clogged fuel line won't stay running

[Lorna c]

help stranded with limited tools .
OK I've cleaned the tank But my exit line keeps clogging up and won't let it run long . so far I've , used a can of break cleaner down the line . it clears up but while running will back up and stall the motor again . spent the last 4 hours playing clear not clear with this and still stuck in the same spot . it'll start when I've freshly cleared line , run until it puffs up with gas again , about a minute or three , then dies again . I blow into exit line to see fuel filter fill up again close it all up and do it again only to have it clog up again and round and round I go doing the same thing and getting same result . clogged exit line . blow into it feels like milkshake thick untimely it's clear again put hose on , and it'll fire up only to back up and die again . I'm out of ideas have a headache from fumes and very little sleep because I had to walk home at 3 am only to come back and have same thing happen . ergh what am I missing . always worked before . please help

[Linda]

Blow back on the line where it connects to the fuel filter. And your fuel filter could be clogged too.
Be sure there are no cracked hoses..
Linda

[Lorna c]

yep have . all clear and no cracks that I can tell new filters . I have two because of the way my tank was all dirty
.I'm thinking to go home and get wire hanger and try to clear it more maybe .. idk ..it's driving me crazy and it takes alot to do that . ergh I'll check lines again too . but idk every time I.tighten the exit line it's worse not venting at all . when I open it again I hear pressure release and fuel filters fill up then starts then dies again to have exit line all backed up again . blow into it clear it , and again ,and again and again
....

[Lorna c]

4pm . 7 hours on this now and still stuck . I don't get it . . it's only the exit line . why is it plugging up and why won't it stay cleared . I don't understand and have a very bad headache now . walking home again for a rest . this is rediculous really . utterly rediculous . I've been leaving on the exit line squeezing it instead of removing it to clear it .it works for a minute then all backed up again and shutting down . wow . if totally frustrated and still stuck

[Nissanman]

It may be that your fuel tank cap is not able to vent to the atmosphere.
The fuel system will gradually be unable to draw the fuel if there is no air replacing the fuel.
In any event, methinks it is time to drop the tank and give it a good clean out.

[notoptoy]

^Yes, my thoughts too, take the cap off or loose, so it vents freely, then try it to see if it does the same thing.

[Lorna c]

yes it does . even with it off . idk why it keeps slowing down / clogging up . I've put an entire can of carb cleaner down it too . and I'm leaving the line on for pressure to build up and squeeze the line to make it go down . get it to start only to do the same . was hoping to get it home being how I'm only a mile from home , but it won't stay running long enough to try . this is wired . and cleaning the tank , did a half ass job but pretty good none the less but does this exit line draw anything up at some point ? is there a way to shove something down it to clear it a bit , or better yet I never found the picture of this line on schematics to see if there's a low spot or something that might collect sediment ? or something to make sense of it all . does it go all the way back to the tank or meet inline somewhere ? this is crazy how stubborn it is still on staying freed up . wow my head hurts .

[Lorna c]

I will not cry over spilt gas ! but I want to . I really want to . I'm so frustrated now I could spit and cry ergh whaaat is doing this . my aunt just passed away and I'm really glad I didn't go down last night or I'd be on 101 somewhere stuck far away .

[Lorna c]

can you go to jail for shooting you own car .. boy I'm so over this fuel issue . nothing's coming from the tank anymore up to filters , but this is an issue now . I don't get it at all. I'm missing something . somewhere in missing something ... I'm trying to stay away for a minute to rethink this . went home to get aspirin and a coat. but need to get my baby home soon somehow . then shoot it . haha .ugh .

