[i82much]

I have a quick fuel, dual plane, 505 CID 10:1 street engine. Your basic stroker setup only in an IA2 block. Anyway, I have a really hard time starting my car after it sits for a week.

In the past, I always assumed it was the ethanol in the fuel that was causing evaporation, so I didn't really worry about it. But we recently got a station that sells ethanol-free fuel, and I still have the same symptoms.

The car has a Carter mechanical pump, stock pickup and fuel lines, nothing too crazy. I've heard people have tried putting check valves in the fuel lines but others have suggested this may not be wise as the fuel in the engine bay has nowhere to go as the engine heat soaks after you turn the car off.

I can just live with this, honestly, but if anyone knows of a really nice solution, please let me know. The car fires up immediately if it has ran the day before, so it's not the choke or a tune issue.

[shaker455]

Where you located Steve?
Is it winter & cold out?
Jeff

[i82much]

Originally Posted by shaker455

Where you located Steve?
Is it winter & cold out?
Jeff

I live in Spokane. It's cold in my shop because it is not well-insulated and very expensive to keep warm.

So this is probably happening at 30 degrees or so, just a guess.

[77 TRASHCAN]

I'm an expert at NOTHING, but...

I used to work for a school bus dealer. Had many gas Chevys and fords, even quite a few IHC's, mind you this was 20 years ago....

The first thing was to get gas TO the carb. Initally JUST spinning the engine over with out tapping gas pedal. SOmetimes engine would hit on a cyl or two, then you would know carb had gas, then tap gas pedal two or three times to start....

Chevy C60's had electric pumps in the tank (yes carbed engines...) turning key on for a minute usually did trick, tap pedal for choke set, and see what happens...

Many would set for weeks and months depending on whether or not someone want to buy one, or test drive, or if we pulled on in shop for work.....getting one started could be tedious....

A hard starting 505, an envious problem to have

This may not be your situation, but if...

I would not assume that by buying 100% gas, that you are getting such....you don't what's been in that under ground tank, all it's life underground.

Even real 100% gas is different from even gas refined 20 years ago...

[jonmachota78]

I'd say either an electric fuel pump or fill the card bowl through the vent with a turkey blaster.
And make sure your carb is not leaking down. Maybe set it on the work bench full of Gas and see what happens

[DevoBuzz]

It happens to me as well. I have a career pump with a holly avenger. I can see the fuel in the bowls are empty so it is draining back somehow. The strange thing is it never happened before with my quadrajet.

[shaker455]

Originally Posted by i82much

I live in Spokane. It's cold in my shop because it is not well-insulated and very expensive to keep warm.

So this is probably happening at 30 degrees or so, just a guess.

Cold here too and my old cars start hard too in this type of weather.

You have to start simple and take note of some basic things before you start cranking the motor.

Look at the sight glass in the bowls to see if the fuel is visible.

See how much your choke flap is closed.

Post some pics so I can see what's going on under the hood.

[Formulas]

Cracked or loose supply line / hose prior to the pump

[STEELCITYFIREBIRD]

Aren't (almost? ) all needle and seats above the fuel level in the bowl?

[1965gp]

I swapped the Mechanical pump on my GTO and it really improved the time I had to crank the motor to get gas to the carb. I think it just wasn’t making a good seal.

[i82much]

welp, I had to move the car last night so it will be a week or so before i can duplicate. when i do, i will look at the fuel level in the bowl, i have the fuel bowls you can see into so that is easy. i probably should have thought of that myself ...

[Formulajones]

The engine will run with just the fuel sitting in the bowl, at least for a minute or so, with no fuel pump assistance.

So if it's not wanting to start without a lot of cranking (mechanical pump) it sounds as though your fuel bowls are going dry while the car sits. With an electric pump you likely wouldn't even notice the issue so much, because an electric pump will fill the bowls in a matter of seconds.

My mechanical pump cars will start fairly easy after sitting a week or two. Especially the holley carb ones as they have a tendency (for me) to not loose so much fuel out of the bowls. Q-jets will if you have a well plug leaking but that's not the case here with your quick fuel carb.

I'd be looking into the carb a little closer to see where the float bowl fuel is going after the car is parked. Make sure you don't have a heat soak issue after shut off that might be pushing fuel past the needle and seat and causing nozzle drip or something along those lines.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by i82much

welp, I had to move the car last night so it will be a week or so before i can duplicate. when i do, i will look at the fuel level in the bowl, i have the fuel bowls you can see into so that is easy. i probably should have thought of that myself ...

This may also give you another clue and narrow it down.

When you drive the car, get it good and warm, then shut it down for a week and you have a long crank to start issue.

Now you say you've moved the car and you'll have to leave it sit another week to duplicate the circumstances. If in fact you simply moved the car and it only ran for a minute or two, it likely won't be heat soaked. If the car now miraculously fires right off after sitting a week you can be fairly certain it's heat related.