So, last Saturday I get the black car out and go to lunch at "the shop"(place that does my motor work). It's been a routine thing for about 3 decades now.
Meet a fellow that has a vintage 215 Alum Olds motor on the dyno. Stock rebuild with FiTech FI on it. Friend is doing some fine adjustments and getting it all broke in. We get to discussing driving our toys and he mentions he like to go long distance with his. I make comment that is nice to know that you put it together right and can drive it without worry(stupid, stupid thing to say.....LOL).
We go to lunch, after which I head north to the house. I get about half way there and suddenly the car snorts and dies. WTH? A quick glance at my fuel filter(on right side of blower) I see no fuel. What? I'm able to coast off a side street and assess what happened. I remove the rubber line from the pump to make sure it's not collapsed. Nope. I reassemble and crank. Suddenly I get fuel and it lights off. Hmmm. I quickly get turned around and continue home. I get maybe 1.5 miles and it snorts and dies. Yup, no fuel again. Oh jeez. I tinker with fuel line and try again. Once again it fills up and starts. Whew, the battery is starting to sound a bit weak. I again head out, but like before I go about 1.5 miles and it quits again. Man, this is going to be a long trip home.
I again tinker and get some fuel and it starts. I then quickly decide if I can make it the last 5 miles to home or do I detour about 1 mile to a friends house and then get assistance. I chose the friends place. I zig zag through the neighborhood, doing rolling stops at every corner to make sure I can get up the last hill before running out of fuel. I JUST make the grade, get one block away and it quits. I shimmy in my seat trying to make it roll up the last bit of grade and make the corner and roll up in front of the house. Oh, man.
Sadly, no one is home. I forgot they mentioned going away after lunch. Ugh. I make a call to a buddy, no answer. I make a second call and they answer and head my way(just a few miles). Friend rolls up, we head to my house to get supplies.
I had already checked Azone online to see that NO pumps are in stock. So my best choice was to steal the pump off the blue truck. I do so, along with a toe strap and some tools. We get back to the car and install the pump and the car starts quickly. Okay, head home. Friend follows me just to make sure. I did notice some bubbles in that front filter, so I was leary of other issues.
Due to the tank being a bit rusty back in '96 when I bought the car, I always had a "primary" filter back at the tank to be my first line of defense before the pump and my other filter up at the carbs. For the last 20 yrs I've always bought those cheap opaque filters so I could quickly see when they were used up. The last time I couldn't get one and had to get a metal version(hmm, anyone see what is coming). So Sunday morning I get up and go pull that filter off and cut it apart. Yup, it's near clogged solid with crap. Ya, that will cause fuel issues.
I reinstall the pump from the black car onto the blue truck and run it to Oreillys and pick up another clear filter for the back. With that installed, the car starts and NO bubbles in the front filter anymore. Fixed!!!
Just when you talk about "being dependable", your bound to get screwed over!! I don't fret much, just like last June when the Unilite module tried to die. I got the car home, with little fuss. No harm, no foul. Just a little inconvenience. I got rid of the Unilite and put dual points back in so I don't have to even think about electronics failing. I also put a clear filter on this time so I can monitor it and eliminate getting stranded.
Ain't home built hot rods fun!!