Clogged Fuel rail or injectors?

Tiny
ETERNALARIANNE
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 BUICK ROADMASTER
  • 3.8L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 157,000 MILES
My neighbor got this car for $200 that had been sitting for around 5 years. He replaced the fuel pump and filter. It will turn over no problem, but will not run.

We confirmed we are getting good fuel pressure to the rail, and the injectors are getting power as well. My neighbor beat on the fuel rail with a rubber mallet while I turned the key and the engine started and ran a bit rough for a while until it evened out and idled fine. But as soon as you press the throttle it boggs down and dies. It won't start again without beating on the fuel rail with the rubber mallet.

I'm thinking either the fuel rail or injectors are clogged and banging on it loosens the gunk? What's the best way to clean the fuel system or should we just let it idle for a while and slowly pump the throttle a bit to loosen it up? Fuel treatments maybe?
Sunday, September 8th, 2024 AT 2:09 PM

8 Replies

Tiny
ETERNALARIANNE
  • MEMBER
  • 189 POSTS
Small update: neighbor put some fuel treatment in the tank and let it run idle for a good hour (after cranking by banging on the fuel rail). It idles and revs fine. He took it for a test drive, and it drove fine until he got on a hill, and it shut off. He thinks it's cuz it was low on gas and being on a hill it couldn't pump the fuel, but he managed to get it home and once back on level surface it fired right up. He's going to put some high-octane gas in it tomorrow and run it.

Anything else we should do to make sure it's got a clean fuel system after sitting for so long?
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Sunday, September 8th, 2024 AT 4:02 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,452 POSTS
5 years is probably alcohol added fuel, as such it likely absorbed water from the air as well as the additives in the fuel leaving deposits in the system. That car uses a return style fuel system so I would suggest disconnecting the return line from the rail and run a hose from that into a gas can or two and go to the electrical center under the hood, find the red wire that is taped in the harness and is the pump prime feed. Hook that to battery positive and pump out a quart or two into a glass jar. Now let it set on the counter and see what settles out, water will settle to the bottom. If you want to do the full test you use a metric graduated cylinder Usually 50 ml. Now you put in 10 ml of the gas and 2 ml of clean water. Shake that up and then let it set for 15 minutes. Now look at where the water separates from the fuel. You added 2 ml. So if that is where it still is, you have no ethanol and no extra water. Now say you have instead a separation line at 4ml. Well you know you added 2, so you subtract 2 and then multiple what's left by 10 and get the percentage of alcohol/water in the fuel. So 20% if the normal fuels are 10% you know you have a real problem. At that point I would pump out as much as possible, then replace the inline filter and then add some clean new fuel and some B12 Chemtool. Then let it run. That should the crud out of the system. From there it's just the regular things like looking over the wiring for rodent damage and cleaning the electrical system connections.
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Sunday, September 8th, 2024 AT 5:11 PM
Tiny
ETERNALARIANNE
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  • 189 POSTS
Oh, I didn't think of disconnecting the return and letting it pump through! I'll let him know, thanks Steve.
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Sunday, September 8th, 2024 AT 5:15 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,452 POSTS
You're welcome. Let us know how it turns out.
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Sunday, September 8th, 2024 AT 10:49 PM
Tiny
ETERNALARIANNE
  • MEMBER
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Okay, we did as you suggested and hotwired the pump with a hose on the return. Pumped out a gallon of gas into an old pickle jar. Fuel looks mostly good but lots of flecks of rust in the bottom of the jar. Also replaced the fuel filter (again) and found a chunk of rubber in it, maybe from the old pump that was all rusted and deteriorated.

We added more fuel additive and fresh gas and it's out there running now. Hopefully it's all cleaned out now!
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Monday, September 9th, 2024 AT 3:14 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
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Good to hear. Yeah rust is an issue that is worse with ethanol as it acts like a cleaning solvent and removes pretty much any film that the gas itself might leave behind so the steel rusts faster.
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Monday, September 9th, 2024 AT 7:29 PM
Tiny
ETERNALARIANNE
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Small update, when taking it for a test drive it kept stalling on hills. Replaced the fuel regulator and it runs and drives like a champ now! Thanks
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Monday, September 16th, 2024 AT 11:19 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,452 POSTS
Great news. The Roadmaster was a good car for it's time, the 3.8 is one of the better GM engines as well.
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Wednesday, September 18th, 2024 AT 2:06 AM

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