I was running the 61 FI car last week and noticed it would not idle properly. I gave it some throttle and it seemed OK but still would not idle. Then it just quit and I was unable to start it. I immediately began to blame the FI unit which I have been told many times not to do. I went for the obvious things like gas fouled spark plugs, coil, ignition spark etc., and found they were OK. Checked the gas gauge and it was on "E" so I added 5 gallons of gas and tried to start it several times to no avail. Then began to seek help from those knowledgeable w/ FI units. Nothing obvious there, so the solution seemed to to be removal and sending the unit to an expert. As a last resort I checked the fuel filter and noticed it was not full and thought the fuel pump may have quit. Upon investigation the pump seemed to be OK but still no fuel to the pump.
My past experiences w/ C1 cars was they self primed when I ran out of gas so I had never given it a thought. I split the incoming line at the tank side of the pump and put the vacuum pump on it to achieve a siphon condition and then quickly connected the lines when the line from the tank was flowing, thus assuring me I had gas to the pump. Turned the key and it started perfectly.
The obvious lesson here is not all C1 cars prime themselves when they run out of gas and don't blame the Fuel Injection unit or Carburetor(s) for every problem.
My past experiences w/ C1 cars was they self primed when I ran out of gas so I had never given it a thought. I split the incoming line at the tank side of the pump and put the vacuum pump on it to achieve a siphon condition and then quickly connected the lines when the line from the tank was flowing, thus assuring me I had gas to the pump. Turned the key and it started perfectly.
The obvious lesson here is not all C1 cars prime themselves when they run out of gas and don't blame the Fuel Injection unit or Carburetor(s) for every problem.