Since this is the first carb car I've had, I'm just wondering if its normal to take almost 10 seconds of straight cranking to start the car cold after it hasn't been run for a few days to a week. (or even one day, for that matter).
If there's a way to shorten that time, what can be done?
Thanks.

 

Ummm, for me it is about 5 - 6 seconds cold. Ten seems a bit excessive, but I am no Corvette Expert by any stretch...SUPERFAST 80, is the man that can answer that one, or Gdh.

 

check your ground for starter and battery, battery connections for corrosion, etc.
I did...found hidden corrosion under the terminals, but from the outside they looked mint. Cut them, redid the connections and now its back to the same old quick cold starts ! :cheers:

 

I guess I could try rubbing down the contacts, but I don't think that's a problem. Its a brand new batt, and it cranks strong and loud.
Could it be a carb adjustment? Something to do with the bowl?

 

Couple questions: Is your car's tuning dialed in and do you have a choke? If either answer is no, that could cause the delayed start.

 

I have the choke, but have not tuned it yet. That's actually my next project. I didn't realize that tuning was related to start-up time.
So, how long 'should' it take to start?

 

I'm no expert by any stretch, but have you checked your choke, and made sure it's closing properly and idle is adjusted properly? Do you pump the gas a few times before starting? Expierment with different #'s of pumps before starting. Maybe even pump, turn key, and pump again!! Our carbs/engines are all different, and need to be learned. When mine is warm, I don't have to pump at all. When cold, 2-5 pumps are necessary. When sitting for days, pump, start, pump again. Good Luck... :cheers: :cheers:

 

I first press the gas pedal all the way down to close the choke (I saw that this worked when I had the air cleaner off). I let up, then I crank while pumping a few times. And once its running, the idle is right where it should be... for fast idle and after its warmed up.
Maybe I need to pump more... :)


[Modified by Marc78, 4:26 PM 4/11/2002]

 

Another thing to look at is your ignition system. I have new wires, a MSD Pro-Billet Dist, MSD 6A ignition and electric choke. I pump it once to close the choke and it fires almost immediately. Lucky me, huh? Now if I can just get to run smooth off idle, well that's another thread.

 

My car starts on the first crank most of the time just like any modern fuel injected car. Yours should to if the carb and ignition syustem are in good shape and tuned right.

 

Some C-3's mine included, have this problem. I have been told that there are some plugs in the bottom of the carb that allow gas to drain out of the carb after it sits for a few days so it is starved for gas when you go to start. The plugs or holes can be plugged with JB Weld. I am taking mine apart this summer to do just that.

 

Mine does the same thing. I've been wondering about it more recently.

Maybe I need to pump the gas more before I crank it.

It starts right up when warm, but 6-10 seconds when cold.

 

Here's what works for mine:
Pump the pedal 3 times. Wait 10 - 15 seconds. Then it starts right up.
Otherwise, it takes about 6 secs of cranking.

BTW, I have a Q-Jet.

 

I just tap the accelerator to set the choke(you can hear it click)and it fires right off, a second or two of cranking maximum. I've done the timing and the carb per Lars' setup. Stock HEI and Quadrajet.
Scott

 

My starting procedure is:

Throttle to the floor slowly. Hold it there for a few secs to let the gas down into the intake more easily. (No choke on my car, so I don't have to pump to set it)

GIve it another 1/2 throttle squirt. Hold the throttle about 1/2way down.

Crank. It fires in about the time it takes you to say "Chigga, chugga, vroom" which is pretty much what it does.

Takes a minute or so for the engine to be willing to idle on it's own with no choke or fast idle setting.

 

I assume you have the stock Q-Jet on your car. Clean, well tuned and adjusted they still need pumping. Ideally 2-3 times if the norm in cold weather. Warm weather 1 time to set the choke.

If this is the origional Q-Jet and has never been rebuilt it may have the common problem of leakage from the well plugs under the float bowl. In other words, the fuel slowly leaks out and when you crank it the fuel pump fills the bowl first then it will fire. The only way to tell is pull the carb and by the primary blades the two well plugs will most likely have epoxy on them if it was rebuilt by a shop. If not wait for a rebuild to fix this problem.

Check the choke cold. CAR OFF - iGNITION OFF, close the throttle and the choke blade should close completely. Now, hold the choke blade open with your hand and slowly pump another time & you should see gas squirt into the throttle bores. If not you don't have enough gas in the float bowl. This could be due to fuel evaporation or the leakage problem.

What kind of fuel filter is there? If it is the internal paper type the newer ones use a small oneway valve in the inlet of the filter to prevent fuel from being drawn back into the lines as the engine cools down. Might check this but if you pull it, change it, it is worth the time. Just watch for the teflon washer on the carb inlet. BEFORE working on the carb at all, I'd recommend you go get the book on Rochester carbs. Believe the author is Doug Roe. Good luck and hang in there - this is not fuel injection and each car seems to have its own personality on starting.

 

If everything is right and operating as designed, it should fire up immediately. As already posted though, carbs can be finicky and don't always stay as designed. Try to avoid pumping more than once or twice as that only puts raw fuel down your cylinder walls and into your oil. Too many pumps will also foul the plugs, making starting impossable until they dry enough. Also, I'm not sure about q-jets but on many carbs, less than a full pump will disengage the fast idle cam and defeat it's purpose.

 

To avoid pumpin' and crankin', I used canned ether (it's sold at auto parts stores as "starting fluid"). Most brands contain an upper cylinder lube to make the whole process easier on your engine. Great stuff if the car sits for days between starts. Just give a 2-second burst into the air intake on on the air cleaner and she'll start right up the second the starter turns her over.

JB

 

If it has sat for at least 2 weeks then there won't be any fuel in the reservoir due to evaporation...even in cold weather. You will need to turn the engine over for about 5 seconds to get some fuel in the reservoir up to the accelerator pump feed hole, then stop cranking...pump the pedal about 3 times (it takes one pump to prime the accelerator pump)...then hold the gas down just a bit and it should start after 1 second (so the engine achieves 2 revolutions...one to fill a cylinder with air/fuel and the other to compress and fire...though the first few cylinders usually don't have the right air/fuel mixture when it's cold so it's usually the second time around the it kicks in.

Now, if it takes 10 seconds after just a couple of days then you might need some hotter plugs...try the Bosch Platinum and see if that helps.

 

No matter how cold mine starts up in two cycles like RnR says.

My procedure is to turn the car to "ON" (so the idle stop soleniond engages). I press the pedal down to the floor once (engage choke and squirt some fuel into the intake) and start the car. As RnR says it makes the "RrrRrr" sound (two revolutions) and it fires right up. Less than 1 second.