Chevrolet Repair: 1985 chevy blazer, chevy blazer, fuel guage

Question
QUESTION: hi i have a 1985 chevy blazer 2.8 v6 that has trouble starting. sometimes it starts right away and most of the time it takes 3 or 4 tries before the engine will turn over. there is an external in line fuel pump installed that i replaced. replaced battery terminals. it has now started hesitating when accelerating. any help would be appreciated thx

ANSWER: HI KAMAU,WHEN YOU SAY TURN OVER I ASSUME YOU MEAN START UP AND RUN.THE ENGINE DOES CRANK,YES...
THIS TO ME SOUNDS LIKE THE FUEL RAIL IS DRAINING DOWN WHEN SITTING FOR A WHILE. SO WHEN YOU CRANK THIS ENGINE OVER THERE IS NO FUEL INTILL THE FUEL PUMP PRIMES THE LINE AGAIN. A BAD FUEL PUMP REGULATOR CAN CAUSE THIS. I BELIEVE THIS HAS A THROTTLE BODY INJECTION. REGULATOR IS ON THE TOP OF THE INJECTOR....MAKE SURE THERE OR NO LEAKS IN THE REST OF THE SYSTEM THAT COULD BLEED OFF PRESSURE WHEN SITTING..THE FACT THAT THIS IS ALSO HESITATING WHEN TAKING OFF SOUNDS LIKE WEAK FUEL PRESSURE. IF YOU HAD A FUEL GAUGE TO HOOK INTO THE LINE WE COULD CK FOR LINE PRESSURE AS WELL.WOULD LIKE TO SEE 29 TO 34 LBS. I DONT KNOW WHY YOU PUT A EXTERNAL FUEL PUMP IN THIS HOWEVER?? GET BACK TO ME WITH MORE INFO IF THIS DOES NOT HELP.TOM..

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QUESTION: thanks tom, i don't have a fuel guage, is there a way to test fuel pressure without one? i suspected there was something wrong with the fuel system that is why i changed the external fuel pump. i don't know why it was installed, it was there when i bought the car. i am not sure if the in tank pump is functioning or not. is there a way also to check if the regulator is working properly or do you just swap it out? thx again for the help and info. kamau

Answer
HI KAMAU,THE PROBLEM WITH AN EXTERNAL FUEL PUMP AS THAT SOME DO NOT SUCK AND PUSH AT A VERY HIGH RATE. DONT FORGET THIS HAS TO GO THROUGH THE INTERNAL PUMP SCREEN TO GET AT THE GAS IN THE TANK. ANY RESTRICTION AT THIS POINT CAN CAUSE YOUR PROBLEM. ALSO THE SCREEN ON THE INTERNAL PUMP COULD BE PLUGGING UP. I WOULD SUGGEST DROPPING THE TANK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND INSTALLING A NEW GM PUMP....YOU WOULD ALSO NEED A VOLUME TESTER TO CK THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IT IS PASSING NOT ONLY A GAUGE.WITHOUT A GAUGE THERE IS REALLY NO WAY TO TEST PRESSURE..SORRY.
HOPE THIS HELPS TOM.GET BACK TO ME IF YOU NEED MORE INFO..