[DeTomaso] Down again?

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

I agree- it surely sounds like a fuel-delivery problem. Several suggestions: 
If its a '71-72-1/2 Pantera with the fuel tank having a top-rear-corner 
fuel-out line from a banjo fitting, it may well be plugging of the infamous fuel 
filter-sock on the tank bottom. This is caused by simple old age. On these early 
cars, the sock is not service-able. The easy fix- with great care- is to 
remove engine cover screen & left corner, then undo the banjo fitting from the top 
of the tank, remove the gas filler cap, and with an air line from a 
compressor, carefully blow in thru the outlet until you hear lots of bubbling in the 
tank. WArning: too much pressure will balloon the tank and cause leaks or even a 
rupture. And if the tank is full and someone's standing in line with the gas 
filler pipe, they may get a toxic shower!
The idea is to tear open the varnish-clogged fabric sock. By removing the the 
engine screen & left cover, then the left rear window (it slides out as an 
assembly on its gasket), the gas tank sender can be unscrewed and worked out the 
window opening. This allows easy access to the sock. You can actually see the 
dark brown sock on the end of the fuel-out pipe. Using a flashlight, you can 
peer inside the tank and maybe fish the sock out with a pair of long poles, 
chop-stick-wise- before it clogs things up thoroughly. Be careful of sparks!
Holley carbs do have a sintered bronze fuel filter behind the carb inlet nut; 
Edelbrock/Carter carbs have a tiny paper filter in the same area. If you find 
one, throw it away. They plug rapidly. 

Finally, the fuel pump itself sometimes fails, as does the steel pump 
eccentric on the cam nose. There's a retaining bolt in the cam nose that sometimes 
loosens, allowing the eccentric to spin. And on some replacement fuel pumps, the 
pivot pin shears its staking. If this happens, you can tap the pivot pin back 
in place and re-stake the pump body, but be prepared for this to happen again 
and again. Its time for a new pump if the pin ever moves! Good luck- J Deryke



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