1988 Corolla, cranks, runs only with starter fluid.

[OceanRuns]

I am grateful for any help.
I have a 1988 Corolla FX that sat for 3 years, was running prior to that.
Carburetor, 4AC engine, automatic.

-Cranks. Will run for a few seconds with starter fluid.
-Added a few gallons of fresh gas.
-Fuel filter (in engine bay) looks full and the fuel looks ok from what I can see (the filter is semi-clear). I plan to replace it anyway.
-There is a mechanical fuel pump mounted to the engine block. I disconnected the hose going from the pump to the carb. I cranked and it looks like at least some fuel was coming out of the pump. It doesn't look like a lot, but I have no idea whether it should be a little trickle or more.

That's where I am with it right now. I was about to go buy a fuel pump, but am hesitating. Can a mechanical pump fail such that it pumps a little, but not enough to run the engine?

What would you check from here?

Thank you.

 

[Elkins45]

I assume since it's that old and has a mechanical fuel pump that it's carbureted, so the likely culprit is the carb. Old gas turned to varnish and clogged up the openings. This happens to lawn mowers and outboard motors all the time. You might be able to remove the carb and dunk it in a bucket of carb cleaner solution, or just take it apart and clean out all the orifices.

 

[nthach]

CA gas turns bad quickly and it will destroy carbs and mechanical fuel pumps the longer it sits. My bet is on the carb but it's a complicated Aisin/Aisan carb that's not for the meek to take apart and clean.

Aftermarket fuel pumps are cheap but you're not getting fuel into the engine. You have spark.

 

[redbone3]

Remove the fuel line from the carb and crank the engine (direct fuel into a container). If you get flow the carb is bad. If you get no flow the fuel pump is bad or the fuel line is clogged.

 

[kc8adu]

needle stuck.
see if you can find a bowl vent and spray carb cleaner in there.
fill up the bowl.
rap on the carb with a plastic hammer after it soaks a bit.

 

[Chris142]

If you remove the fuel line ,put it in a cup it should fill the cup up in about 20 seconds of cranking.

 

[andyd]

3 yrs sitting may have put the Kibosh on the 31 yr old fuel pump diaphragm.Just saying Priming a carb with gas was common. take off the air cleaner wedge the choke flap open with a screwdriver. pour a 1/2 cup of gas down the throat. Carb cleaner burns too quickly. Pour it fast and floor the pedal as you turn the key.

 

[OceanRuns]

Appreciate all the responses.

I'll get some fuel line and see exactly what the pump is or isn't doing. I'll also pull of the airbox and start checking the carb, getting a visual. Regardless of what happens, I am sure it could use a cleaning.

 

[OceanRuns]

Originally Posted by andyd
3 yrs sitting may have put the Kibosh on the 31 yr old fuel pump diaphragm.Just saying Priming a carb with gas was common. take off the air cleaner wedge the choke flap open with a screwdriver. pour a 1/2 cup of gas down the throat. Carb cleaner burns too quickly. Pour it fast and floor the pedal as you turn the key.


If I am doing this alone can I pour and then quickly go start/floor it? Or does this need to be a two-person deal?

 

[csandste]

Question makes me feel old. All the mechanics who really understood carbs are probably dead.

 

[Lubener]

If your mechanical pump failed, I would change the oil/filter too. A bad diaphram will send gas right into your crankcase.

 

[wag123]

To start with, you need to drain ALL of the old/bad gas out of the car and put FRESH gas in it before you start throwing parts at it. Old gas gets bad to the point where it will no-longer burn in the engine and the car won't run. If you add 3 gallons of fresh gas to 6 gallons of old/bad gas, you end up with 9 gallons of bad gas. After you replace/rebuild all of the fuel system components it wouldn't make any sense to immediately pump that old/bad gas into/through them.
Also, if the car is a CA emissions car, CA Toyotas with carburetors from that era had an electronic mixture control system in the carburetors. If the control solenoid on the carburetor fails, or it's associated electronics fail, the car won't run.