[DeTomaso] 73 pantera Vapor Lock?

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

Boyd,

Having been there, done that numerous times, the culprit proved to be debris 
in the fuel tank.   I put the same fuel filter in my car that you have, but it 
does no good if the debris clogs the line upstream of the filter.

The single greatest obstruction to fuel flow is the banjo fitting at the top 
of the tank, where the fuel line connects.   That sucker has a *tiny* hole, 
and the slightest bit of crud will stop it up, but good.   The best fuel filter 
in the world does no good if there's no fuel flowing into it. :<(

I used a spare electric fuel pump, a short length of straight metal tubing 
(clutch line tubing, I guess), a fuel filter and some fuel hose, to make a 'pool 
sweep' apparatus, which worked wonderfully.   I used the aluminum tube like a 
wand at the end of the hose, and moved it all around the inside of the tank 
after removing the fuel sender; I routed the suck-o-matic through that hole in 
the tank.   Fuel went through that hose, then into a filter, the into the 
inlet of the electric fuel pump.   Another hose coming out of the fuel pump then 
went back into the fuel tank.   In this fashion, I would circulate fuel through 
the system, sucking up bits of crud which would be trapped by the filter.

I managed to get a substantial amount of crud and metal shavings, before 
discovering that I had a 1x2 foot piece of bedspread (!) sitting on the bottom of 
my tank, which had been slowly dissolving and clogging my fuel system for two 
years (!)

Mike


**************
Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and 
favorite sites in one place.  Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&
icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000010)