[71 T/A]

It's gas evaporation. My GTO starts right up if I drove the car the day before, but once it's been a few days, I need to pump the pedal many times and then it starts.

[frankyboy455]

Originally Posted by pont3

I don't think there's a clear cut answer here. I have a '71 that I drive daily (holley spread-bore equipped), and a '72 (q-jet equipped) that I drive infrequently. The '71 ALWAYS starts right up after ONE push of the pedal, regardless if it's sat for one day or one week. The '72 ALWAYS requires substantial cranking regardless whether it sat for 24 hrs or 96 hrs. The fuel I use does state 10 percent meth.

Personally, I don't feel any electric fuel pumps are needed, I'm more inclined to believe the problem lies within your carb.

I hear you...I have a 68 Camaro with a stock 2bbl 327 and it always starts right up after one push of the pedal, weather it's been sitting for a day or one week. My wife's 67 326 HO (correctly built oem carter carb with Jon's GOOD carb kit) needs quite a bit of cranking after sitting for 24 hours or so.

[carbking]

BOTH of the AFB's on my 390 will be bone-dry within 30 minutes of shut-down in the summer. Yes, Virginia, I HAVE removed the tops and observed the lack of fuel. Electric pump solved the problem.

Jon.

[F ROCK]

exactly which pump? i'll be at NAPA in the morning!

[hobbygto65]

My 63 Catalina does the same thing if I let it set more than 2 days, and it has 2 fours on it. I know I'll have to eventually put an electric on. To hard on the starter.

[PLAY400]

Originally Posted by carbking

BOTH of the AFB's on my 390 will be bone-dry within 30 minutes of shut-down in the summer. Yes, Virginia, I HAVE removed the tops and observed the lack of fuel. Electric pump solved the problem.

Jon.

Jon don't mean to be a sh!t disturber but don't you mean to say the electric fuel pump masked or worked around the problem as you did not identify where the fuel was going therefore did not fix the root problem. At this point of time you don't know if the fuel drained back to the tank or evaporated. All the electric fuel pump does is fills the bowls that went dry because...

[carbking]

Originally Posted by PLAY400

Jon don't mean to be a sh!t disturber but don't you mean to say the electric fuel pump masked or worked around the problem as you did not identify where the fuel was going therefore did not fix the root problem. At this point of time you don't know if the fuel drained back to the tank or evaporated. All the electric fuel pump does is fills the bowls that went dry because...

The only possible way the fuel can drain back into the tank from a Carter AFB is if the vehicle is parked on its top! The fuel valves are in the airhorn. Very difficult to assume this parking position, and it is hard on the paint!

Technically, you are correct. The electric fuel pump is a work-around; but the core issue is evaporation of the fuel through the bowl vents due to heat and volatile fuel.

Jon.

[frankyboy455]

Originally Posted by carbking

BOTH of the AFB's on my 390 will be bone-dry within 30 minutes of shut-down in the summer. Yes, Virginia, I HAVE removed the tops and observed the lack of fuel. Electric pump solved the problem.

Jon.

Jon, I'm so happy to read what you just wrote. I'll probably do the electric pump thing next summer. Could it be that different carbs are less of problem because only of their configuration ? Frank.

[carbking]

Frank - the carburetors that seem to have the least of the hot soak problems would be the Holley end bowl style (bowls are not directly above the manifold connection), and the Carter thermoquad (designed with the thermoplastic bowl). It takes about 3~4 weeks for the fuel to all evaporate from the thermoquad I am using on my GTO.

Jon.

[abx131]

Thanks for all the input. Yesterday we put in a manual choke kit and problem solved. Got in this morning and started in two turns of the key. One turn to prime and then choke on and it fired. Much easier for my son to deal with. Great forum! Plenty of input....thanks again.

[PLAY400]

Originally Posted by abx131

Thanks for all the input. Yesterday we put in a manual choke kit and problem solved. Got in this morning and started in two turns of the key. One turn to prime and then choke on and it fired. Much easier for my son to deal with. Great forum! Plenty of input....thanks again.

Try priming and and closing the choke before taking your foot off the pedal. 2 squirts may flood it in the cold weather so might as well do it properly. Should then start first time.

[tdavidl]

my car just started having cold start issues this past month. even after sitting a week I could let the car crank for 5 seconds, set the choke by pumping petal once then crank & it would start pretty quickly, no hesitation. then, about 2-3 weeks ago, let it sit for about 3 hours at my dads house and it wouldn't start...I assumed vapor lock...it should have started easily with petal slightly depressed as it always had. let it sit for about 20 minutes and tried it again, had to go WOT to get it to start & even then it stumbled before kicking in. now, even cranking the engine for 10+ seconds & pumping twice before cranking again it may stumble a few times, then I have to go WOT to get it going.

I don't think its flooded because there's no strong odor of gas like you usually get with flooding. if it's todays gas, why is this just happening now ?

also, I've noticed a couple times when I begin to crank the cranking doesn't sound smooth & easy, it sounds like it's struggling...I then stop, crank again & it cranks normally.

I have a 71 stock 400, stock carb, etc., no mods.

any thoughts ? still think its the gas even though this problem just started ? I could let it sit 2-3 months over the winter & it would always start easier than its doing now.

[455rebel]

I have an elect pump ,inline with my carter mec pump.
If it sets 3-4 days or longer, I let it run5-10 sec, hit the key, fires right up.
And I only use it for startup, the carter will suck right through it, at least enough
to feed a 455 to 5200 rpm through all 3 gears.

290 emblems on the fender.
455 under the hood!!!

[tdavidl]

thx...I haven't needed an elec pump for what I consider a quick start after letting the engine turnover for 5-6 seconds...this has just started & in combination with what sounds like a struggling (vs smooth) turning of the engine occasionally i'm wondering if it couldn't be something else like maybe the timing is off a little ?

anyone else ?

[JohnTN]

If the problem is an empty fuel bowl, couldn't the carb be primed by just letting the engine crank for 15-20 seconds to fill the bowl, then press the pedal once to set the choke and provide initial squirt of fuel?

This is the procedure suggested in the manual for first start of a Street Demon carb I recently installed on my car.

John

[carbking]

Originally Posted by JohnTN

If the problem is an empty fuel bowl, couldn't the carb be primed by just letting the engine crank for 15-20 seconds to fill the bowl, then press the pedal once to set the choke and provide initial squirt of fuel?

This is the procedure suggested in the manual for first start of a Street Demon carb I recently installed on my car.

John

Yes, this will work; but at my age I dislike crawling under the car to replace the starter!

Jon.

[JohnTN]

Jon, no I don't want to do that either.

Wouldn't there be fuel up to the inlet valve to the carb? Would just 5 seconds of cranking put enough fuel in the bowl to get the engine started by a pump or two of the throttle after a short cranking?

John

[455rebel]

It may be a carb issue, he said it sometimes flooded.

[tdavidl]

Originally Posted by carbking

Try this:

http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Tro...#Hardstartcold

Jon.

yep, the eye dropper trick worked...I guess I have to keep a nice tight small container of fuel in the glove box with an eye dropper