My dirt cheap '79 244 was driven without a fuel filter by the people who eventually abandoned it. I'm not sure how long they drove the car without the filter. Where the filter was, was just rubber fuel line hose connected to the metal pipes on each end by hose clamps. Also, where the fuel line comes out of the fuel pump, about 6 inches of metal fuel piping is cut out and replaced by rubber fuel hose. I'm wondering if this is contributing to it's current drivability problem:

When driving the car, it strains to go faster. Stepping harder into the accelerator, I start feeling quick acceleration bursts and then lack of power, then an acceleration burst, then lack of power, and it keeps doing that. By the time I'm in 3rd gear, it's just straining to get past 25 or 30 MPH. It seems as if under moderate engine speeds, it doesn't seem to be getting enough fuel. I replaced the fuel filter (I threw on one I found at the Wrecking Yard temporarily), so I have a brand new Bosch filter. I checked the timing, that is correct. It seems to me the problem lies in the fuel injectors, or the fuel distributor or the fuel pump. Please help me find out what is making it run like this. It seems to run pretty well, but with a possible lack of fuel.

Thank you

from Nick