Cold Start Issues
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Pleasant Ridge, MI
Cold Start Issues
Hey guys cold start question. Forgive me, I am new to older engines. But am just looking for advice on this one.
Basically I have a 283 in my C1, It's doesn't really start when cold. The Vette does have a fuel pump that won't start until oil pressure is reached. I'm not sure if this is normal. Any way last season I had an issue with starting it warm and cold. I adjusted the timing yesterday and had successfully warm starts. What should I be looking for with the cold start issue? Thanks everyone!
Basically I have a 283 in my C1, It's doesn't really start when cold. The Vette does have a fuel pump that won't start until oil pressure is reached. I'm not sure if this is normal. Any way last season I had an issue with starting it warm and cold. I adjusted the timing yesterday and had successfully warm starts. What should I be looking for with the cold start issue? Thanks everyone!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
Hey guys cold start question. Forgive me, I am new to older engines. But am just looking for advice on this one.
Basically I have a 283 in my C1, It's doesn't really start when cold. The Vette does have a fuel pump that won't start until oil pressure is reached. I'm not sure if this is normal. Any way last season I had an issue with starting it warm and cold. I adjusted the timing yesterday and had successfully warm starts. What should I be looking for with the cold start issue? Thanks everyone!
Basically I have a 283 in my C1, It's doesn't really start when cold. The Vette does have a fuel pump that won't start until oil pressure is reached. I'm not sure if this is normal. Any way last season I had an issue with starting it warm and cold. I adjusted the timing yesterday and had successfully warm starts. What should I be looking for with the cold start issue? Thanks everyone!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 17,571
Likes: 3,460
From: Fresno California
If you are not driving the car every few days, and it sits, the carburetor will be bone dry, as the new gas evaporates. The cure is to drive more often. Also, make sure the choke is functional and adjusted properly.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
If he is used to the "no touch" starting like new models, he needs to bone up.
Last edited by MikeM; Apr 29, 2020 at 07:27 PM.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Pleasant Ridge, MI
A couple pumps from the gas get it primed well without using the choke. I suppose my issue last season could have been related to the battery. I did keep the battery on a charger all winter. And it seems to be stronger now. Thanks for the help.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 242
Likes: 53
That would do it, or as GTOguy said, it could be because the fuel bowl is empty. I wasn't driving my car a lot and the fuel would evaporate requiring a lot of cranking to get it to start. I haven't had that problem since converting to a Holley Sniper with the Holley in-tank fuel pump.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 962
Likes: 357
I had a heck of a time cold starting my 62. I treid everything. When friends would come and try to help it started right up and it became the joke of the club. Then one night I got to thinking---every time someone came to helo the first thing they did was to remove the air filter---hmmmm! So, the next moring I removed the filetr and bang---popped right over and worked great. So I looked a little closer and low and behold I discovered that the when I tightened the wing nut on the air filter the little dome in the center pressed against the choke rod. That also would explain my difficult hard starts after the engine warmed up.
I put a stopper nut just high enough to prevent the propblem but not so high as to prevent closing the hood.
Problem solved--cold starts fine warm starts fine AND much better gas mileage----it gets as good as my brother in law's PT Cruiser---16.8. For a PT Cruiser it's embarrassing and terrible but for a 327 Corvette that's great .
Check that out. Ya might get lucky.
Eddie
I put a stopper nut just high enough to prevent the propblem but not so high as to prevent closing the hood.
Problem solved--cold starts fine warm starts fine AND much better gas mileage----it gets as good as my brother in law's PT Cruiser---16.8. For a PT Cruiser it's embarrassing and terrible but for a 327 Corvette that's great .
Check that out. Ya might get lucky.
Eddie
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Pleasant Ridge, MI
I do have an after market fuel pump that does not sit in the tank. This car is a 54' and was my Grandfathers. He did a 283 swap with a T500. I was concerned because I would think I should get fuel pressure once I turn the ignition on, not after I get oil pressure. I will check out the filter situation too, I didn't think to look for how the filter is affecting the choke.
My plan is to start it and run it once a day here, and continue to trouble shoot. Thanks again for all the input!
My plan is to start it and run it once a day here, and continue to trouble shoot. Thanks again for all the input!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
I do have an after market fuel pump that does not sit in the tank. This car is a 54' and was my Grandfathers. He did a 283 swap with a T500. I was concerned because I would think I should get fuel pressure once I turn the ignition on, not after I get oil pressure. I will check out the filter situation too, I didn't think to look for how the filter is affecting the choke.
My plan is to start it and run it once a day here, and continue to trouble shoot. Thanks again for all the input!
My plan is to start it and run it once a day here, and continue to trouble shoot. Thanks again for all the input!
If the long crank time bothers you, you can always manually prime the carburetor before trying to start the car. I suppose you could also put a manual override circuit on that fuel pump to fill the fuel system without even cranking the engine.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
I do have an after market fuel pump that does not sit in the tank. This car is a 54' and was my Grandfathers. He did a 283 swap with a T500. I was concerned because I would think I should get fuel pressure once I turn the ignition on, not after I get oil pressure. I will check out the filter situation too, I didn't think to look for how the filter is affecting the choke.
My plan is to start it and run it once a day here, and continue to trouble shoot. Thanks again for all the input!
My plan is to start it and run it once a day here, and continue to trouble shoot. Thanks again for all the input!
If the long crank time bothers you, you can always manually prime the carburetor before trying to start the car. I suppose you could also put a manual override circuit on that fuel pump to fill the fuel system without even cranking the engine.