I'm having trouble getting gasoline to the fuel pump on the side of the B18 engine on a '67 144.
The fuel tank has been restored and coated inside by a gas-tank restoration place. Cost me $275. I replaced the steel fuel with a new cu/nickel that goes the length of the car practically. It wasn't the easiest job to bend that to match the old rusted steel line though.
I put in about 4 gallons of gas in the tank and used my shop vac to draw the gas up from the tank just before the fuel pump.
I'm not getting any gas into the shop vac even using the crack and crevice tool for best seal. Maybe some gas fumes...that's it.
Is there a pick-up tube inside that gas tank ? It seems where the new cu/nickel line attaches on the outside of the tank is pretty high up which leads me to believe that there is a pick tube inside missing ? Do I need more gas to fill the reserve area inside the tank ??

WOW - WOW - WOW !!!!!

Are you lucky!

The vacuum cleaner should have caught on fire or exploded!

Our fire department mechanic did a favor for our Elderly Drop in Center when someone dumped sugar in the fuel filler of their small bus.

The driver knew something was up when the gas cap was on the windshield wiper - He did not try yo start the bus, saw the sugar in the fill pipe, and asked for our help.

Our mechanic tried to vacuum the sugar out - no explosion, but a really great fire. A nice commercial vacuum was destroyed.

I just went through something like this about a month ago with a customer's 1971 Volvo 142E has the factory D-jet fuel injection.

The car sat for most of 12 years and the tank was rusty inside and needed to be cleaned and coated. The radiator shop didn't inspect the pickup tube which should be standard operating procedure as it's not hard to do while the tank is being prepped for coating.

I found the problem while trying to install a new in-tank fuel filter that is original to gas tanks for fuel injected 140s. The pickup tube actually broke off and it came out with the filter.
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

If I empty the gas tank completely and then remove that elbow on the back of the tank where the long steel attaches..... I wonder what I'll find on the other side of that elbow ?? I don't have a camera scope to look in the gas tank through the fuel gauge opening to see what the pick-up tube might look like.

Also, I wonder if I could make a pick up tube ? These are all UN-chartered territory for most of us.

Following up on Chris Mullet's suggestion, did you try blowing air into the tank through the pick up tube point? If the repair shop was sloppy, they may have got tank sealer into the pick up tube. If that happened I suspect you are semi screwed! I cleaned and sealed the tank on my 1971 142 E. As the sealer was setting up I was regularly blowing compressed air through all the fittings on the tank to keep them clear. Once the sealer has set up it is rock hard and exceedingly difficult to remove.

Whether the pick up tube has been plugged up or the end is rusted off or it has holes in it I think your only option is remove and repair. It has been 15 years since I worked on my tank; but, my recollection is that the pick up tube fits into a round fitting on the side of the tank. Pick up tube on the inside of the fitting and a threaded port to accept a tube fitting for the gas line on the outside. My recollection is that circular fitting is soldered to the side of the tank. If I am correct, you should be able to unsolder the fitting allowing extraction of the pick up tube. You could then remove the pick up tube from the fitting, fabricate and attach a new pick up tube to the fitting (likely have to swedge it) and then solder everything back in place.

I would be inclined to go back to repair shop first to see if they are prepared to fix the problem.

I completely emptied the 144's gas tank and then removed it from the car.
I found out that the pick up tube was all dilapidated upon inspection.
It is already sent back to Gas tank Renu company for a n/c fix.
Duck

I took the whole gas tank out today after emptying the Volvo 140 tank. Then removed the fuel gauge to look inside the tank when it was on the work bench. Now that I could barely see inside that tank ...I saw a dilapidated pick up tube inside.
Surprise , Surprise, Surprise !
Isn't the gas tank restoring company that I paid $300 to redo this tank suppose to inspect the inside and at least advise you this situation or replace it ? Now what do I do ??

I think they should've checked it out before coating and I hope they're willing to fix it for little or no charge.

In our case, the radiator shop did replace the pick up tube and re-coated it for free, but we do regular business with them for our radiator, heater core and gas tank repairs.







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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Never use an electric powered vacuum to suck gas/fumes. The possibility of gas fumes having an explosive meeting with the sparks inside the electric motor is just too risky.

Another option is to connect a length of clear plastic tubing to the end of the fuel line. Loosen the gas cap. First BLOW on the clear tube and listen for bubbling in the gas tank. 4 gallons should be enough to submerge the pickup. If you, or your assistant, don’t hear bubbling in the tank then you likely have an issue (leak) with the pickup tube.

If you DO hear bubbling then carefully start sucking on the clear tube. Make sure the end of the tube that you are sucking on is well elevated above the rest of the fuel system. You should be able to suck fuel part way up into the clear tube and stop before it gets in your mouth.