Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 22:51:57 -0400
Reply-To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fuel Tank R&R-Now Won't Start
In-Reply-To: <080520080224.12573.4897B9D100015DA30000311D2216557996C9C9CDCB020E03020100@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
The trick i use for putting the straps up without a helper is to either put
a floor jack under the tank....and then tighten them up, or.....just rest
the whole assembly on your chest. If it's empty (It sure better be!), it's
not that bad weight wise. Then you just get that thing up there and strap it
in.
It sounds like you might need to cycle it more. It could take a fair amount
of cranking to get it primed, and while 5 gallons sounds like plenty, i know
some cars and i believe vanagons as well will ABSOLUTELY NOT START if
drained, and then filled with less than a certain number of gallons to prime
the system. I have a volvo that's that way. You run it dry, and it's not
even worth trying to crank untill you add 3 or 4 gallons (Which doesn't make
sense when you only have a 1 gallon jug), but it's just the way it is.
You cold try a fuel pressure test in the engine compartment.....maybe it's
getting fuel and you flooded it somehow......or you've burnt out your
fuelpump.
OR.....just hear me out on this one because I did this once.....
If you had your fuelpump off, you may have it connected so that it's running
backwards. It won't help get fuel to the engine at all this way..... Check
your electricals, i doubt you actually reversed the pump, but if you had the
connections off, check that they're right. This would make you hear the
pump, and crank and crank but never to any avail. Sometimes the little
things are so hard to diagnose.
-Craig
'85GL Gutted
On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 10:24 PM, J Stewart <fonman4277@comcast.net> wrote:
> Finished up the fuel tank job today, dropped the tank and replaced the vent
> lines,grommets, etc. Jumped in the van, cycled the fuel pump a few times and
> it fired right up-ran for about 5 seconds then died. That was about 6:00 pm,
> hasn't started since. About every 10th time it just about starts, then just
> cranks <sigh> ran fine when I started this, not a particularly technical
> job, didn't expect this. I have about 5 gallons of fuel in the tank. I hear
> the fuel pump run. Have a battery charger on the battery now, because of
> course it has now run down. I truly love this van, but it's times like this
> I'm ready to buy another Chevy Van, of which I've owned several and driven
> into the ground and they never gave me any trouble. Sorry, just need to rant
> a bit. I have the week off from work, and the time alloted for this was one
> day, it's now been a day and a half (ok, many interruptions though) and I
> cannot dedicate the rest of the week to this. FWIW, anyone contemplating
> this job, it sure
> would be helpful to have a helper when re-installing the tank-it's no fun
> trying hold that tank up and put the straps back in place! Jeff
>
| 
