How is this even possible?

[midpack 866]

I have to apologize for lack of pics, but this one has me stumped

 

I picked up a 312-8 last fall for the steel weights on it and it's not a bad looking machine. Clean with around 500 hours, the guy I got it from said there was a carb problem. It was off in a coffee can for one thing but all the parts were there. I cleaned it, put it on and then found a wiring glitch... my least favorite problem

 

But I have time and patience and got the machine to turn over with spark.

 

At that point I replaced the fuel lines, filter, tank grommet, and cleaned the shutoff valve

 

Put fuel in the tank and cranked it over... nothing. figured out it's not getting fuel (runs on starter fluid)

 

Pulled the fuel pump off, took it apart and WTH?!?!? it was about 1/3 filled with rust particles. They came right out with compressed air but you could tell there must have been water in it too as the diaphragm had some rust on the steel actuator. I have a new one coming to replace it before I reinstall.

 

My question is, where could all the rust flakes come from? t's a plastic tank, there was a pleated fuel filter in (old/hard) line, plastic fuel pump.

 

It's just baffling. I guess that was the carb problem though

 

 

[pfrederi 17,741]

Maybe he had a metal gas can...

[squonk 41,164]

I'm with Paul on this one and those rust particles  were probably in the pump before that filter was installed.

[Tuneup 1,433]

I vote old metal gas can and make sure that you prime that fuel line right up to the bowl or it will crank forever.

[clueless 3,005]

9 minutes ago, Tuneup said:

I vote old metal gas can and make sure that you prime that fuel line right up to the bowl or it will crank forever.

You say you cleaned the carb what did you actually do, because once you have rust in the fuel pump then it's probably in the carb. That will be your next problem once you get the fuel pump working.

[953 nut 55,327]

If it had the old type gas cap with level gauge condensation my have rusted the steel.

[midpack 866]

41 minutes ago, clueless said:

You say you cleaned the carb what did you actually do, because once you have rust in the fuel pump then it's probably in the carb. That will be your next problem once you get the fuel pump working.

No fuel got to the carb. That's how I traced it to the pump, I dropped the bowl and it was dry. There were so many rust particles in the pump the diaphragm would not move.

I'll probably add a small filter between the pump and carb just to be safe when I put it back together