Trouble starting after replacing fuel line

[sixty4k]

Hey there. i have an '84 D150 with the 318 that i picked up for cheap to run errands to the dump/home improvement places etc. It ran fine, turned over on the first try and ran great once she warmed up a little. About a month ago as i was running errands i noticed that it was leaking fuel so i garaged it and just got around to repairing the fuel line this weekend. Long story short, the gas line was more rust than steel and after replacing about a 4' section it appears i've managed to stop the leak. As i had one anyway i replaced the fuel filter at the same time.
Now I can't seem to get it to start. If i dribble a little gas in the carb, it'll catch but obviously won't keep running so i know there's good spark, I'm just not getting fuel to the carb. I checked the pump by hooking up a length of hose to the output and cranking it a bit and the pump appears to be working fine and the bottom hose of the fuel filter is wet with gas when i pop it off but the output at the top never gets wet so it seems like gas is never getting past the filter. The filter is brand new and there doesn't appear to be any obstruction in it, i can blow through it with no major resistance.

Any thoughts? do i need to somehow prime the carb or purge the air from the fuel line somewhere? pumping the gas pedal doesn't seem to prime the carb as it should but i'm guessing that sitting for a month has let the whole thing dry out completely. Could the fuel pump just be toast after sitting dry for a month?

Thanks in advance!

[mrhite65]

I'm not trying to insult you but, is the fuel filter in the right direction? There should be an arrow pointing flow to-wards carb. If that isn't the problem, I would go ahead and try another fuel filter before I did anything else. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe the fuel pump is weak.

[sixty4k]

No insult taken and i appreciate the reply. The fuel filter doesn't appear to be marked with a directional arrow that i can see, but i installed it in the same orientation as the one that i replaced (return nipple at the top) i'll go double check though.
Does anyone know what the output pressure of the pump should be? I don't have a shop manual and if the haynes lists a pressure spec i must have missed it.

Thanks again.

[mrhite65]

All I found was at idle pressure should be 5.0-7.0psi or fuel pump should pump out 1 quart in 1 minute or less at 500rpm.

[Speed Dragon]

Run a hose from the intake nipple of the pump to a gallon jug of fuel. Undo the hose at the carb inlet and spin the engine over. If it doesn't pump fuel out within 30 turn-overs of the engine, more'n likely you have a bad pump.

[needa440please]

Check out the tank - If you can't make bubbles when you blow back into the line, the sending unit has a crack/hole in one of the lines.

You said the truck was dirt cheap right? Probly came with a bit of dirt on top of the gas tank..... Like mine did - about an inch of it. Which didn't help the steel fuel lines. :(

I should have known when my filler neck leaked, when I first got the truck, that I was going to have fuel delivery problems..... My bad.

If you're lucky enough to have a reputable rad shop close by, ask them how much to repair your old one.

You'll be glad you did. <------ Just my two cents... :)

[sixty4k]

Woo Hoo! she runs! after looking at the cost of a fuel pressure test kit (@$40) and seeing the fuel pump was only $15 i decided to just replace the pump. wow that was ridiculously easy. After a quick battery charge, it turned over in just a couple of seconds of cranking. Of course, this being the proverbial $500 pickup, the return line decided it could no longer be of any service and promptly split wide open spraying gas all over the glasspack that was substituted for a muffler :) time to go get some 1/4" hard line...

Thanks for the help everybody!