I think I need a new battery. It used to take 2 pumps of the throttle and I would turn the key and my 70 fired right up. As of late, I pump it twice and it takes forever to start...a couple of times with a backfire. I may have flooded it with gas and the slow starting contributed to this IMO. Again, I figure I need a new battery, but what do you folks do to "prep for ignition" with your chevelles? Do I need to pump it twice or just turn the key and it should choke automatically? Thanks for the tips. Tom.

in mine i start cranking and lightly tap the throttle when it starts to fire(no choke) that seems to work the best with the new carb.

I pump the carb about 10 times under the hood and manually set the choke. Most of the time it will stay running, sometimes it needs a second pumping. If it's only been sitting a week or so, 4-5 pumps is all it needs.
If you have a mechanical choke like the factory used, you have to pump the carb to set it on the fast idle circuit. If you have an electric choke, you need to turn the key on, then set it by pumping the carb.

If it's been sitting a while I have to pump the pedal a few times,it may take a second,or a restart. If I've been running it within a day or so,I might pump the pedal once or just hit the switch and it fires right up. I love my Optima battery for holding charge by the way.

What works for you to start your chevelle?
Pull the hand choke all the way out with pedal to the floor, turn the key, push choke half way back in for a minute or so after it starts, then all the way in.

Buy an Optima battery. You will be amazed at how fast the starter will turn over. Your Chevelle will fire off better. :D

Two pumps and hit the key for me. :D

Buy an Optima battery. You will be amazed at how fast the starter will turn over. Your Chevelle will fire off better. :D

Two pumps and hit the key for me. :D
Good one :thumbsup:
I was just about to say "WHAT, an Optima battery doesn't turn the starter over any better than any good battery, then I saw your smiley face. :D

i have electric choke. Ignition on tap once, turn the starter and tap twice and it starts.

I'm looking for a mechanical secondaries holley 750 with a manual choke or no choke, if anyone can help that would be great.

Not too sure how the injected motor is going start, but my old carburated engine starts in about 3 revolutions, (even ice cold) with five pumps of the gas, then halfway down when cranking. (no choke on carb.) Come to think of it, all my 454's are this way.

If you have an electric choke, you need to turn the key on, then set it by pumping the carb.

You don't need the key on to set the choke, The electric pulls it off because it heats up with the 12v running through it. (once you tap the throttle to release the fast idle)

LK

There is no choke on my 950 Holley. I pump the pedal a couple of times, crank it, pump the pedal a couple more times, crank it, depending how long it's been sitting It usually fires on the second cranking. Since there is no choke, I need to hold it at about 1k rpm until it reaches 150 degrees C until it will idle by it self. Oh, and I roll ib back just far enough out of the garage to avoid two big black spots on the garage floor.

-Garry

Turn key on, tap throttle to set high-idle solenoid, turn key to start, wait about 2 seconds until it fires, then walk away as it warms up (fuel-injected). On the battery issue...un-plug battery tender before starting car.

when cold, i crank the motor over and lightly feather the throttle until it starts. when the motor is hot, i just turn the key and go.

2 pumps and start.

push start;)

Every car is different, it all depends how the car is setup, no choke, manual or electric, Same goes with what kind of ignition system your running, msd, points or hei.

I pump mine twice and its running, but I do have to feather it intil its warm. I dont have a choke on mine.

Let me add from experience - coming out of storage: Holley floats have a tendency to hang up if left alone during storage. Heard this, but never thought much of it until it happened to me a few years ago in taking car out from 5 month winter storage. Gas puddled everywhere on top of the engine as I was cranking. Float was stuck in down position after fuel evaporated out during storage and raised on it's own. I was just glad there was not spark in the area. I now turn mine over a couple of times during the winter to keep fuel in the bowls.

Cold- two pumps foot off gas and then feather for 15 sec.
Hot- just turn the key

I have an optima battery and an electric choke. The electric choke w/fast idle made a huge difference. One pump to set the fast idle and it always starts for me. I've also played around with my timing and I've noticed that if my initial timing is above 15 degrees, I'll have some trouble getting the car started...especially if the engine is already warm.

I used to do "two pumps, then hold it to the floor on the third, until it fired" (Never used a choke)... I don't think I do that anymore, but subconciously, I might... Recently, my car wasn't starting (after dropping in a new distributor)... I charged the battery to be sure it was getting full amperage, and then did the "pump twice and hold"... The car roared to life... After I set the timing, no pumps necessary...


Good one :thumbsup:
I was just about to say "WHAT, an Optima battery doesn't turn the starter over any better than any good battery, then I saw your smiley face. :D

Over the years (I've only been playing with these cars for about 26 years, not as long as some "old timers" here ;) ), I have had numerous different batteries (no-name, Autolite, Interstate, Diehard, etc) in different vehicles (as well as other members in my family and friends I have helped)...

Pretty much EVERYONE had some issues within a few years, Except the Optimas...

I had an Optima in my convertible for about 5 years, and NEVER had a problem... Even after sitting for 6 months and needing to crank the starter for 1+ minutes (happened several times after a lengthy storage) and numerous "restarts" (no choke)... Or "playing" with the power top frame 9adjusting and bleeding) when I installed it (no battery charger needed)...

