definitely get that tank out and and inspect it before you run it much more. You most likely have crap in the tank from old fuel sitting for so long.
I thought the same thing, but have since learned the filter is really just there to grab particles big enough to interfere with the needle valve. Like Royce said, it does absolutely nothing to filter out the sediment or varnish. I had a brand new filter, but when I poured out my carburetor bowl, it looked more like a chocolate malt than gasoline. My original tank was about as rusty as they can get.
Get yourself a copy of the shop manual for all the specs. It will come in very handy over the next few years.
You are begging for trouble everytime you start this. Open up the carb and see what you find before you start it again.
I agree 100% now. If I have time tonight, the carb will come off. I plan on draining the tank and calling around for disposal sometime in the near future.
I took the carb apart, and there was no sediment in it. I blasted all the passages with carb cleaner and blew them out and set them down to dry for a bit. The fuel was much more yellow than fresh gas.
I pulled the distributor cap off to look at the electrodes, and everything looks good. I found a cracked spark plug wire, so I’ll be getting new wires.
Besides draining and inspecting the tank, what should I be doing next? Should I rig up a gas can as a temporary tank to keep testing?
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Buy a new tank and fuel line. Replace the rubber sections with new ethanol safe hose. Replace both fuel filters. Thoroughly clean the fuel sender.
Getting the old tank boiled out costs a lot more than a new tank.
You’ll have to take a look inside tank to know how bad it is. It’s definitely not as bad as mine was if you don’t have a bunch of sediment in the carb. But that’s not saying much - lol!
Would be advisable to replace the fuel pump as well. They are not that expensive and its good insurance.
You may not need a new fuel hardline if its not that bad. you may be able to simply flush it and replace the rubber sections and be good to go. All depends on your particular situation but the point is to put eyes on everything to make sure.
I replaced all the steel and rubber fuel lines on my '68 after it had been parked for about 10 years. It was fairly cheap in terms of parts (maybe $115 plus tax/shipping) and it took about an hour of work with the left front wheel removed and the car up on jackstands. It felt worthwhile to me.
That’s what the carb looked like originally. It was nasty, especially the back bowl. It looked like salt and pepper in there. The current gas is about the color or apple juice. I even cranked the engine over a few times and checked the gas coming out. Thinking back now, I should have pulled the filter off to see what all would have actually come out
I was thinking a new pump would be a good idea, too.
That’s not too bad. I’ll get eyes on the line and see how bad it looks.
I emptied the glove box yesterday and found the cam info, along with registration and insurance cards from the mid 80’s through the early 90’s.
The new fuel tank and pump are ordered. I am getting the Summit brand tank, and a Carter fuel pump. I also got a couple different distributor seals to see which one fits. If it comes soon enough, I’ll toss them in next weekend.
Story time: My fiance is a personal care attendant for a 36 year old man with down syndrome. She’s been friends with the family for years, so he comes over to our place fairly often to do arts and crafts, gardening, and general time out of the house. On Monday when he came over, the cougar was outside. He saw it, and let out a big “OOOOOOHHH, COOL BLUE CAR!!” When it was time to leave, Ashelyn hopped in her Mariner, but her client pointed to it and said, “Car broken. We take that one,” and pointed to the cougar. She about died laughing. He did the same thing on Tuesday, but now he understands it doesn’t currently run. Today’s plan, since I’m off of work, is to push it out of the garage and let him sit in it and look at everything. Then, I’ll be on mouse nest duty. That cable-operated driver’s vent has a ton of crap in it. Once I figure out where to dispose of gas and how they want it, I’ll take care of that.
The new tank and pump are here. I had a buddy rock the steering wheel back and forth for me while I held each tie rod and ball joint. All were good except for the main drag link end. It was very sloppy, so I ordered a ‘new’ one from WCCC. That should be here next week.
I’ll be doing the tank, pump, and soft lines on Saturday. Any tips or tricks for any of this? I’ve never done a mechanical fuel pump before.
Put a little break in grease on the pump’s arm where it rubs on the eccentic. Just for start up. And a little sealer on the pump gaskets. Cam specs tell it to be a mild but healthy cam. Just right for a mild C-4 set up.
Ok, thank you. I will try to find that grease in town and get some RTV, if that is what you mean by sealer.
I would recommend to rotate the crank/cam so that the fuel pump eccentric puts no pressure on the fuel pump lever during pump install. 
They make gasket sealers that work better than RTV for holding gaskets in place and sealing them. You’ll also need some 3m strip caulk to seal the gas tank to the trunk floor - stays flexible and keeps water and dust from the road out of your trunk. You can also use it like the factory did on body nuts to seal them.
Be sure to use the correct special style o ring for the fuel sending unit. Also coat it in vasoline when you go to install it. If it is not coated it will likely move when you drive the retaining ring into place and that most likely will give you a gas leak.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95