.

moral: i corrected the vapor lock and got a crap in the filter problem. at first i was pretty frustrated by the "problem" that wasn't going away despite all my efforts. then i realize same symtoms does not mean same problem. thanks to Badvibes Princess Died is ready to move to 29 Palms.

[badvibes]

Scott-

So I guess that after we split up the PD ran good? Nice. Bleeding the clutch slave seemed to fix my issues too. But I do think I'll be picking up a spare slave for the parts box. Will you still get me that measurement so I can order the right part? Thanks.

sleepless in Albuquerque

[4flattires]

Yep, I am there right now with my SIIa. Sat for about 8 years, let the gas go bad. Tank is being boiled out at the rad shop this week. I didnt have a screen on my pickup tube (draw tube), and dont think I will be putting one on even if this was factory. I will let the filters downstream do the work. One is located between the tank and stock fuel pump, the other between the pump and carb.

Good luck with yours.

Jeff

[Mike_S]

is this common for the ex-MOD Rovers too? I would think military-wise, one would want a provision installed to ward off such a fouling?

Mike

[Tim Smith]

is this common for the ex-MOD Rovers too? I would think military-wise, one would want a provision installed to ward off such a fouling?

Mike
Not really "ex-MOD common" but "35-40 year old vehicle that has sat around a bit common."

Hmm, I guess with that in mind, all the MOD could install to stop this sort of thing from happening is install a kind of self incineration device that activates about 35 years after manufacture, and only if it's been sat in a barn or in a field for too long.

I think I'd remove that device...
:p

[Mike_S]

har har har :p

just asked, seems logical that if you were going to keep a 1000 or so Series II and III's around and it was a common enough problem, an "organization" might be inclined to do something about it.

gee whiz! :rolleyes:

[Tim Smith]

Hey Mike my response was in jest but I was trying to say that I believe these problems with the fuel pick up are mostly due to the rust and junk that collects in gas tanks of older vehicles. That's pretty much any car or truck. At least we are lucky enough to have drain plugs. :thumb-up:

Really not too much can be done about it other than continually driving these things so that nothing large enough gets a chance to form in there. Fuel filters should pick up the little stuff.

Just so you don't get the idea I was poking fun at ya. :p

Cheers,
Tim

[Mike_S]

No worries :) I think I was just hoping it wouldn't be something I'd have to deal with !

[Tim Smith]

Hopefully you won't need to deal with this. My fuel supply hasn't had any problems yet either.

But always remember that you must never proclaim your good luck to others. At the very moment you tell someone that you've been trouble free for xyz miles, the truck will break down on you.

Murphy is always listening!

[Tim Smith]

My fuel supply hasn't had any problems yet either.
Oh Dang!
:p

[scott]

i don't know how her majesty does it but i can tell you our corps has a "special provision". it works like this "hey lance coolie, when you're done there go pull and clean all the humvee fuel tanks..."

[Leslie]

i don't know how her majesty does it but i can tell you our corps has a "special provision". it works like this "hey lance coolie, when you're done there go pull and clean all the humvee fuel tanks..."




It's been a long time since I've been called a Lance Coolie.......



:p

[scott]

i use the term most respecfully and think of it as a term of endearment

[xrover]

Glad to see yet another Series owner overthinking again :D

I spent the last week working on a overheating issue that turned out to be timing.

LOL

[4flattires]

Since I had some time over the holiday today, I fabricated this pickup tube. This one is removable for quick field cleaning via the brass fittings. I originally thought mine did not have a screen but found remants of the original soldered screen (shiney spot, just below the soldered nut) under all the accumulated gunk. I used brass screen and formed it around a deep socket, then soldered the edge.

Jeff

[daveb]

wow cool mod. nice work.

rgrds
dave


Since I had some time over the holiday today, I fabricated this pickup tube. This one is removable for quick field cleaning via the brass fittings. I originally thought mine did not have a screen but found remants of the original soldered screen (shiney spot, just below the soldered nut) under all the accumulated gunk. I used brass screen and formed it around a deep socket, then soldered the edge.

Jeff

[Mike_S]

I've called for Lance Coolie - called and called around the shop today and the bugger never showed up! :rolleyes:

[scott]

I've called for Lance Coolie - called and called around the shop today and the bugger never showed up! :rolleyes:

if you can't find a lance, they're very adapt at concealment, use a PFC (perfect for cleaning)