Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

[Clark K.]

My '65 L76 A/C Coupe sits for weeks, sometimes, without being started/driven. When this happens, it cranks for what I think is a long time before firing. What I have begun to do is remove the air filter top and pour a little gasoline down the carb. It then fires right up without a lot of cranking.

Is this an acceptable procedure?
-Clark

[Peter H.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

I Use A Small Funnel And Add Some Gas To The Float Bowl , And It Fires Right Up... Sure Saves Wear And Tear On The Starter... Todays Gas Seems To Evaporate Quicker Than I Remember ...

[Clem Z.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

I Use A Small Funnel And Add Some Gas To The Float Bowl , And It Fires Right Up... Sure Saves Wear And Tear On The Starter... Todays Gas Seems To Evaporate Quicker Than I Remember ...

you should add,"thru the float bowl vents". a small hypodermic syringe works very well

[Ronald L.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

Too much can wash down the cylinder walls, not that you'll probably notice on a car that does not get too much driving but its not good for engine life so the second approach seems safer.

[Dave S.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

you should add,"thru the float bowl vents". a small hypodermic syringe works very well

Clem,
Would it be better to let it crank and get some oil flowing as it cranks. Seems to me like the starter could use a small workout also.

[Dick W.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

Is this an acceptable procedure?
-Clark

ABSOLUTELY NOT! VERY DANGEROUS. I saw a man get burned to death doing just what your are taking about. He was leaning over the fender while another person was cranking the vehicle. Vehicle backfired and ignited the container of gas the person was holding.

If you must prime the vehicle to get it started, Clem has the best idea. Better yet, find why your carb is leaking down, or the fuel pump is allowing the fuel in the line to flow back, and correct the problem.

[D S.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

ABSOLUTELY NOT! VERY DANGEROUS. I saw a man get burned to death doing just what your are taking about. He was leaning over the fender while another person was cranking the vehicle. Vehicle backfired and ignited the container of gas the person was holding.

If you must prime the vehicle to get it started, Clem has the best idea. Better yet, find why your carb is leaking down, or the fuel pump is allowing the fuel in the line to flow back, and correct the problem.

Kind of like a back-flow preventer?

[Clem Z.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

ABSOLUTELY NOT! VERY DANGEROUS. I saw a man get burned to death doing just what your are taking about. He was leaning over the fender while another person was cranking the vehicle. Vehicle backfired and ignited the container of gas the person was holding.

If you must prime the vehicle to get it started, Clem has the best idea. Better yet, find why your carb is leaking down, or the fuel pump is allowing the fuel in the line to flow back, and correct the problem.

YES i know of the same thing happening.

[John H.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

Listen to Clem and Dick. When I was young and dumb we did that to start my '63 Lincoln. The fire damage to the car was awful but only singed the hair on the arms. The fire was so fast that the extinguisher, from grab to pulling the trigger did no good to save the car. My friend who was with me eventually went into the industrial fire protection business. By the way fiberglass burns really well.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

Tell me who among us has not done this once or twice back in the day, specially when you were a teen and bought a buck or two at a time and ran out every so often. Wise? of course not. So where do you get a syring or small enough funnel to put fuel into the float chamber through a vent? The vents on my AFB are above the top plate gasket which has just a couple of 1/4" holes in it. Do I really want to add gas on to the top of it and ask for premature gasket leakage?

I have cranked mine for over 40 years and I'm only on my second starter (the first one failed within the first month of ownership). I sit and watch my oil pressure come up, and do it in spurts of no more than 15 seconds with clutch depressed and tranny in reverse just in case the disc is sticking so I can immediately back out of the garage.

Yes, today's Ethanol adulterated gas evaporates real quickly - probably within a short time after a full warm shutdown.

Stu Fox

[Clark K.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

ABSOLUTELY NOT! VERY DANGEROUS. I saw a man get burned to death doing just what your are taking about. He was leaning over the fender while another person was cranking the vehicle. Vehicle backfired and ignited the container of gas the person was holding.

Good advice. But, I would never crank the engine over while pouring fuel. Before cranking, I put the fuel container away and then got into the car. But, I will take your advice and not do this. I was initially worried about burning out my rebuilt original (expensive) starter. Now I don't want to worry about a carb fire!
-Clark

[Clem Z.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

Tell me who among us has not done this once or twice back in the day, specially when you were a teen and bought a buck or two at a time and ran out every so often. Wise? of course not. So where do you get a syring or small enough funnel to put fuel into the float chamber through a vent? The vents on my AFB are above the top plate gasket which has just a couple of 1/4" holes in it. Do I really want to add gas on to the top of it and ask for premature gasket leakage?

I have cranked mine for over 40 years and I'm only on my second starter (the first one failed within the first month of ownership). I sit and watch my oil pressure come up, and do it in spurts of no more than 15 seconds with clutch depressed and tranny in reverse just in case the disc is sticking so I can immediately back out of the garage.

Yes, today's Ethanol adulterated gas evaporates real quickly - probably within a short time after a full warm shutdown.

Stu Fox

every time you make a quick start,turn or stop gasoline hits the carb gasket so putting gas in thru the bowl vents should not cause any problems. if the gasoline vapors can get out thru the bowl vents gas can get in.

[Clark K.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

Better yet, find why your carb is leaking down, or the fuel pump is allowing the fuel in the line to flow back, and correct the problem.

I was not aware that my car had a problem. I just thought that sitting for weeks in a hot garage would evaporate all the fuel in the carb bowl.

How do I find the problem?
-Clark

[Clark K.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

you should add,"thru the float bowl vents". a small hypodermic syringe works very well

I am feeling really ignorant. Where are the float bowl vents through which a little fuel may be added? Any photos?
-Clark

[Clem Z.]

Re: Pouring Gasoline into the Carb

since i am not well versed on these "L" numbers what carb do you have ???