3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

I have a 2010 Stingray with a 3.0L Volvo non fuel injected. Its has the Demon carb.

At the end of last season i went to winterize it and cranked it to start adding the antifreeze to cooling system and could not get it to fire. I used starter fluid and could get it to turn over so I figured maybe it was the fuel filter and i was planning on changing that anyways before this season so i just didn't stress it.

Did all my routine maintanence yesterday (gear oil, engine oil, impeller, FUEL FILTER, and plugs) and still wont fire. I dont see any gas in the lines and i pulled the fuel filter out after i cranked it for a minute and it was bone dry. Is it possible my mechanical fuel pump is bad after only 2 seasons? I've probably got 200 hrs on it but i figured it would last longer than that.

Please help, I really dont want to pay 120 bucks an hour to have a shop trouble shoot this thing when i can replace the entire fuel system for 500.

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Ayuh,.... Hook up a remote tank, 'n see if it'll pump fuel....

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Which fuel filter did you check? There is one in the fuel pump, and one in the carb.

I used starter fluid and could get it to turn over

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The starter turns the engine over. You couldn't get it to start/run, correct?

Do you have spark? All the gas in the world won't burn without spark. And don't use starter fluid.

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

I checked the filter on the bottom of the pump, the one in the little cup that goes under the pump. Didn't know there was one in the carb, its not in my owners manual. I do have spark and yes itll turn all day but pumping the accelerator moves all the right parts on the carb but no gas sprays. Last season i could get it started using starter fluid and manually turn the accelerator valve butterfly spraying gas from that jet to keep it running for a minute, didn't try that this time around just because i figured it was pointless......

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Does the dry fuel filter pretty much narrow it down to either the fuel pump or an obstruction in the tank?

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Hard to believe a pump would go bad after 2 years. Could be an obstruction in the tank. Just to make sure we have ALL the bases covered here, , , you do have enough fuel in the tank right? Boat is level for the most part? Trust me, I've done it myself in the past. I've had 5 gallons or so in the tank, moved the boat out to the driveway which has a bit of a slope, she fired up and ran for a few minutes then died. One of course thinks the worst right away, but all I had to do was raise the front of the boat another few inches to get fuel which moved to the front of the tank back to the fuel pick up, probably somewhere in the middle of the tank and poof, she ran like a champ! Just throwing that out there.

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

I was pretty low on gas so i put 5 gallons in and raised the front up so the gas went rear to the pickup and it was even reading like a quarter of a tank on the gage. I had the same thought and i really would have felt like an idiot if that was the case, but i'm fairly certain theres enough gas. I'm going to put another 10 gallons in tonight just to make sure.

Man i hope youre right and i'm just an idiot...... i've priced the pumps and theyre not too bad but still something i dont really want to put money towards.

What possible obstructions could theyre be in the tank? i've heard of older boats getting stuff build up in them but not newer ones.

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

tgell001 said:

I was pretty low on gas so i put 5 gallons in and raised the front up so the gas went rear to the pickup and it was even reading like a quarter of a tank on the gage. I had the same thought and i really would have felt like an idiot if that was the case, but i'm fairly certain theres enough gas. I'm going to put another 10 gallons in tonight just to make sure.

Man i hope youre right and i'm just an idiot...... i've priced the pumps and theyre not too bad but still something i dont really want to put money towards.

What possible obstructions could theyre be in the tank? i've heard of older boats getting stuff build up in them but not newer ones.

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The pick-up tube, or the anti-siphon valve could be plugged with crud...

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

It would be helpful if you could blow back into the tank via the fuel line that goes to your pump but, I'm not certain here, but I think the anti siphon valve would prevent you from blowing back into the tank.
The other thing you could do is to somehow pull a vacuum on the fuel feed line that goes to your pump. That would accomplish a couple things, A) if your pulling a few inches of vacuum say 5-10 inches and you can maintain the 5-10 inches of vacuum (per vacuum gage) and nothing comes out, you know you have an obstruction. B) If your trying to pull vacuum but cannot get a reading on the gage, gage stays at 0, you know you either have a broken or cracked pick up tube, or you have a crack in the line somplace between the pump and the tank or you still don't have enough gas cuz your neighbor came over when you werent looking and sucked it all out.
Try fabricating another line that connects to your fuel pump and the other end goes into a 6 gallon gas can. If the pump pumps fuel and the engine starts off of the 6 gallon can then you know your pump is good and you have a problem in the tank.

By the way, you can purchas hand vacuum pumps at probably any auto parts store.

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Yeah i was going to get 2 5gallon cans filled today, put one it and cross my fingers. Then use the other 5 gallon to put the feed line to the fuel pump it and see if i can start it.

This may be a stupid question but i am a fuel injection kid.... i know the mechanical pump only runs a few psi is it possible that it isn't "dry prime" and needs the help of the vaccum from the venturi but can't overcome the compression of the air vs gas like i did run it out of gas at the end of last season and it just wont prime?

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

tgell001 said:

Yeah i was going to get 2 5gallon cans filled today, put one it and cross my fingers. Then use the other 5 gallon to put the feed line to the fuel pump it and see if i can start it.

This may be a stupid question but i am a fuel injection kid.... i know the mechanical pump only runs a few psi is it possible that it isn't "dry prime" and needs the help of the vaccum from the venturi but can't overcome the compression of the air vs gas like i did run it out of gas at the end of last season and it just wont prime?

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Ayuh,... A mechanical pump will pump fuel if it's available...

