How are you determining that the pump on the engine is not pumping?  Did you disconnect the line from the pump to the carb and run a hose from the output side to a container and crank the engine to see if fuel was coming out? 

Or did you just find that there was no fuel at the carb?

Is there a filter between the pump and carb (there should be)?  Did you check that the filter isn't plugged?

The needle and seat must work properly in the carb or the pump is going to try and purge a bunch of air in the line from the pump to the carb, but be unable to do so.  If the needle is closed, even if there's no fuel in the bowl, likely you are not going to get fuel to pump, because the system is air bound. 
 

Sounds like the fuel pump eccentric has come loose.

Was gas can above fuel pump level?

I would try partially filling canister filter housing with gas and see if it will prime.

Last edited by Nos681 (10/06/2024 4:03 PM)

I can see the eccentric rotating and it does its eccentric thing. We took a video of it and it does not seem loose. I poked it with a screwdriver (when it was not moving) and it did not wobble. I will check again tomorrow. If it is loose, I will be removing the front of the engine next.

Cam retainer plate holds the cam in the block, not the eccentric’s bolt.

Thank you, gentlemen. I will know the answer in a week or so and will post the results.

moon4964 wrote:

I drilled a hole in the original pump and watched the arm move as the engine was cranked. All seems okay. The eccentric is not loose. My next question is: has anyone needed to prime a mechanical pump when first starting an engine that is being fed from a previously empty fuel line?

A good friend of mine has a T-Bird that sometimes sits for quite a long time. He ended up putting an inexpensive electric fuel pump in and will run it when he 1st starts it after one of those long sits. I am not sure how he has it plumbed to keep it from interfering with the mechanical pump's flow or if it even does once the engine is running, but it seems to work well on his all stock vehicle. But like the others said you might just spray some fuel in the carb to get yours running long enough for the mechanical pump to start pumping fuel.
 

Give it a couple stiff squirts of Brakleen (I love that stuff) and spin the mowder over........it'll far with the Brakleen !
It may take a couple times butt spin the motor over this way and it WILL pump up the fuel...unless the fuel pump is bad.
6sally6

I having a little trouble following all these posts, but have tried to run with the temporary gas can directly to the pump again to verify the line from the tank, or the filter in the tank, didn’t get clogged after the initial run?  If not, I sugget trying the gas can option again. 
If the car sat for some time, the tank could be rusty/dirty and only flaked off after the car was run. 
Just a thought.

Gentlemen.
I want to express my gratitude once again. I
filled the pump with fuel, poured gas into the line coming from the tank at the pump, and poured gas into the outlet tube from the pump. The engine started after the second application of gas into the carb. .The engine now starts with one touch of the key. I believe the pump and the fuel line needed to be primed. What an ordeal.
BTW. All your suggestions were tried.