New to Festivas, car wont hold idle.. yadda yadda

[GETTINGGROCERIES]

Hi all,

I just picked up an '88 Festiva L. Clean shell but it won't start. It turns over and if you spray starting fluid into it it will run for a bit then dies. It sat for a while and I am not the first person to try and get it going.

The fuel pump didn't seem to be pumping anything... It appears brand new. The spacer is in place. Ichecked the tank, It was empty. I put in a gallon or two but it still doesnt seem to want to pump. How long do these take to prime? I can't get my vaccuum pump to build any vaccuum on either the fuel line or return either. I'm dropping it now to check for leaks.

I took the carburetor in to get it looked at as well. They told me that whatever lets the fuel in for idling is completely blocked. I've worked on lots of cars, but they were all FI. I am new to carburetors.

I found a fellow on here that will rebuild for $150 and will probably take him up on that once I am positive I have fuel getting to it.

Initial questions;

1. Is there anything I am missing here? These cars seem simple but the vaccuum diagram looks like a bunch of snakes having an orgy in a bowl of spaghetti.

2. Is the top of the tank accessible from under the seat to remove lines/etc.? Everything is loose from below but it seems to be caught on something.

3. If I can't get this POS running, who wants to come buy it?

[WmWatt]

1. blocked fuel line? disconnect line into pump and blow. check filtre on lower fire wall.
2. lift carpet and unscrew inspection port to see inlet, check for clogged screen
3. put your location in your profile?

[kumalaba]

if its a pos why did you buy it? list your location so someone can come take that off your hands.

[Charlie1717]

Sounds like the car is totaled I'll take it off your hands

[eurotiva]

It could have a newer motor that doesn't have the lobe on the cam for the fuel pump.

Or you could just run an electric pump.

[sc72]

Tell us where you live there might be someone close that can help, by the way one of the best carb guys for a Festiva is on this site.

[GETTINGGROCERIES]

Okay, just looked more closely and got the tank out. I got the rear seat out of the way, didnt realize it all folded forward in one piece.

The tank is full of rust and crud, I'm going to take it in and get it hot tanked if no one has a better suggestion. I'd prefer to avoid too much contact with chemicals.

The fuel guage does not seem work, I dont think I've had enough fuel in it ever to register, but when I took out the sending unit (which was so bent up it wasnt making contact) I plugged it in and wiggled it back and forth... still no reading on guage with keys in. I set an ohm meter on the contacts and moving it back and forth did appear to give a reading that changed with how far I moved it, it does not seem to operate the guage however. What else is in this circuit that could be bad?

There is NO fuel filter... derp. Wonder why the carb is jacked? :/ Looks like it may be a while before I get it running.

[GETTINGGROCERIES]

It could have a newer motor that doesn't have the lobe on the cam for the fuel pump.

Or you could just run an electric pump.

Electric pump will be my backup plan, I believe it is contacting the lobe, it did spurt some brown shit out once or twice, but not a significant amount and it certainly wasnt flowing.

[GETTINGGROCERIES]

Thanks for the replies, BTW. I bought the car for around town to save on fuel... I kind of always wanted to have one of these as well, just for shits.

[DriverOne]

G-Groceries, if the car has been sitting for a long time and the inside of the tank looks like it has a burnt pie crust on it, you can save some money by using a gallon of carb cleaner and a crap-load of BB's or cheap nuts (not the kind you eat) and slosh it around a few times. Keep the seals on and stuff the hoses, but in a few days you'll have a good tank.

[GETTINGGROCERIES]

Awesome, so slosh it around then let it sit? What do you mean by in a few days? Should it sit on each side for a bit?

[GETTINGGROCERIES]

I cleaned it up a bit... the lines running inside of it (3mm or so steel line, assume its for emissions?) was so rusted it was flopping around, I reached in and it crumbled. Its gone.

Is this line a necessity? I'm half tempted to leave all the debris in it and just get a good filter. I really don't want to dump a bunch of money into this thing without at least making sure it will run okay...

[DriverOne]

Sounds to me like that was the fuel draw line... If that's the case, some steel braided rubber line over whatever's left to replace what was lost might do it. Yeah, slosh the cleaner around and shake it some. The residue on the bottom is the major concern. By a few days, I mean 3. Pour the cleaner in, add your BB's or whatever, and shake it up a bit. Let it soak. Day 2, same. Day 3, same. Check every day until you're satisfied. Shake as often as you want, but let the cleaner do it's job too. (Thanks, Kartracer46)

[Banana Bonanza]

If you just want to get it running to see how well it runs, just stick fuel line in 5 gallon gas can. I hit rock in my driveway that punctured my gas tank. Needed the car before I could deal with repairing tank, just stuck gas can in back and ran hose directly to it. Had to keep windows rolled down, but it did the job.

[GETTINGGROCERIES]

I found a new tank fo $130 shipped so I just bought it.