Car not starting after engine install (video)

[ossiblue]

I just saw your priming video and I agree, it doesn't appear fuel is getting to the pump or at least not in large quantities. You are correct to not run your pump too much dry as the fuel is the coolant and yours sounds bone dry in the video. The change in tone sounds like it could be from the decrease in pressure caused by opening the injectors but it still sounds like it's running dry.

If your going to use compressed air, you may wish to disconnect the fuel inlet line from the pump and blow air back into the tank to see if the line is clear--listening for bubbles--and using very low pressure. If you hear bubbles, you may then wish to hold the end of the fuel line below the level of the tank outlet (since your car is jacked up at the rear) and see if fuel flows out by gravity. If you get fuel flow like that, you know the line to the pump is full and you can reconnect and try the prime again.

Trying a squirt of ether or starter fluid is a good idea also.

Let us know what happens.

[Jim75911S]

My 75 has the fuel pump located behind the drivers side wheel well. I also had the same problem when attempting to start my rebuilt engine for the first time. The fuel pump sounded air intrained with intermitten changes in the noise. The fuel pump was not primed and the tank did not have enough fuel in it to gravity feed back to it. I jacked up the front end about 12" off the floor. Switched on the ignition key to start fuel pump, lifted the lever in the air box. When the fuel makes it to the pump the sound will change, when it makes to the injectors you will hear them whine. When you hear the whine of the injectors release the lever and try to crank it. Might take a couple tries to remove all the air , but this worked for me. HTH Jim

[Hotwatermusic]

Originally Posted by Jim75911S

My 75 has the fuel pump located behind the drivers side wheel well. I also had the same problem when attempting to start my rebuilt engine for the first time. The fuel pump sounded air intrained with intermitten changes in the noise. The fuel pump was not primed and the tank did not have enough fuel in it to gravity feed back to it. I jacked up the front end about 12" off the floor. Switched on the ignition key to start fuel pump, lifted the lever in the air box. When the fuel makes it to the pump the sound will change, when it makes to the injectors you will hear them whine. When you hear the whine of the injectors release the lever and try to crank it. Might take a couple tries to remove all the air , but this worked for me. HTH Jim

Well, I know now that it is a fuel issue, as spraying starter fluid into the CIS internals caused some bucking and snorting, and actually ran briefly. So I need to do exactly what you're describing there--get the angle of the car nose high and engine low to let gravity take the fuel down the lines and hopefully get the pump primed. Frankly, considering all the things I figured was going to go wrong with this reinstall, this is a very acceptable issue that I will gladly deal with.

[Hotwatermusic]

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So I've tried every suggestion offered to me, but I still cannot get fuel to come out of this line. There is at least 7 gallons of fuel in the tank. I changed the angle of the car so it's slanted slightly nose up--obviously thinking gravity will draw fuel into the lines better--but now that I really think about it, where is the fuel pick-up line on the gas tank? Did I just make it worse by tilting the car nose up?

I also ran compressed air through the above line until I could see fuel vapor come of the fuel filler neck at the front. I even disconnected the hose to this metal fuel line, turned the fuel pump on and lifted the plunger, daring the fuel to come shooting out. It didn't.

For some reason fuel is not getting from the tank to the fuel pump. Anyone have any outside-the-box ideas why that is happening? I thought maybe since the car sat unstarted and undriven for just about 4 months, with very, very little fuel in the tank, is it possible the fuel that was in there got nasty and crudy and something is physical blocking the line out of the tank to the fuel pump? I thought the compressed air would fix that, but maybe not? Thanks. I am desperate over here!

[Joe Bob]

Level the car, put in more fuel, have a fiver full of full and dip the intake line into it....fiver should be higher than the fuel pump.

[pete3799]

That may be the return line back to the tank in your picture.
Does your accumulator have 2 lines going in the top?

[Hotwatermusic]

Originally Posted by pete3799

That may be the return line back to the tank in your picture.
Does your accumulator have 2 lines going in the top?

Why yes, it does. What does that mean for me? And I think you are absolutely right that that isn't the line in I've unattached, but the line back. I am an idiot.

[ossiblue]

No, you are not an idiot--you're just learning like we all have.

Yes, you disconnected the return line to the tank instead of the fuel inlet line. The line from the pump to the accumulator, in your picture, is the one with the "patina" on the nut and the rubber hose attached. However, I'd suggest you remove the fuel inlet line at the pump (under the car) if you're planning on blowing air back into the tank. That way, there is no obstruction (by the pump itself) to the tank. This is also the line I meant when I suggested you remove it and let the end fall below the level of the tank to see if fuel ran out, my thought being, eliminate the line as a problem before adding the pump itself as an issue.

Let us know what you find, you're doing a good job!

[Hotwatermusic]

911 fuel injector whine - YouTube

So I went out to assess how I could remove the tank-to-fuel pump hose to see if I was getting fuel at least into that hose. I decided to turn the key to accessory one more time and see if I could finally get the the pump to prime. I again did what was suggested here--turn the pump on and lift the intake plunger until I heard the injectors whine. I got no result the last days couple trying to do that, but for some reason today was different. I lifted the plunger, and I could literally hear the fuel snaking through the system until it got to the injectors, which then literally "whined" under the pressure! The above video was taken after they had primed, but I still wanted anyone else that needed to hear "that sound" have it linkable here on Pelican.

So, on to actually trying to start it again. Well, it resisted initially, but damn if it didn't come billowing (literally) alive!! Watch in the video as my girlfriend runs for cover as the smoke comes belching out...

911 finally comes alive - YouTube

I don't know why it finally decided to start today versus yesterday, when I hadn't done anything to it but I am not complaining.

Now I have to figure out if the idle is high (1800rpm) just because it hasn't run in so long, or if something is screwy. Thanks for all the help guys, it's been said on here a thousand times but I'll say again--I really couldn't have done it without you.

[dtw]

Good job.

1800 rpm idle sounds like a vacuum leak. Check all your vacuum line connections and make sure your injectors are fully seated. Try squirting around with carb cleaner if to see if you can find the leak (idle will change slightly when the carb cleaner gets sucked into the intake via the leak.