I've been trying to get my 73 1.7 to run before it gets put away for the winter. I'm going to begin the process of restoration next summer and want to get the engine running before I remove it. Initially there was no power to the fuel pump but I managed to get it to the point where I can hear the pump spin as normal when the ignition is turned on. I put some fresh gas in the tank and tried to start the car but no joy. I haven't checked for spark yet, but will do so. I disconnected the two lines in the engine compartment and one had fuel in it and the other did not. I'm not sure how to interpret this? Prior to getting the pump working that line had fuel in it (I did my initial drain of the tank from there to get rid of the old fuel), so I realize that even one line with fuel doesn't mean that the pump is getting the fuel there. If I have spark, can the only other problem preventing the car from starting be that it is not getting sufficient fuel?

first you need a fuel pressure gauge, but

When you hooked up the lines, did you reverse the connections on the fuel pressure regulator? Fuel flow is tank - pump - filter - passenger side rail - driver side rail - fuel pressure regulator - return to tank.

If you get the fuel pressure regulator hooked up backwards, you will have fuel in the injector rails, but none in the return line to the tank. The fuel rails will be seeing the full pressure of the pump (40+ psig) and flood the engine. I don't have a pic of the inlet/outlet of the FP regulator.

If none of the above, the pump is toast.

I reconnected the lines the same way they were connected (car ran fine when it was put into storage, so connections should be correct). If fuel flows to one line in the engine compartment without the pump even working (I assume this line is the one from the tank), would the reason for not having fuel in the return line be that the pump, despite turning, is not making enough pressure to force it through the rails and pressure regulator?

That was the point of the post. You need to get a FP gauge tied into the pressure side of the fuel circuit to see if it is producing the required pressure 28 lbs psig. I've used any pressure guage that would read 30 lbs ... even the one from one of those Harbor Freight 12 VDC tire inflators.

Since you didn't disturb the tank lines, I wouldn't think you would have a kinked supply line to the pump, but a kinked line can do the same thing ... starve the pump.

edit:

or the electrical connections to the pump are reversed causing it to run backwards.

Thanks, Ron. I didn't think of a kinked hose. I removed and reinstalled the tank so will double check the hoses.