What's 'proper' procedure for starting '65 Fuelie (appears to be original)

[James B.]

Fellow Enthusiasts . . . I acquired a nice 65 L84 coupe a couple years ago, and (actually) am just getting to where I want to get it in the road and have some fun. I've been staring at it's underside long enough. So I got it plated the other day, and (with much anxiety) climbed into the cockpit only to realize . . . I really don't know how to start a fuel injected engine. To pump or not to pump ? It's a 4 speed, and after several attempts, (yes, I pumped a little), it finally cranked over, and came to the most beautiful roar I'd heard in a long time. I've had Max Wedge and Hemi Mopars, but the sound that this little 327 can produce thru those sidepipe amplifiers was something to behold! I took it down the block, turned around, and had to really keep the revs up - just to keep it from stalling out. Granted its been sitting for most of 2 years; and all I've
done is keep a little fuel in the tank, and several ounces of Stabil. I don't doubt that the gas is not the greatest, and at best - the octane level was not much better than 93-ish. Certainly I plan to run a mixture of 93 octane, a bottle of 108 octane boost, and a lead additive - if necessary. If racing fuel was available close-by, I'd go 50/50 with Sunoco 93 or more of the expensive stuff if need be. So my question(s) are these: (1) What's the proper way to fire it up COLD; and fire it up when HOT ? (2) Could I have caused some kind of problem with the manner in which I started it the other day - to bog down, run rough . . . or would you think its just the older gas and a idle adjustment ? (3) What should be the correct idle range (850-1350?) - I live in Detroit suburbs and we see the full range Mother Nature has to offer. Driving conditions could be 40 F to 85 F, spring, fall, summer. (4) Is the idle adjustment the obvious little, spring-loaded screw located nearest the throttle bracketry, or is it the screw more 'forward' of the plenum . . . that appears to have a cam/linkage (is that a choke?). Thanks for any assist you provide. Since everyting else I own is carbureted . . this fuel injection is new to me; and I don't want to get in there and just start tweaking without some clue of what I'm doing. Thanks in advance, Jim

[William C.]

Re: What's 'proper' procedure for starting '65 Fuelie (appears to be original)

Proper procedure when cold is hit the throttle once to allow the choke to set then turn the key and crank until it starts, shouldn't take long at all as the 380 units use a bypass to feed from the engine mounted pump directly to the nozzles for cold start (purple wire to the microswitch on the side of the plenum) Once the first start of the year is over, it will start rather well thru the summer. Fast idle is quite high once the engine catches... If it floods, just depress the throttle all the way, that closes the microswitch and shuts off the auxilary system allowing for the flood to clear during cranking.

[Jim L.]

Re: What's 'proper' procedure for starting '65 Fuelie (appears to be original)

For hot and cold starts, do what Bill said.

For warm starts (i.e. when the engine's temperature is ambiguous.... not stone cold, not hot from having been run hard and just shut down), go wide open throttle and crank. If the engine doesn't immediately start, it's telling you it wants fuel. In that case, take your foot off the accelerator and continue cranking.

Idle mixture screw is shown in center of this picture:


Idle speed is an upward facing spring loaded screw on the rear (firewall side) of the air meter. Fast idle speed control is the downward facing screw below the fast idle cam on the front of the air meter.

That said, don't tweak anything unless you are positive that something is out of adjustment. "Tinkeritis" ruins a lot of fuel injection units.

Pay attention to the rear, lower area of the fuel bowl, where the high pressure pump is located. The shaft seal in that pump can develop a fuel leak which lets fuel run out onto the engine, creating a fire hazard. Do you know when the FI unit was rebuilt? It would be a source of concern to me to not know the age of the shaft seal in the high pressure pump.

Jim

[John D.]

Re: What's 'proper' procedure for starting '65 Fuelie (appears to be original)

James and others. Here's a little jingle I got from Mike Hanson on how to start an FI car when it's cold. Not his exact wording though.
Open the door. Get in the car. Touch the acceleratort pedal a tad. Get out of the car. Close the door. Reach in the window and hold the key in the start position until the engine fires.

I will always remember my old friend Richard Grabiak of Grabiak Chevrolet trying to start a new fuel car in 1965. His right foot was going 100MPH. He was pumping the pedal big time. The poor car wouldn't start and when it did it ran like crap.
On your 65 James you have a starting solenoid. When you engine is not running your accelerator pump is NOT a gas pedal. It's an AIR pedal. So pumping really is hard on everything because what happends is you are turning the Skinner valve (starting solenoid) off and on. Off and on. If and when you do start the car by pumping it will definitely have issues and run rich. Maybe even foul out the plugs.
Jim Lockwood told you how to start the car hot or cold.
Another thing James. Get rid of the old gas or you will be sorry.
Look in the 64 and 65 Corvette shop manuals. Page 6M-10 in the '65 manual. Read the by-pass fuel circuit.
I believe the '64 manual tells you how to start the car.
Does the owners manual have the instructions?
Remember that pumping the accelerator pedal in an FI car to start it is taboo.
Although 63 fuel injections are my favorite I have to admit that the best FI made was the 7017380 unit. John

[Doug L.]

Re: What's 'proper' procedure for starting '65 Fuelie (appears to be original)

My '64 L-84 starts just as described above. Thank you John for a great restoration. When I located the original documents for my car there was a mimeographed sheet with the other documents. I don't know the origin of this sheet, maybe the dealer, but it is starting instructions for FI cars. Tomorrow I'll scan it and post it on this thread. I can understand why a dealer might prepare such instructions. I doubt that the general would put the information out as a mimeographed document. Doug

[Michael W.]

Re: What's 'proper' procedure for starting '65 Fuelie (appears to be original)

Certainly I plan to run a mixture of 93 octane, a bottle of 108 octane boost, and a lead additive - if necessary. If racing fuel was available close-by, I'd go 50/50 with Sunoco 93 or more of the expensive stuff if need be.

Certainly no need to run lead and most owners find that 93 octane is more than enough to avoid detonation.

[Doug L.]

Re: What's 'proper' procedure for starting '65 Fuelie (appears to be original)

As promised, here is a scan of the mimeographed sheet of paper that I received with the rest of the original documents (Order, invoice, warranty book, radio guide, radio instructions) for my car. Original source? Original document? Probably. I don't know why one of the previous owners would have saved it if it wasn't something that came with the car.