Sometime back I had a few issues with fuel delivery, seemed that the pump wasn't self priming properly. That pump has now been replaced, but still I'm getting issues. I've just dropped the tank to check the pipe on the top - the new rubber hose is fitted tightly onto the fuel pickup point, but I'm concerned about how to connect the hose to the nylon chassis line.

I had initially just pushed the nylon pipe into the rubber hose and secured with a hose clip - is that enough?

The same happens at the fuel pump end - nylon pipe into rubber hose, rubber hose onto pump.

The car was running well, but wouldn't idle - no matter how much I adjusted the idle down, it would race or stutter and stop. I put the car into the garage in disgust, and surprisingly it didn't fix itself. I'm in the process of treating it to a fresh coat of paint, and now I need to drive it out onto the drive. The last time I tried to start it, it refused to go, so I've dropped the tank to check the connections. There was at least 15litres of fuel in it...

Whilst the tank is off - what checks can I perform on the fuel sender to check it's working?

Thanks for reading this far....

The rubber hoses didn't have any clips from the factory. Just pushed on.

I've always thought that there was not enough room on the tank top for clips, but you appear to have got them in.

If it's not idling I would have thought you should be looking at the slow running jet. Might need a clean.

Have you turned over the engine with the hose disconnected from the carb to see if fuel squirts out?

And the usual checks. Points and valve clearances.

Thanks John - I haven't checked with this new pump, I just got frustrated and decided to work from the back of the car forwards (the fuel guage wasn't working either, so I thought I'd eliminate two issues at once by dropping the tank).

Ah - bear in mind that I've only got a clip where the nylon meets the rubber pipe - not on the fuel sender itself. Without the clip the pipe join felt far too loose. The connection between pump and rubber pipe is very tight - I can't get it off the sender even with the tank off the car.

Ben,
which type of carb is this, twin choke or single?
Whichever one it is, the symptoms suggest that you've got an induction air leak.

If the carb bowl(s) are full and the fuel supply is disconnected by removing the fuel pipe from the carb and plugging it, the engine should continue to tick over for around 5 minutes...

ken

As usual, Ken's experience shows.

So it could be a cracked insulator between carb and manifold.

Ah - good point - I'll check that. Re-reading my post, it is symptomatic of an air leak.

It's single carb, and staying that way

quick update:

I dropped the tank and fitted a new sender after failing to repair the old one. To be fair, it was rusted up quite beautifully. Tank bank in, I bought the gasket set from ECAS and embarked on my first ever regasket job on a carb. That done, I put a new manifold to carb gasket in and poured a gallon of fuel in.

First couple of turns, nothing. One mouthful of petrol later, and turn engine over with pump to carb hose disconnected - lovely spurting of fuel.

Reconnect, couple more turns, pull out choke and up it fired. and stopped. Pushed choke back in and it's idling pretty well. Need to set the mixture, but the idle straight off is much lower than previously.

Thanks for all the tips! I can now get on with painting it!