I just installed a new 383 with a new edelbrock 750 manual choke. Basically same set up as I had in prior motor. Problem I am having is after car sits several days (usually a week or more) I have to turn it over and pump the gas for around 2- 10 second intervals to get it to fire up and run. Once it fires it runs great, if its only been sitting a day or two it will fire imediately. I went through and installed a new fuel line thinking maybe it had a crack and sucking air, no luck. I then went thru and installed a new fuel pump thinking the diaphram was bad, no luck. I have 12+ volts to my HEI as well. I have the choke currently wired open and have thought about installing a choke cable to see if this might help. It seems that the carb is loosing prime, I do still get several squirts out of the carb on inital start up though and the fuel pump (manual) does seem to build pressure very quickly. Any ideas or tricks to try?

I would fix the choke and check your float levels. Do you have a vented fuel cap on the tank?

Float levels are perfect, even tried my old carb and it does exactly the same thing on this motor. Non vented cap required on my 64. Would installing the choke actually make it start right up? I have never had to run a choke in the past, it just seems wierd that it is doing this after its been sitting about a week, if its just a day or two it will fire right up... its like there is not enough fuel to get it to fire until I turn it over and over.

Float levels are perfect, even tried my old carb and it does exactly the same thing on this motor. Non vented cap required on my 64. Would installing the choke actually make it start right up? I have never had to run a choke in the past, it just seems wierd that it is doing this after its been sitting about a week, if its just a day or two it will fire right up... its like there is not enough fuel to get it to fire until I turn it over and over.

mine does the same thing,its like all the fuel in the carb evapoates or something...........

exactly, have u found any cure for it? It has nothing to do with heat boiling fuel because it will do it regardless of ever even warming up the time before the previous crank. It is not loosing fuel or the jets either..

Sorry, no suggestions here but I too have the same problem. Mine is also an Edelbrock carb, but I'm running a 1406 electric choke carb *without* the choke hooked up. I guess I should get my lazy butt out there and wire it up to see if it cures the problem.

exactly, have u found any cure for it? It has nothing to do with heat boiling fuel because it will do it regardless of ever even warming up the time before the previous crank. It is not loosing fuel or the jets either..

No i haven't, but I'll be watching this thread for solutions.
I'm guessing the best solution (that I won't do) is an electric fuel pump with a separate on/off switch.:(

Hook up the choke, I think you will be pleased with the results, I was.

the next time you let it set for a week or more ........ before trying to start it !!

open hood remove air cleaner an look down carb & pump the throttle through while looking down the carb (engine off !) if you don't have a good squirt of fuel the bowl is dry ...meaning a possible leak !! I don't believe it can evaporate in one week, maybe in a month but not a week !!

I'm in Ca ...... I never run a choke , starting drill is one pump of peddle hit key VOOM starts right up :D

I have done as you said about checking for fuel after its been sitting for a while, I do get several good squirts so I know its not completely empty in the bowls... has anyone ever had this problem, hooked up the choke and that just plain fixes it? I am thinking maybe with the choke door closed it will start with less fuel since that shuts off the air supply... anyone?

We have the same problem with our L78 engine. If I shut it off hot and let it sit a week, the float bowls are empty. If I start it and shut it off again when cold, I can start the car like it was started five minutes ago even a week later. I need to block off the heat crossover, install the oil splash shield under the intake and also add a carb heat shield. Until I make the changes, I just use a squirt bottle and fill the front bowl with gas when the car has been sitting for a while. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the starter.

It has to be the choke. Hook it up, pump the accel one time and it should fire off.

Put a Holley on it......problem solved:D

I can start my Elco in the morning after I get off work, 30 degrees out, with no choke and 2 pumps of the pedal.

Put a Holley on it......problem solved:D

I can start my Elco in the morning after I get off work, 30 degrees out, with no choke and 2 pumps of the pedal.

Let it sit a month & see what happens.

BTW I DO have a Holley on mine.:yes:

It ha nothing to do with cold weather, it will start on a 20 degree day as long as it was started a day or 2 before, no issues with heat (have heat dissapator). I have a holley also but it wont work on my performer RPM intake because it covers the vacum outlet and I cant raise the carb because of hood height issues. Its just like it cant get enough fuel, mu other motor had no issue with it at all but this one is about 450 HP compared to my 300 HP motor. I will let it sit a couple days and give it a squirt and manually engage my choke and see if that happens to fix it and if so I will install a manual choke cable, I will let you know what happens.

Next time try pumping it about four or five times and then take your foot completely off the pedal when cranking. It works for me.
Do you have the same type of spark plugs as you had in the other engine?
Squido

I had the same problem with a 2 different Edelbrock carbs, 650 and 750, on 2 different engines (355 and 406). I finally replaced it with a Holley 750 HP carb and starts on 1 st crank with one or two pumps of the gas pedal, depending on how cold it is (no choke). I gave the 750 Edelbrock to my buddy and now he has the same problem of excessive cranking. If you look at the accelerator pump while cracking the throttle little or no fuel will come out. At least that was what happend with mine.

Let it sit a month & see what happens.

