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ea81 issues starting on incline


joe5
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I have an 1983 ea81 wagon. I daily drive it to work, but it has now broke down on me 2 different times at the same spot. Stuck in traffic up a steep hill and car dies when I let off clutch and won't restart. Both times I backed down hill to flat spot to get out of traffic and it still wont start for 3-5min and then eventually it will. I can hear that its trying to turn over but its almost as if its not getting fuel. I don't know to much about carbs, but is it possible that its getting flooded when I'm on a steep incline?

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Thanks for quick response. I'll have to pick up a pressure gauge later today. Where should I put it? Between fuel filter and motor? So your thinking that the fuel pump might be bad? What do you think about the part that it mostly happens on inclines?

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Put the gauge between any online filter and the carb.

This is to verify fuel pressure. 

If it turns out to drop too low when the problem occurs,  now you have a clue for troubleshooting.

Possible causes...  fuel pump, filter/s tank pickup, crud in the tank.

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More likely flooded than starved.

You dont need a gauge to determine which.Just look at the fuel level in the carb sight glass.

It should be in the middle,yours is probably too high.

It is a little hard to see.Might need a mirror.Helps to bounce the car.

Next time it quits,try to start w/the throttle on the floor.If it starts more quickly,plugs were flooded/fouled.

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I went by autozone, they didn't have any fuel filters and said they couldn't even order any :huh:. So i guess I gotta look elsewhere.

@DaveT I did loan out a fuel pressure gauge. See picture to make sure I did it right. Its connected between the indash fuel filter and the carb. With key in ON position, it increases from 0 to ~3-4 psi. Turning car on, it stays the same, whether idling or revved up high. I used a steep hill to try to recreate the problem and but was able to start up hill fine. Always tough to recreate an intermitent problem. But even over 4k RPM starting up hill psi stays at 3-4. Goes back down to zero when I cut motor off. I've attached some pictures to show how I had fuel guage set up, since I've not done it before to make sure I'm not doing it wrong. 3-4 psi seems pretty low to me.

@naru2 I couldn't see the carb sight glass, but I've not spent too much time messing with carbs so not sure exactly what to look for.

Picture1.jpg

Edited by joe5
include related figures
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Looks good, sounds normal for psi.  Carbs don't use high pressure. 

I remeber my older Subarus had a sight glass, but I no longer remember which side it was on.  Obviously,  the bowel side where the float is.  Should be close to the fuel line goes in.

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I am trying to recall where the jets are in the bottom of the fuel float bowl on these hitachi carbs. If they are rear ward of the chamber and you are facing uphill AND you have junk in the float bowl the fuel suck can draw the crap towards the jets and block them but not usually at idle. Sounds like a good offer from GD

 

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