Off topic but I need help with this

[Boomologist]

Hi all,
Hope your Christmas was good.
I have a 1963 Dodge 1/2 ton 4x4 pickup with a 318 V8. It's only used a few times each winter to plow snow. It sets from about March through December. Every late December I attempt to start it and it won't go. Every year the valves in the fuel pump are stuck and it won't pump. Fuel will not go through the pump. Every year I put a new pump on it only to have it stuck a year later.
I have other vehicles that set for a year and start right up.
No clue as to why this one goes through a pump every year.
Ideas?
Thanks,
Ron

[gixxer6]

What kind of gas are you using?  Does it have ethanol in it?  If so, try using rec gas without ethanol.  Can you start it once a month throughout the year?

[Boomologist]

Starting it once a month is a good idea. That should keep things from sticking.
Fuel is 10% ethanol. It doesn't seem to do this on other vehicles that set for over a year. I'm suspecting something bad in the gas tank?

[Interceptor398]

I would drain the old gas and add new to be sure it is fresh and add some Sea Foam or similar treatment.

[gixxer6]

Starting it once a month is a good idea. That should keep things from sticking.
Fuel is 10% ethanol. It doesn't seem to do this on other vehicles that set for over a year. I'm suspecting something bad in the gas tank?

Some vehicles handle ethanol better than others.  Try running non-ethanol rec gas or use some of this:  http://www.starbrite.com/startron

[mswyka]

I think that these are all good suggestions.

My sense is that if the pump fails on an annual basis, even if it is run occasionally, that it is only time before it fails again.  Likely at the worst time.  Taking a slightly different approach, perhaps putting in a modern electric fuel pump that is made to accept the fuel that is currently available. It may be possible to steal one from a recent wreck that can be modified to fit.

[Boomologist]

Update:
Discovered that the main fuel tank was full of rust, water and very stale gas and would slosh into the reserve tank that the engine was running off of and contaminating the fuel. Not wanting to deal with this in winter I just shut off both tanks at the selector valve and mounted a 5 gallon military gas can in the cab and routed a line to the fuel pump. Works great.
If this makes it through the winter then next spring when we burn brush I'll get rid of all the bad fuel, disconnect the reserve tank and flush out the main tank.
Thanks for all the suggestions. If it still eats another pump I'll switch to a modern electric as suggested.

[Interceptor398]

I have a IH 1949 KB1 that had the same rusty crappy gas in the tank when I got it.  The big flakes of rust would cover the pick up line and kill the truck.  I used a 6 gallon outboard motor tank with the bulb hooked up to the fuel system and it ran fine. It was a bit interesting pumping the bulb and shifting the "3 on the tree" shifter.  Once I cleaned the tank it finally ran good enough to take out on the roads.