Fiat Spider 2000 partial restoration

[gentryspider]

Hi guys, first post here. I'll tell a little about myself first. I'm a graduate of the Automotive Restoration program at McPherson College, Kansas. Graduated in May 2014 with several Porsche internships under my belt, so naturally I got a job in North Carolina working at a Porsche 356 restoration shop. While I was there one of our cars (a four cam carrera) sold to Hans Peter Porsche for the family's collection-pretty cool! Anyhow, after 7 months of working there I decided I wanted to start my own restoration shop so I moved back up to Baltimore, where I was born and raised. As far as work goes I've got this 1981 fiat spider 2000, a full resto 1950 mg td next, a 1959-61 corvette after that, and a 1957 Chevy pickup after that lined up. Pretty cool to be doing what I love and making it so far!

So I'm wrapping up this Fiat spider project. I had it on a rotisserie to repair the driver side lower frame rail (it was cracked) both upper frame rails in the front wheel wells, all the floor pans, most of the tunnel, and both trailing arm mounts. While I was there new fuel lines, new brake lines, bushings, etc. The entire motor was gone over with new seals as well as the transmission input shaft seat. Motor was cleaned and detailed. So I've gotten it all reassembled and filled with fluids. I'm have a not start condition and it's because I'm not getting fuel. This car came in with an intermittent no start condition before and it was attributed to an extremely rusty and dirt filled tank. However, the lines are now new and clear of all debris. Here's the weird thing, the pump is building up plenty of pressure to the rail, as I observe gas leaking out of the connection under the car where the rubber line from the fuel filter is clamped onto the feed hardline. For some reason the pressure regulator isn't bleeding any pressure-not even a drop! My thought is that even at start up while cranking-the motor is creating at least some vacuum-enough to make the regulator bleed some pressure. In addition I took #1 injector out of its bung and held it in a can while cranking the car over-no fuel. The injector grounds are sparkly clean and tight on their manifold connection. So does anyone have some Fiat-specific experience that might help me with my two issues? 1) the fuel pressure regulator not bleeding at all and 2) the injectors not firing. Thanks in advance!

[KevAndAndi]

Unfortunately, I can't offer any expertise to help you with this particular problem, but I can enter this comment so that your post will be bumped up in the Active Topics!

[spider2081]

Is the fuel return line clear? If you have the fuel tank cap off you should be able to hear fuel returning to the tank when the engine is cranking.

[narfire]

Crack the fuel line to the cold start injector with a rag or something to soak up any fuel. When you crank the engine, fuel should be coming out at around 30psi. if not then some thing is amuck. Is the fuel pump running when the engine is being cranked? If so that is good.... how about the electrical leads to the fuel pump? on the right way? perhaps try switching them around and see what happens. no running fuel pump? ground to the pump tight? it is a wire that is connected to a stud near the driver side rear light. If you have not done so, down load Brad's electrical diagram for your year car.
http://www.artigue.com/fiatcontent/Wiring_1980_1982.pdf
You have just begun......