I just tried to check the fuel pressure on my '76 2.0. I hooked the gauge up at the fuel line coming into the engine bay from the fuel pump. At that point I was getting approximately 75 PSI -80 PSI. I also checked the pressure on the drivers side fuel rail where the fuel hose goes to the cold start valve. At that point I had 30-31PSI. I did not think there should be such a large discrepancy in pressure between the two points. I was checking pressure because I am having problems with the car stalling lately and then being very hard to restart. It also has been running rich for a while. Are the pressures correct?

just spent the last week chasing a similar problem. mine was 70psi at the passenger side rail. check for kinks in the lines. especially if you still have the old plastic hard lines. 2 different pressures like that is wierd. i changed all my fuel lines and got my pressure down.

I don't think it is a kinked line because the guage was not hooked inline. I removed the fuel line that feeds the rail directly from the pump, ran it into the guage and not into the rest of the system. Can the pump make that much pressure on a closed end circuit like that.

Yes, the pump can generate that much pressure. The normal system is not a "deadhead", as you'd made by just measuring the pump output. The 2nd pressure is the system pressure with the regulator in place.

sorry for the bad advice i.m learning as i go

Your first test is irrelevant. System pressure is a couple lbs high.

Thanks for the input from everybody. I thought that the pressure at the driver's side fuel rail being correct was what mattered, but was not certain. Now I need to see why it is running rich and stalling especially when hot and not restarting right away. Guess time to check the CHT sensor and MPS.