My Brother had an Optima for many years, and never had a problem (only went dead once, after he left something "on" for a day+)...

My current car has an Optima, unknown how old, but it was in the car when I bought it. Works pretty good so far, and the car is usually stored for several months at a time... I did need to charge the latest one, as I have been doing alot of work without the car running, and after installing the new distributor, it needed quite a bit of cranking...

So while the Optima might not turn the engine over better than a "good" battery, IMO, it is going to stay "good" far longer than anything else...

my old engine would need about two pumps. New one is a different beast, just turn the key and it's good to go. But every engine is different.

i just blow into the thing they gave me when i went to court. oh, and then 4 or 5 pumps.

When its cold I just push the pedal all the way to the floor, let off of it, and turn the key, starts all the time. (stock carb)

i have a rochester quadrajet off a corvette and i only have to pump it once and its fired i probably could get away with starting without pumping it believe me its a good quad never been messed with so its like when it came from factory came off a corvette to go on a corvette engine (L79) lol:D

Reach in, insert the key, turn the key to "on", wait for the fuel pumps to run a bit and then start. Usually about 2 seconds of cranking. Doesn't matter if it sat an hour or 2 months.


Fuel Injection is so nice :yes:

turn key, insert foot to toe board.

I think I need a new battery. It used to take 2 pumps of the throttle and I would turn the key and my 70 fired right up. As of late, I pump it twice and it takes forever to start...a couple of times with a backfire. I may have flooded it with gas and the slow starting contributed to this IMO. Again, I figure I need a new battery, but what do you folks do to "prep for ignition" with your chevelles? Do I need to pump it twice or just turn the key and it should choke automatically? Thanks for the tips. Tom.

I have one vehicle with an Edlebrock that needs several pumps if it sets very long. I also have Holleys that only need one or two pumps. What carb are you using?

Once to the floor and turn the key.....

Pretty much EVERYONE had some issues within a few years, Except the Optimas...


I only had to go to Optima because I mounted my battery in the trunk the wrong direction. I mounted it longways, with the frame rails. Launching the car at the track would make the acid slosh against the plates and break them off. I didn't believe this would happen when my friend told me about it, but it did. Since I already made all the battery cables, I just went to a gel-cell. Problem solved.

Well, I bought a new 24 series Interstate battery and WOW!! 2-3 pumps and it starts immediately. Great turnover!! It seems as though the classic car company I bought the car from last year cheaped out and put a 58 series battery in and not a 24 series. I never really looked that closely until now. That would explain the really slow starts I have been experiencing. The car starts awesome! I can't believe how quick. It starts as quick as a fuel injected car in my opinion. Thanks to all that helped with battery suggestions and starting techniques. I appreciate it. Tom.

Maybe someone can diagnose what's gone off with mine. (Edelbrock Thunder Series carb.)

Until this week, it would start easily with "pedal down, turn key". One night driving home - it wouldn't start too flooded. Finally got it running later and since then will tend to flood out if I use more than a tap of pedal or so.

It will ONLY start after I crank it and let go the key; will not fire when key is cranking. Unreliable now, too.

I just got an Edelbrock Thunder AVS a couple of months ago and it's doing the same thing as yours. In the morning, it starts without fail on the first try. After a bit of driving, it used to start right up between stops, but now I have to crank it, then let go of the key and push the pedal. Sometimes it takes a couple of times.

Where are you located? Has it gotten a lot warmer recently? Here it's been getting warmer and I think that my timing might be a tad too advanced. That's the first thing I'm going to try.

Also, the car might need a tune up. I've noticed with these old cars that you'll change a part/component, and then some other minor or major thing will go wrong. It seems logical that the change was responsible -- and most of the time seems like the only answer. But I can't tell you how many times I've chased my tail only to find that the cause of the problem was totally unrelated and nothing more than a coincidence.

I used to start my '65 about once a year when I was home on leave. Just give it a little taste of starting fluid and it fired right off. Sometimes I'd have to do it a couple of times until I got some of that old gas pumped up to the carb. Then pump the throttle a little to give it pump shots until it got the fuel flow going good. I wouldn't recommend this to anybody with an expensive engine, but mine was just a tired old 327. Delta Mark 10 CD ignition I put together from a kit I got at Lafayette Radio, AC 44 plugs, tired old Rochester 4GC. Not rocket science.

My $0.02

i wanna get a optima battery for mine the biggest cold cranking amps too:thumbsup:

If it's gonna start, it will fire everytime with two pumps then hold half throttle, and turn the key

Well typically its just a pump and the key... But when I brought it out of storage for the first time i had to take off the air cleaner and (with the manual choke closed in the interior) use my finger to open and close the choke while throttling at the same time... im young and new to this whole muscle car thing... but one day i flooded the engine and used this method to get her started again.... is it common practise or just a dumb luck discovery?? ...either way,, works every time

Here's what mine was - I figured it out when driving and it stalled. It was the air cleaner - which is the K&N reuseable type. It had just been cleaned, but was probably a bit too far gone (old). So it wasn't breathing and letting any air in. Simple. With a new air cleaner on (had to get an Edelbrock for carb spacing and height match) it works fine.

So - could be an air FLOW issue if it's flooding.