54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up - NCRS Discussion Boards

54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

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  • John L.
    Expired
    • February 1, 2005
    • 207

    54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

    Greetings,
    I have posted a couple questions previously regarding the first start up of my newly rebuilt engine. From earlier comments it was suggested that in addition to priming the oil system by using a drill to spin the oil pump....that I should fill the carb fuel bowls to reduce initial crank up time. Any suggestions on how to fill the bowls? Would that be to remove the large brass screw in "plugs' on the top of each carb?
    Thanks,
    John
  • Clem Z.
    Expired
    • January 1, 2006
    • 9427

    #2
    Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

    Originally posted by John Lanning (43452)
    Greetings,
    I have posted a couple questions previously regarding the first start up of my newly rebuilt engine. From earlier comments it was suggested that in addition to priming the oil system by using a drill to spin the oil pump....that I should fill the carb fuel bowls to reduce initial crank up time. Any suggestions on how to fill the bowls? Would that be to remove the large brass screw in "plugs' on the top of each carb?
    Thanks,
    John
    fill thru the bowl vent tubing. put the gas in slowly with a syringe type device till you see fuel dripping from the booster nozzles

    Comment

    • Guy M.
      Very Frequent User
      • November 1, 1993
      • 500

      #3
      Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

      Another way is to use a eyedropper in the big plugs, start with a 1/8 cup, see if it fires and put the plugs back on tight

      Comment

      • John L.
        Expired
        • February 1, 2005
        • 207

        #4
        Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

        thanks Clem and Guy you are great with your advice as I am getting ever so close to starting this thing up!!

        Comment

        • Cathy S.
          Expired
          • August 31, 2003
          • 293

          #5
          Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

          Spray a little starting fluid in the middle carb and it will fire right up

          Comment

          • John L.
            Expired
            • February 1, 2005
            • 207

            #6
            Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

            One more question here regarding the initial start up. I was considering my taking the spark plugs out and then cranking over the engine without a compression load just long enough to begin getting fuel up through the lines, to the fuel pump and then up to the carbs and then reinstall for the start up.
            Would this be a good idea?
            Appreciate the feedback...
            JmL

            Comment

            • Richard F.
              Very Frequent User
              • May 31, 1986
              • 193

              #7
              Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

              I bought a small length of clear tubing that fits the bowl vent pipe and use an old turkey baster. Fill the baster from my motorcycle tank, plug into the tubing and squeeze. It is fast and mess-free.

              Comment

              • Chris S.
                Extremely Frequent Poster
                • January 1, 2000
                • 1067

                #8
                Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                if you crank the motor over.......
                you will need a helper
                place the palm of your hand over the carb - this strong vacume signal will help pull fuel up to the carbs
                let the pump fill the carbs
                couple long cranks will do it
                let it fire up .......
                works. no mess no fuss
                learned from an old engine builder - works every time.....
                1954 Corvette #3803 - Top Flight 2012, Bloomington Gold 2012,
                Triple Diamond Award 2012, Gold Concourse Award 2012, Regional and National Top Flight 2014
                1954 Corvette #3666 - "The Blue Devil" - Pennant Blue - restoration started
                1957 Corvette - FI 3 sp - Black and Silver

                Comment

                • John L.
                  Expired
                  • February 1, 2005
                  • 207

                  #9
                  Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                  I like both suggestions ..... Chris I assume that I would be placing my palm over the forward most carb and maybe the middle one or is this where the helper comes in to block off the third carb..

                  Comment

                  • Clem Z.
                    Expired
                    • January 1, 2006
                    • 9427

                    #10
                    Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                    Originally posted by Chris Sherman (33359)
                    if you crank the motor over.......
                    you will need a helper
                    place the palm of your hand over the carb - this strong vacume signal will help pull fuel up to the carbs
                    let the pump fill the carbs
                    couple long cranks will do it
                    let it fire up .......
                    works. no mess no fuss
                    learned from an old engine builder - works every time.....
                    not a good way if you are breaking in a cam. you want the engine o start right away so you get oil flow. also you should use a oil pump primer to fill the filter and oil passages so you have oil pressure as soon as the engine starts

                    Comment

                    • Jim L.
                      Extremely Frequent Poster
                      • September 30, 1979
                      • 1808

                      #11
                      Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                      There is no oil filter on a '54.

                      Comment

                      • Steven B.
                        Very Frequent User
                        • April 11, 2012
                        • 233

                        #12
                        Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                        John,
                        What did you use to spin up your oil pump? What did you spin with your drill?

                        Comment

                        • John L.
                          Expired
                          • February 1, 2005
                          • 207

                          #13
                          Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                          Yes, I will be using a drill and an old slotted screwdriver shaft that has had the handle cut off.....(you know one of those screwdrivers that was hastely used as a chisel in a moment of weakness.)
                          I will have the valve cover off so I will be looking for oil being pumped across all lifters/guides before proceeding as this is spinning.
                          Have done any of this yet though and hope to get to it over the weekend.

                          Do you know if it matters what direction the pump turns clockwise or counter clock wise when using the drill - if not I will find out soon.

                          BTW putting together a video on the prep up to this point and will then have it for the initial start up for all to see how I approached - hope it starts!!
                          John

                          Comment

                          • Dale M.
                            Expired
                            • December 27, 2007
                            • 386

                            #14
                            Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                            Here is a tool we made to spin the oil pump to prime the oiling of an engine for Chev V8's, see photo. This is an old distributor that we modified for this purpose. Note there are no grears to turn the cam and the top has a shaft to put into your drill. This tool holds the shaft steady and connected to the oil pump. I suspect just using a screw driver shaft may slip out of the slot in the oil pump. I believe there are tools on the market for this purpose as well.

                            The distributor turns clockwise, so the pump turns this directions as well.
                            Attached Files

                            Comment

                            • Chris S.
                              Extremely Frequent Poster
                              • January 1, 2000
                              • 1067

                              #15
                              Re: 54 - How to Fill Carb Fuel Bowls for First Start Up

                              yep - or grow that third arm/hand we all need
                              1954 Corvette #3803 - Top Flight 2012, Bloomington Gold 2012,
                              Triple Diamond Award 2012, Gold Concourse Award 2012, Regional and National Top Flight 2014
                              1954 Corvette #3666 - "The Blue Devil" - Pennant Blue - restoration started
                              1957 Corvette - FI 3 sp - Black and Silver

                              Comment

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