Your symptoms are indicative of no gas in the bowl. Once there is gas in the bowl you have to pump it once to get the accelerator pump to squirt gas down the throat to prime it. IF you just fill the bowl through the vent then there is an off chance the reservoir for the accelerator pump may not get any gas in it and you would havve to pump a second time. ITs the same as using the starter fluid. Your issue is there is no fuel in the bowl to be pulled into the carb idle circuit to keep it running. Just tapping it wont set the choke fully and thats bad advise obviously. you have to go all the way to the floor

If you have the time you can remove your carb and suspend it over a sheet of paper or card board with enough room to see the underside of your carb. Then fill the fuel bowl. If it starts to seep though the bottom of the bowl or through the plugs you will see the paper get stained or if the leak is bad you would see the droplets form. If not then its evaporation. If you are taking the time to pull off the air cleaner to squirt in starter fluid then get a bulb syringe and fill up your fuel bowl. It only takes a cup or so to fill it. If all of this is a pain, get a flow though fuel pump and add it back at the tank or just before the mechanical pump. But it has to have head pressure so that it can siphon the fuel.

 

I happened to have a quadrajet open, measuring the bowl volume, I came up with 1.5 ounces or 50 ml.
So not much volume there, I would imagine that amount of gasoline would evaporate after a couple of weeks.

 

As stated above.
Nothing unusual about cranking for 10-15 seconds after its been sitting for anything more than a couple of days.
You don't need to repair anything..
My 73 is pretty much the same, except my choke hasn't worked since I bought it 6 years ago.
I built a new big block for my 73 and I ordered my new Holley without a choke.
I don't need one and there will be one less thing to adjust or go wrong.

 

I don't agree tapping the gas pedal is bad advice, it's worked on my car for decades. It sets the choke plate, but not the fast idle, so when I start the car briefly throughout the winter (up on blocks) the engine doesn't rev to 2500 rpm's with 35 deg oil. It's more like 1500 rpm's.
Regarding advice - adding a 2nd fuel pump sounds like a bandaid. Unsure how many would want to hack into their fuel line and do that. Sorry, but...

 

your fast idle cold shouldn’t be that high..mine is 1300 post 15, something goofy?
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...l82-q-jet.html
5 seconds cranking prior to starting on rebuilt empty carburetor

 

My car '80/ L82 starts like that in the summer when it's 70 deg or more in the garage. But in the winter it's a different story, like 2500 rpm's if I set the choke beyond a 'tap'.
It's been like that since I bought it in '86.
So, should these qjet engines start exactly like the car in your video regardless of ambient temp?

 

yes sir..
i was out today 32f..been out at zero before..same just longer on high idle as i removed my exhaust pre heat valve.
mine is 79 l82.
mine gets driven year round no rain or salt on roads im out…saves on storage and heats garage

 

Two pumps to set the choke and fast idle, then crank to start.

I had a similar issue with my 79. Two things that helped:

• Fixing the ignition timing to Lars' spec.
• Replacing the fuel filter with the correct one which has a check-valve built in.

This greatly reduced the crank time to start the car. I also replaced the fuel pump when the old one started leaking, but that didn't seem to relate to the cranking issue.

Searching back for "filter" in this thread, I see that @interpon and @7T1vette beat me to this advice!

 

Bandiad or cure....... To cure the issue you need to not use ethanol fuel so it doesnt evaporate as fast, reseal the carb bowl which could be a leaking plug or the casting being to porous, or a leaking check valve in a your fuel pump.....And cold oil is still viscous because of the weight oil you use. If its too thick to give instant pressure then you need better oil.

If you dont start your car during the winter your bowl will probably go dry after 5 to 6 months so filling the fuel bowl is an easy cure or just go to the electric fuel pump and let it prime like EFI throttle bodies do....

I wouldnt call it a bandaid, I call it making a crappy situation managable. Its just a rubber house anyway

 

Thanks interpon. I now know that I have a High Idle issue to resolve (somehow - haha!)

 

vacuum leak maybe??? or the high idle cam is set to high or bent in tooo much

 

I've actually been using Ethanol free gas, as long as it's been around, until a year ago. That's when the last local filling station, with a dedicated pump handle/ hose for E-Free gas, went away. Now it's 1 pump handle for all 3 Grades. So, I'm told, you get 1-2 gals of the ethanol stuff, before you get the good gas you're paying for. Makes me want to gift the first 2 gallons to the car parked next to me at the pumps - haha.
Yeah, I don't seem to have the long crank issue, it's more like 5-6 secs after sitting for a week or more, which is normal per the posts above...

 

Short cranking like that after 2 weeks is a sign of a decent carb for sure. Probably just evaporation. I havent seen ethanol free gas at a normal pump for years. The closest ive seen is the 104 or 110 stuff that was $10 bucks a gallon before Brandon got in office. I dont know what that would cost now.

 

Maybe, but it seems to be Air Temp related. Like if it's 70 degrees or warmer, the car starts like that one in the video above. Colder than that tho and revs to 2 - 2.5K unless I lightly tap the go pedal so that I'm setting the choke plate only and not the fast idle. Well, that's what I think is going on...

 

when its cold turn the key to run but dont start it, Then get out an move the throttle by hand. Maybe you will be able to see where the high idle cam is an how you can maybe adjust it

 

After more than a day or two sitting, mine is: key on, floor pedal once, turn over for ~2 seconds, stop, pump accel 3-4 times, and then it starts up with gusto. But, it won’t stay running without babysitting it for up to 60 seconds depending on air temp, so I still have some choke work to do.

 

Thats normal.If that happens overnight there may be a problem.Sitting for 2 weeks the fuel bowl slowly drains out.
Crank the engine for 5-10 seconds... then pump the pedal 2-3 times to the floor... start it up.. no problem.

 

Sounds like a typical carbureted 70s Vehicle/ Vet. If it runs well after it is started and warmed up..... Leave it the hell alone

 

Not starting immediately after sitting for a few weeks in normal, most of the classic cars in our collection are like this. The fuel evaporates so there is nothing to ignite unless you spray the start fluid in the carb.
BTW - I only crank the starter for about 5 seconds, then stop a second, pump the pedal twice and try again. Repeat as necessary. Once you have a method, stick to it. Each car may be slightly different.