Hi all, I'm a little stuck on getting my 1972 XJ6 to start. I'm bringing this car to life- it last ran about two and a half years ago, and had an engine rebuild 14 years and 60 miles ago, barely driven since.

The car cranks just fine. Battery voltage reads about 12 volts in accessory mode. Carbs are newly rebuilt, distributor cap and rotor are new, spark plugs and wires are new. I changed the oil, and there's new gas. All the fuses are new, and so far, the horn and the fuel pumps are the only things that don't work.

The fuel pumps aren't working, both are brand new. The left pump gets power, if the changeover switch on the dash is pointing towards the right pump, but doesn't activate. Left tank will read as full, despite having only a gallon of gas in it, if the switch is on the right tank. The right pump doesn't get power and right tank doesn't read on the fuel gauge, no matter where the changeover switch is. Switch might have been replaced in the past, but it looks to be plugged in correctly.

When cranking, I get no oil pressure. Oil light on the dash stays on, oil pressure gauge doesn't move. I'm wondering if the sender doesn't work.

Any ideas?

 

So did you put the 60 miles on the car since the rebuild? Meaning you would be the only one who has changed any wiring since you've owned and had been driving it? Sounds like mis-wiring either at the pumps or the switch. Had you change out the pumps or the switch since last driving it? Or maybe just had the wiring disconnected near the pumps, as in the ground connection back there?

 

I wasn't the one who did the rebuild- I bought the car 18 months ago, non-running due to fuel leaks. I got the service records and that's how I found out about the engine rebuild.

I'm wondering whether the switch had been changed in the past and is now bad. Wiring to pumps is all technically correct, but the right pump doesn't get power no matter what.

 

Ok, that helps, so you haven't had the car running...and the left pump gets power (and the left sender) if the switch is in the "right" position so it seems somehow the switch may be mis-wired. Do you have a factory service manual? At least the correct wiring diagrams for this car? Also, a loose or non-existent ground that ties several components together can make things act really weird. There is one in the back under a bolt near the fuel pumps, and several ground junctions in the dash that might be seen without too much trouble. But best start with a real roadmap ...factory diagram and verify connections, and check voltages, it's gonna end up being pretty simple I think.
Could be they managed to put 60mi on the rebuild before trashy tanks crippled the car, changed selector switch thinking it would help, changing valves, pumps and/or lines resulted in fuel leaks and got it to this point. Just a matter of sorting it out. Rule #1 Make sure tanks are clean first (may be what started the whole thing), rule #2 DON'T assume anything! New doesnt mean clean nor working properly.

 

This may help.

 

Fuel sending unit upside down