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Many Thanks! -- Dumb Present Owner Buys Gas

To: spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Many Thanks! -- Dumb Present Owner Buys Gas
From: Philip Hubbard <hubbard@idir.net>
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 16:35:29 -0600
Thanks a million time over to everyone who contributed such timely advice
on getting my "fuel pump" problem resolved.  Bottom line is that Arioch is
back safe and sound in the garage.  He needed gasoline.  Duh!  Details of
my "fuelishness" to follow for those wishing a nice laugh.  :)

Armed with the list's advice I returned to pick up my car, figuring no new
fuel pump was needed.  The weather is cold and it is sleeting some so I was
hoping not to be outside working on this too long.  Opened the gas cap and
tried to start the car.  No go.  Not even starting.  Confirm no leaks in
fuel lines.  Unplug the inline fuel filter to start checking for clogs.  No
problem here.  Left it off and briefly turned on ignition to see how much
fuel coming out...almost nothing.  Just a bit of a fine misty spitting.

Ok, no fuel to carbs, no fuel to engine, no starting.  Why?  I start to
jack up the car to get underneath to look at fuel pump and rap on it if
necessary.  My fiancee Sonya, who once again is confirmed as 1,000 times
smarter than I, pushes for filling up with gas before doing anything else
drastic.

7 gallon tank takes ..... 7 gallons to fill.  Aha!  Arioch was bone dry.
Turn the ignition, long pump up to get intial fuel to the carbs, then
settles down to normal sounds and car starts up no problemo.

Unsuccessful attempt to explain away my brain dead jumping the gun to fuel
pump problems to follow:

My guage said 1/4 full.  I had just gotten $5.00 worth of gas from the
mechanic with the new tank and had only gone 100 miles.  So...can't be out
of gas (gas around here is as cheap as 75 cents/gallon so I should have
gotten enough to go further than 100 miles).  Of course, the mechanic
probably didn't get 75 cent gas and probably charged a slight mark up on
top so ....yep, out of gas at 100 miles.

In my feeble defense, I did think of that last night lieing in bed, but
then "wisely" dismissed it because of the guage and bad math above.  Wonder
if my gas guage is off because of the sending unit in the new tank or
because it goes haywire when run down to bone dry.  I will monitor using my
odometer for a while to check this out.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back home.  Did a couple of crucial errands and by
the time I got home the roads here in KC are getting slicker than a greased
pig.  Arioch and I are staying home for a while.

Again, THANKS so very much for again coming to my aid with great advice.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Philip
1974 Damask Midget - Arioch, Lord of Chaos

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