Dennis K., Max H. and Ty came over today to help with the second attempt to start our 327. We started the day very optimistic but we were soon disappointed. We believe we still have a fuel problem.
We looked at everything that had anything to do with fuel. In this short video Max is simulating manifold vacuum to push gas through the injectors, Ty is running the starter and coil wire, I am running a drill motor to turn the high pressure fuel pump, and Dennis is spraying starting fluid and running the throttle. It was pretty comical and we did laugh about it, but the engine did run for a few seconds. We all agreed it was lack of fuel.
We examined the fuel line from the primary fuel pump up to the fuel injection unit and it was dry. Max and Dennis removed the fuel lines and the primary fuel pump for further inspection. The pump was bench tested and it worked fine. Something else was wrong.
The culprit was a bent fuel pump push rod. You can see the bend when it's put against a straight edge. The push rod was wedged in the block which means it wasn't functioning. Fortunately Dennis had a spare one and now the pump works perfect. We tried a couple more attempts to start the motor but now we have too much fuel. We decided to give the battery and the starter a rest and try it again in a few days.
Ty and I spent the rest of the day installing the drive shaft and shift linkage. When we were finished we looked for something else to do and there was nothing. The rolling chassis is done! We couldn't believe it.