Ok - I have a 390 in a 69 SC/Rambler. The car is basically in near mint, restored shape.

A few months ago, the mechanical Carter fuel pump started leaking gas, so I brought it to a local guy who rebuild everything for classic automobiles. The rebuilder has a great reputation around here for good work.

He rebuilt my Carter mechanical fuel pump and before I installed it, I sucked all of the gas out of the tank for good measure (it was about 6 months old) with an electric fuel pump at the hose that attaches to the mechanical fuel pump at the engine bay. The gas that came out looked fine, so that was good.

I then put in about 4 gallons of fresh new gas and installed the rebuilt mechanical fuel pump. Nothing - not pumping any gas to the carb. I removed the line from the carb and no fuel there.

I then think, maybe the pump has a problem and take it back to him. He rebuilds it again and tries a different diaphragm and I install it again a day later.

No fuel at the carb...again. I take it back to him and he orders me a different mecahnical pump - it doesn't look brand new, but has a different arm which should give more pumping action.

Install that one and I was getting some gas out of the line but just a small amount - not enough for the engine to keep running. No gas is coming out of the squirters in the Carter carbuerator either when you work the throttle.

I think I may just go buy a new pump from Advanced Auto and see where it gets me.

Like I said, the car is like new and ran fine before the original pump started leaking.

I must say, this is one of the strangest problems I've ever encountered in 25 years of working on cars.

Any idea guys??

you didn't mention if you checked the line & filter from the pump to the carb?
Sometimes things can get in there if not plugged. Just a thought. Good luck

I'll blow through it but like I said, the car is almost mint - all the lines are nice and shiny like new.

I'll try it just to see. I'm out of options at this point.

I was just thinking some thing may have gotten in there while it was apart.

Could the sock in the fuel tank be clogged?

Try unhooking the fuel line to the carb. Then take an air nozzle, a rag and try to pressurize the fuel tank and see if you get good fuel flow that way. That would eliminate everything up to that point.