BTW I DO have a Holley on mine.:yes:

I have never had a problem with starting......no matter how long it sets.

BTW I DO have a Holley on mine.:yes:
Me too.:D

My Chevelle always took a lot of cranking to start. Pumping and cranking, pumping and cranking. I've since replaced the motor and everything else, same deal starting it. I have a Holley 950HP on there now, no choke.

The car sits all winter and this year, after owning the car for about 8 years it finally would not start without a jump. Bought a new battery, pumped the carb a couple times, turned the key and instant roar! Scared the crap out of me. I wasn't expecting it to start, it has never started in less than 30 seconds of cranking.

I thought it was normal for a carburated car to be hard to start (I wasn't a driver when carbs were on production cars) but I guess I just had a crappy battery since I got the car.

Worth a check, if it's an old battery.

Tim.

Some one here once told me to "just pump the crap out of it":D

Hook up the choke, I think you will be pleased with the results, I was.

Isn't that the truth. Once you have a functioning choke, the gas pedal tap dance becomes hard to go back to. Now that I have a Qjet that has a functioning divorced choke, I'll never go back to to the PITA that is running with no choke. I also think that the fast idle helps lubricate the valvetrain.

I think that the gas evaporates out of the carb MUCH faster now than it used to because today's gas is designed for today's cars. So, to some extent, it's just one of those things. My system now is to crank for about 3-4 seconds to fill the bowl, prime with a few pumps of the gas, take the foot OFF the gas, and start. Once you figure out a system, it should start the same way every time unless there is some other problem. A heat shield of some kind, even if it is a thicker gasket, is a HUGE help with this problem.

the gas is evaporating right out of the bowl vents on top. the engine being hot or warm speeds up the process. if you cover the carb after turning it off with one of those carb caps like moroso sells the problem goes away...open air cleaners don`t help either:noway:

I dare say that people with electric fuel pumps don't have this problem.

I dare say that people with electric fuel pumps don't have this problem.
I would agree. My Chevelle never has any starting issues, even after setting all winter. I turn the pump on, pump the pedal 2-3 times and she fires up every spring. On the flip side, I drove my Elco to work last night (work 3rd) and the temps dropped to 7 degrees. I pumped the pedal twice and she fired right up. I have a 650 Holley with the choke completely milled off. Of coarse I needed to utilize my foot choke to keep it running though:D

the gas is evaporating right out of the bowl vents on top. the engine being hot or warm speeds up the process. if you cover the carb after turning it off with one of those carb caps like moroso sells the problem goes away...open air cleaners don`t help either:noway:

I figured this is the problem & the cure.:yes:

If my bone stock LS6 sits for more then a week it is hard to start alos.
rather then crank the engine I take off the air cleaner lid and pour a little gas in the carb. The car then starts right up.

My 66 malibu does this also,stroker,edlebrock,manual pump was elect..It actually somehow sucks the fuel back into tank or pushes it or some dam thing. I know about vented ,not vented.Tried everything I could think of but still does it.Not consistant though.Im just gonna go with a new motor next year.I know its prob. not the motor as it is very strong but I need to make it more of a highway car.Motor,gears. Have been dragging my feet as it is a blast to drive around town right now.

I have an Edelbrock 650 AVS. No problems cold starting. When winter came, I had to increase the fast idle a half a turn. Try increasing the fast idle -- it might give you enough air to keep it running until the engine warms up.

I thought it was normal for a carburated car to be hard to start (I wasn't a driver when carbs were on production cars)

Given:
1. A properly adjusted choke
2. An engine/fuel system in good mechanical condition
3. A stock, mild, or moderate camshaft (i.e., not some wild-ass monster cam)
4. Fuel properly blended for winter use
5. A driver who's familiar with proper cold-weather starting technique
6. A battery/starter/ignition system in good condition

A carbureted car will start as reliably as any fuel-injected car using a similar cam/compression. It will run just as smoothly when cold as a F.I. car having the same camshaft/compression. It will probably NOT have the low emissions of the FI engine.

At -40, I'd RATHER have the carbed car; I don't think FI is as reliable in extreme cold weather.

#1 is fairly easy once you understand how a choke is supposed to work.
#4 is something of a question. I don't know if the refineries are still using the same "winter formula" for gasoline that they did when carbs ruled the earth. I kinda suspect they are not; most cars are FI now, and it seems to me that FI cars would not need the extra volatility. So I'm not sure that today's fuels will work as well in the winter in a carbed application.

As for modern gasoline evaporating out of the carb from heat soak--I won't argue because I haven't done any real experiments. All I can say is that hasn't been my experience. I really haven't had much trouble with that now or in the past. To me, today's fuel has LESS volatility than the fuel of thirty years ago, I think that was done in part to reduce hydrocarbon air pollution. But lots of folks claim the opposite--todays fuel flashes out of the carb bowls like stink off poop.

My 59 (elec pump) fires right up===no matter how long it sets

Got an old (82) Dodge pick-up--6cyl--hard as hell to get started if it sits for more than 3 days. If I use it daily---fires right up

I take off the air cleaner lid and pour a little gas in the carb. The car then starts right up.
X2 - on my Q-Jet w/o a choke.