Whenever it is fairly warm, the first time I start my car in the morning, after a little winding to pull some gas out of the clearly drained carb, it fires right up.

It's what happens next that is a problem.

If I stop the car, wait a few seconds, and then start it again, it cranks immediately.

If I wait more that a few minutes, it winds and winds and always takes a ton of effort to get it going.

If I wait an hour or two, then it fires right up again - even quicker than the morning start, as there is gas in the carb bowl now.

Any ideas what the issue is?

I have a stock qjet (which was sent to Cliff's for refurb about a year ago). Engine is a 5 year old, 10K miles 350 GM Crate motor 350/290HP.

Other than this issue, the car runs great.

I'm just always leery of shutting the engine whenever I get gas, run in for groceries, etc.

I had the "starter/solenoid" issue on hot days when I first got the car, but that was fixed with a new mini starter. That problem had the symptom of the starter not even turning. With this problem, the car is turning over fine, it's just not actually starting without many turns of the ignition and several gas pumps.

I've read about gas boiling in the carb - could it get too hot after sitting for a few minutes? Thanks in advance for any info.

 

You are assuming your gasoline is somehow "draining" out of your carburetor after several minutes of sitting but then claim it cranks and fires right off after sitting for an hour or more. Which would indicate the gasoline never drained out in the first place. If you're running a QuadraJet its possible the small fuel filter in the carburetor's inlet is plugged and after sitting for a while some of the debris is falling down and allowing gasoline to pass thru again. I would at least check that filter first.

 

Hi toobroke... thanks for the quick reply and sorry for my ambiguity.

I believe the gas is draining overnight, hence the slightly slow startup in the AM. After waiting for a few minutes (from a previous start, then shutdown), I'm sure there is still gas in the carb. I believe the heat (either ambient or in the carb) is causing some problem with the mixture that is not allowing it to fire right up. Or at least something along those lines.

 

when you wait a few minutes are you cracking the throttle open maybe a 1/8 to a 1/4 and then turning the key?

 

I was turning the key, then while the starter is turning, pumping a few times, then wait, then pumping a few times, then wait. If nothing happens, I'd release the key, let the starter cool for a minute, then try again. Eventually this is working, but it takes sometimes 10 iterations. In the AM after 3 pumps wait, 3 pumps wait, it fires right up.

I'm guessing it's flooding when I try to restart after letting is sit for more than a couple of minutes (once the engine had been running for a while). But if I don't give it any gas, it never starts as well.

I'll try just holding the throttle open just a little continuously as I engage the starter the next time I drive it.

If I start it again immediately after I stop it (after it had been driven a while) I don't have to touch the gas at all. Just turn the ignition and it starts right up.

 

QuadraJet I assume? If your choke is working correctly just a single pump is needed to set the choke and "prime" the engine. Then by cranking it the engine should fire off. You just said it'll start easily in the morning so that would mean gasoline is remaining in the bowl.

Take your air cleaner off and pump the throttle by hand. The accelerator pump should squirt two streams of gasoline out of the discharge nozzles. It should spray pretty hard so if you just see a weak dribble its not enough.

 

Since the engine is already warm the pumping a few times is flooding the engine. By just opening the throttle that 1/8 to 1/4 you give it a slight shot of gas and then while holding it open turn the key to start.

 

sounds like flooding to me...hold it to the floor completely next time it cranks and if it starts after a few seconds, it's a good indicator...then we can figure out why it's flooding.

 

Possibly leaky well plugs if were talking about a q-jet. When you shut it off for only a minute or less not too much fuel leaks into the intake.
Several minutes and most of the bowl may have drained into the intake, now you have a flooded engine.

Start up your engine like you normally do then shut it off after it's warmed up. Then let it sit for 2,3,4,5 minutes and check to see if fuel has pooled in the intake below the carb by looking into the secondary section of your carb while holding the throttle open all the way so you can see to the bottom of the intake with a flashlight.

Does your engine run fairly rich as well?

 

Re-read your post. It seems unlikely that if it was re-built by Ruggles that you would have a leaking well plug.

I remember on my stock motor if I pulled the carb top off after shutting off the engine and looked inside I could see fuel percolating into the bowl from the fuel line via the float needle valve. I'm guessing that the fuel in the line was hot enough to boil and push the needle off the seat and overfill the bowl causing it to run into the intake causing flooding.

Is your issue only after running the car down the road for a while getting up to full operating temp? Or will it do it even when the engine is relatively cool?

 

Ding Ding Ding - we have a winner: MelWff

I believe it was a flooding issue. If I just do one pump, then just crack the throttle 1/4 of the way it spins for a second, thin fires right up.

Interesting though... why was I only experiencing the hard start symptom / flooding when it was really warm?

When it is cool or cold, no matter how many times I did a full-pump, it started in a few seconds.

 

Maybe fuel percolation? Fuel is getting so hot it's boiling over into the intake.

Can you touch the carb on the second restart or is it really hot?

 

Take another look.

 

its a hard thing to fix,,, or at least it was for me

the first and best thing i did was put a 1/4" wood or non mettle spacer between the carb and intake... this helped a LOT!! make sure your CAI is working correctly, as it will help cool the carb as well..