Have you been pumpin' the throttle when yer tryin' to start it,..??

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Ok so part of me is glad i'm not just stupid and had no gas. Put 10 gallons in just to be sure haha.

So i disconnected the fuel line from the carb and put it into a mason jar and cranked it for about 45 seconds and no gas. Grabbed it in my hand and put my thumb over it and can feel pressure pulsing in the hose. What research ive done about the cam driven pumps is that is normal for it to cycle between 0 and 2-4 psi. So wtf? I attempted to pull the fuel line off the feed from the tank to put it in a gas can to see what happens but can't get it off to save my life! for another day i guess.

So this leads me to believe my pickup is clogged...... what the hell do i do now? how do i go to the pick up to clean it out? theres a swivel connection at the top of the tank and it doesn't unthread or anything.

Super frustrated if you can't tell

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Have you actually hooked up a remote tank (an outboard tank) directly to the fuel pump and tied cranking the engine to see if it will pump fuel into your jar?

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

No, like i said i tried for like 30 mins to get the hose off the anti siphon valve. I loosened the metal tie, then pulled, then pried with a flat head and still didn't budge. I got frustrated and gave up for the evening, I'll try again tomorrow....

But, if the pump is putting out positive pressure and the brand new fuel filter is still dry, doesn't the problem have to be up stream from the fuel pump?

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

I don't know if I'd be so concerned about pressure so much as the volume of fuel that the pump puts out. I know that's kind of here nor there right now cuz you can't get any fuel to the pump. Back in the day a simple test of the fuel pump was to get a pop bottle, crank the engine for 30 seconds and the pop bottle should full or just short of it.
The fuel pump is a diaphragm type pump and like Bond-O said, it will pump fuel if it's there. On a side note, that's why you have the clear or yellow hose that goes from your pump up to the carb. If the diaphragm ruptures the raw fuel will go up the clear/yellow hose to the carb and get burned, so you don't have a boat fire. On vehicles they just left that hole open and fuel leaked out if the diaphragm ruptured.
Another question - Do you know for sure that the "lever" on the fuel pump you installed is actually engaging the cam in the engine? If memory serves, when you pull off the full pump there is a solid steel "rod" for lack of better expression that actually runs off the cam and pushes on the fuel pump lever. If that "rod" fell out or is not pushing against the fuel pump, , no pump action.
The other thing I suppose that could be possible too is that the point on the pump at which lever pivots to push against the diaphragm, , , if that pivot point is really sloppy the lever will not actuate enough to pump fuel.

As far as your pick up tube, I think your tank should have some sort of an access on the top of it, or where the fuel sender goes through the top of the tank. Open the access, or pull the fuel sender and I think you should be able to access the pick up tube, , , I think.
Initially I think you really need to get the fuel pick up off of the pump and try getting fuel from a remote tank.

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

No, like i said i tried for like 30 mins to get the hose off the anti siphon valve.

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Ayuh,.... Without a hose pick, ya ain't gonna either,.... maybe not even With a pick...
Cut the hose off, you'll loose an inch or so...
If it's already to short, replace the Whole thing, tank to filter/ pump...

Pull the tank hose off the Fuel Pump, 'n hook up another supply...
It can be as Simple( 'n/ or dangerous) as a gallon/ quart/ whatever can/ bottle/ whatever, 'n 'bout a couple feet of 3/8" gas line....
This ain't Rocket Science,.. get Creative...

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

OK, I got busy the end of last week and didn't get a chance to get back into it until today. So i found out two things.....

1. I cut the hose between the fuel pump and the tank. With my mouth, i could pull fuel into the line so theres no obstruction. Then i blew into the line to the pump and could here hissing. I felt around with my hand and felt it was leaking around the gasket where the filter is. I tightened that and got it to stop leaking. connected the fuel line back up, cranked the engine for a decent amount of time. Nothing. Pulled the line back off the tank and gas came out so i know the pump is pulling fuel off the tank. pulled the filter out and it was full of gas. Put it back in a pressure tested it again and i was good.

2. I can manually turn the accelerator valve lever and get gas to spray in and i'm 90% sure i pushed that until it wouldn't spray any more when i put it up for the season to get all the gas out of the carb. But even doing this i can't get it to start. The yellow line is empty but seems like what i read above is the metal pipe is the one that the fuel conventionally travels thru.

WHAT NOW? is it the carb? I'm pumping the throttle while i'm cranking. Or is it possible a new problem come up and there were two contributing factors to it not starting.

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

Did you actually check to see if you had spark, or just assume it did?

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

I guess i'm just assuming i do. When cranking yesterday i got one little combustion but not enough to get it to start. Guess i should get one of those things that plugs into the spark plug wire to make sure i'm getting spark before i start jumping to any more conclusions. A guy at work also told me to take the bowl off the carb to make sure nothing is up with that...... may be a waste of time for me because i dont know what i'm looking for......

Re: 3.0L Wont start! No fuel to carb

In one of your previous replies you said no gas sprays out from the squirter nozzles when working the throttle lever, but now after all the work you did that the carb sprays gas now?

Seems like that means the fuel pump is working, and maybe the new plugs are wet-fouled now.

If the carb sprays gas now I would no take the fuel bowl off, I would take the plugs back out and look them over to see if they are too wet with gas now (wet-fouled) to fire. Take this opportunity to re-check the firing order.

After that I would check for spark, again all this only of the carb is spraying a nice stream from the squirters now.