[redroadster]

My money is on the S bend in the line where the tank and line connect
The line is smaller than 1/4" to start now with the sharp S bend and a bit of calcium it is down to 1/16" - 1/8" and gives this problem ... sorry about your troubles
One easy test is to hook up a riding mower tank to see if it is up front or rear

[Linda]

When you blow back on the fuel filter hose you should hear gurgling in the tank. You can loosen the cap to hear better. Better to have a little pump, but if not notice if there is a lot of resistance = a clog. Though your filters are new a lot of debris can get loose after cleaning. I used the clear little VW filters then changed them frequently. I have never touched the exit line at all.
Also try tapping on the float bowl lids where the gas comes in. Your screens may be clogged. Your float needle valves might be stuck, though uncommon to have 2 stuck.
Sounds like a fuel issue but I would check points, cap, plug wires, coil just to be sure. Do you get a blue spark?
Not fun to be stranded, which is why I have AAA for towing.
Linda

[Lorna c]

Sounds like a fuel issue but I would check points, cap, plug wires, coil just to be sure. Do you get a blue spark?
Not fun to be stranded, which is why I have AAA for towing.
haha if the stupid thing wasnt "right there " I wouldn't have spent so much time on it . boy . then right when I have someone with me , to tow it home , it starts up and runs and stays running .though off n on rough, and one stall later I was home with it . now it's purring like a tiger again . moody lines . I'm finding this outgoing line following it and clean this out with a pipe brush ... wow it's been giving me issues along with the tank but the tank I cleaned. line seems to have some buildup aka "resistance" when I blow , clogged very few times . filters I went through over 30 now since July . haha . the last I just switched out weren't quite clogged but dirty . but as far as chunks , those r all gone . more like colors water or dust sometimes. but this outgoing has always gotten stuffed up . there's got to be a low spot somewhere where this junk can stay stuck or something . I'll find it now it's home . and yes Linda the spark was next . I wondered if there's a way to have way too much gas going through but , na not with mechanical pump . OK it's home now . whew . if I find anything interesting I'll post it here . thanks .

[Linda]

Yes, please do report back when you discover the mystery, it is a learning experience for everyone.
Glad you got it home

Linda

[Lorna c]

OK well as of this morning the line would puff up and I would assume back up to the carburetors drowning them out and stalling it or something . I say this because it was always doing that when it died . so it does give off a slew of symptoms that led me elsewhere in the past . but knowing the motor better now and have had this happen a thousand times over again ,it fist led me to electrical then timing then to the carbs ,all to not fix long term any of these issues because they were all coming from the lines not breathing properly . it even will give a yellow spark when going to electrical thinking it's that . . crazy . but anywho y'all saw the tank . haha gross and there's bound to be hangups in this line due to the fact of all the swirlies it does everywhere, it's ups and downs it goes all kinds of directions and it's probably pretty easy for something to get hung up in one of those curves if not all of them eventually so they're all clear now that's for sure .. I sent the leftover brake cable that I had used for the throttle control valve lever thing.. opened up all the connections which there was three of them. sent the cable through had to force it in several areas cuz it was very very snug if not blocked, to the opening of the other side . pulled it back n forth then tied a knot on one end of the cable and pulled it through . opening it up completely ! going from one connection to the other ending down at the tank and into the tank .... whoohoo it freed up it all . now this would drain just enough to get me around town ,park goes down some more, then build up as I get home it's not quite stalling yet but not always happy . longer freeway trips would almost always bring issues having me park , then it would depressurize a bit to start up and get me home ... now it wasn't until the 10000 time did I notice it was repeating certain symptoms that were fine ,like the carbs and electrical. knowing how to test them by now I see it's not my reading it wrong and trust the readings and move onto something else . well while bogging down it would somehow lower the spark to a yellow gold ya know so this was very confusing but it alllllll boiled down to these lines feeding it and breathing . which apparently very vital to this car as with us . lol . I guess I have low energy when I'm plugged up too.lol . OK well now I'm going to go venture and see if this all holds water . freeway trip. be back after dark with results . OK then . it's a good idea I think if your tank was cruddy to pull something through both these lines to be safe . it's worth the half hour spent on heartache and misguidance .. out till dark . ttyt

[Lorna c]

wow I just read that post and I'm confused . when I said " now this would drain just enough....." that's before I figured out and fixed all these lines today . not after I freed it up like it kind sounds like above in the ramble . OK I thinks that's the most confusing part . hope u understand the rest .