Starting problem

[Ron R.]

This is probably my fault, but i let the car sit for about 4 weeks without trying to start it, tried to start yesterday and wouldn't start. Pulled the fuel line off carb and checked fuel flow, which appeared to be good. So i have gas going to the carb but none going into the intake from the carb. Is this an easy fix without rebuilding the carb, which is probably about 2 years old.


Ron

[William C.]

Re: Starting problem

Did you crank it long enough to fill the float bowl?

[Ron R.]

Re: Starting problem

Good point, I tried to start it a number of times with starting fuel, each time probably about 3 or 4 seconds, afraid of running down the battery. But I understand what your saying, I'll try again and let it crank longer......


Thanks,

[William C.]

Re: Starting problem

Usually you can fill the carb with gas from the outside using a turkey baster and fillig thru the vents. I couldn't find any info on your car, so I don't know if we are talking a WCFB, AFB or Q-jet...30+ seconds of crank should not hurt the battery, and will fill the bowl much faster.

[Joseph K.]

Re: Starting problem

Place about two table spoons of gas under the choke flap. Move the can of gas away from the car. Then try to start the car, It should start right away. If it fires then stalls you do not have any gas in the carb.

I have a problem with my carb were the carb. bowl leaks out over time. Thats how I start it to protect the battery.

[Thomas H.]

Re: Starting problem

Ron,
My cars will sit for months at a time and as Bill points out, you need to crank them a bit to get fuel into the float bowls. Over time the fuel will evaporate from the float bowl and it needs to get refilled.

Before you crank it again, take the air cleaner off and work the throttle while looking into the carb. If there is fuel in the bowl, you should see it squirt into the carb. If you don't, get in and crank it for a few seconds. I usually use the oil pressure gauge as an indicator for cranking. Once the gauge stops climbing, I usually have fuel in the bowls. A few pumps of the throttle and the engine will start.

If you have fuel and it still won't fire, then it is time to start looking into ignition or other possible causes.

[Ron R.]

Re: Starting problem

William,

I am using an Edelbrock carb, I don't think it has a sight hole on the side of the bowl to squirt gas into. I did pour a little gas into the carb and it ran a second or two.


Ron

[John H.]

Re: Starting problem

William,

I am using an Edelbrock carb, I don't think it has a sight hole on the side of the bowl to squirt gas into. I did pour a little gas into the carb and it ran a second or two.


Ron

Ron -

The Edelbrock is the same as a Carter AFB, and both of them have two brass bowl vent tubes from the side float bowls in the primary venturi, right above the choke blade (see photo below); that's where to squirt fuel in to fill the float bowls after it's all evaporated/percolated out. I use a plastic bottle like a ketchup dispenser - fits perfectly in the bowl vent tubes.


AFB65_3.jpgPrimeBottle.jpg

[Ron R.]

Re: Starting problem

Thanks for the advice John, I will try when I get home tonight after work. I suppose I can buy the bottle from a discount department store.

Ron

[John H.]

Re: Starting problem

Thanks for the advice John, I will try when I get home tonight after work. I suppose I can buy the bottle from a discount department store.

Ron

Ron -

You'll find the dispenser bottle at K-Mart, Walmart, etc.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Starting problem

I regularly use non-ethanol laced fuel in my 63 SHP and still have to use a special "re-charging" process with my AFB carb if the car has been sitting for a few days or longer. After years of just cranking for long periods to fill it, I finally found a good syringe with a short (10" or 12") clear tube to draw fuel from my fuel tank and administer a shot into each primary vent tube to fill the bowls. The engine then fires right up. If it stalls out, the next crank will usually be like a normal start with choke set. Last time I had this particular carburetor apart, I modified the top plate gasket some to allow a more direct path for the fuel into the bowl from the vent tubes. Otherwise, the fuel would tend to accumulate on the top of the gasket before it found it's way to the regular small pierced vent hole in the gasket. I figured that if left that way, it may tend to create a premature gasket seepage around the top plate (anyone familiar with an AFB would understand). I have greatly improved on the situation and done many modifications and procedure changes that have helped, but it is just the nature of the beast you learn to live with.Stu Fox

[William F.]

Re: Starting problem

Don't you have less wear on the engine if you fill the carb bowl so it fires right up when you first touch the key rather than all the cranking with low oil pressure?

[William C.]

Re: Starting problem

Actually, with a SHP oil pump the pressure comes up pretty quickly when cranking...