Hi!

On my C3 -74 is the choke disconnected and now when I coldstart the car I pump the gaspedal about 4 times then I crank it and then pump gas about 2-3 times and then it usually fires up.

If it has been staying for a longer time (about 2-3 weeks) it needs pumping gaspedal + cranking about 4 times.

Anyone else got their choke disconnected and have got some starting tips? Would the car start easier if you pump the gaspedal about 10 times??

When warm the car fires right up.

 

As the object is to get the gasoline into the cylinders it's best to pump your gas pedal WHILE you're cranking it; not pump your pedal and THEN crank it because all that does is flood the floor of the plenum with raw gas. What is your reason for disconnecting your choke?

 

after sitting there is no gas in the carb. so you need to crank 5 to 10 seconds to pump fuel up. so pumping the pedal ahead of time is usually a waste of time. and the choke doesn't help the car start, it helps the car run when stone cold. the accel pump squirts make it start cold.

 

The choke was disconnected by previous owner because it would sometimes go on/get stuck when hot and flooded the carb.

 

On the other side, maybe it´s ok for a old C3 to start on the second/third try?
I guess many other us-cars from the 70-ties with carbs also starts up like this?

 

Hi c74,
Your 74 should start on the first try no matter how long it's been since it was used. (O.K., let's say with in a couple of weeks.) In 1971 I expected my car to start the first time, every time….. and it did.
The starting procedure for a carbureted engine with a mechanical fuel pump is very different than the procedure for starting today's fuel injected engines with electric fuel pumps.
There is starting procedure information in the Owners Manual for your car.
It's different for a warm or cold engine and the procedures ALL incorporate the use of a choke.
You're doing yourself a disservice by not having the proper choke operating on your carburetor.
Regards,
Alan

 

Why don't you just fix your choke? It's easy.
As Alan pointed out you're using the right technique but it only works that way when the choke is working. First pump of the accelerator sets the choke, the other two or three pumps primes the engine.

 

pumping the pedal a few times before cranking is to get the gas into the plenum and set the choke. With no choke i would pump it a few times Then put the pedal to the floor while cranking and let up when it startts. IF that doesnt work pump while cranking. Are you driving it in the winter months in Fnland? Do you follks salt the roads as much as we do in the winter? The choke works by closing the air inlet so you are getting a very rich mixture while the carb is very cold and it sets the carb idle higher to prevent flooding with such a rich mixture while running. Reconnecting the choke would help you start easier, the previous owner may have been having problems and just didnt want to invest the time and money into fixing it if they didnt drive it when it was cold out.

There is many folks here with the choke disconnected but they mostly live in the southern US where it doesnt get as cold as it does up north

 

No, I don´t drive it in the winter months.
Yeah, they salt the roads almost all the time here during the winter months.

I guess I could try to fix the choke during the coming spring.

 

It would be a fun project. You'll have time to figure out what parts are missing

 

I removed all the components for my choke years ago, save the high idle cam. I retained that for cold idling. On my engine the choke is only an obstruction to flow into the carb on the primary side and since I don't run it in very cold conditions I don't need it.

I live in the north (south Dakota) but don't usually drive the vette in sub freezing conditions. But even at 40* it will start and idle after a minute or less.

I crank the engine till I see oil pressure each time I start cold. So during this period of time the carb is also being filled if it needs to be. Once I see oil pressure I pump the throttle 3 to 4 times and it starts.

Then hold the throttle up or pump it slightly to keep it running until the high idle from the cam can keep it running.

Been working fine for 7 years now.

 

2 things come to mind.

1) Sounds like you carb needs a rebuild
2) Fix the choke while you're at it

When I bought my '71 it was sitting for 30+ years untouched. I got it running with everything just the way it was. After rebuilding the carb, I now only have to pump the pedal 2 times and it starts within 3 seconds of cranking. If it has been sitting less than 8 hours I dont have to pump at all and it just fires up. Unfortunately I didn't drive it much this year and it sat for about 3 months untouched. When I went to start it, it took 2 pumps and about 5 seconds of cranking and fired up. When things are working properly, you should not be having these issues.

 

I give my vote for never having a choke. Chokes are for people that don't understand carbs, tuning, or performance motors.

I have not even owned a carb that came with a choke in 20-30 years on my Vette. starts fine even at "Zero F"

Good platinum plugs, wires, and hei or better ignitions. Back when I had stock heads I used the bosch 4 platinum plugs, Taylor race wires, aftermarket dizzy.

You have to remove all the choke parts including the flapper butterfly or what ever you might call it. It is very common to mill off the whole raised choke area of the carb because it disrupts air flow.

I do have a 168 tooth flywheel and a gear reduction mini starter.

But anyway each pump is a squirt of fuel even when it has been sitting for weeks. I've never had the bowls dry up completely.

I pump mine a couple of times and hit the starter. Maybe a couple of times as it fires to life and then run it up to about 2500 rpm steady for about 30 - 45 seconds to warm up, bring the voltage up to 14+ because of my single wire setup alternator. Drop it back down to about 1500 rpm and hold till I see the water temp break 100 degrees before I even put it in gear to move.

Most of your engine ware is when it is cold. I also have a roller lifters and I want everything oiled at over 50 psi for a short time before moving.

 

I also run my '70 355 with the original Quadrajet - NO CHOKE. With the aftermarket intake, no accommodation for the original choke setup. High performance motor and driven on weekends; not winter. I have never run a choke on the weekend or street/strip cars. There is nothing wrong with my carb - it has been rebuilt.

Don't be afraid to pump it 6-8 times if it's been sitting. I usually pump a few times, turn it over for a couple seconds, pump a few more and then turn over again and it fires. You have to nurse it a little when it's cold. You should not have to pump it or add gas when it is warm - something wrong there.

I don't know about 1977 but on my 70 the hard off-idle stumble was lean due to secondary top flap coming open too soon. I adjusted more tension into the spring to delay the big gulp of air and the throttle is sharp as a knife now. Without a choke it will still be stumble and snotty when stone cold, but you shouldn't hammer them cold anyhow.

 

When I start a hot engine I press down the gaspedal when cranking and then it fires up.
I am not sure if the car would start without holding the gaspedal down..

 

When mine is hot I don't have to touch the throttle at all when starting. It will even start without touching the throttle 4 or 5 hours later after it's warm. Really the only time I have to hit the throttle when starting is when it's cold.

 

Wow, that sounds like a time consuming procedure! Must take about 5-10 minutes? I like to just start it and go.

My starting procedure: 1 pump to give it a shot of gas and set the choke. Crank until it starts, back out of the garage and drive away. I do this no matter if its been setting a month or just an hour. Life is easy when you "don't understand carbs, tuning, or performance motors."

 

A shot of ether before you start cranking should fire right away.
Disconnected choke years ago when I noticed the oil turned black with a choke, but stayed golden for thousands of miles without.

 

Your local NAPA parts store will have a manual choke cable to operate the choke manually. I expect it costs less than ten bucks. It needs a strong mount on the dash where you can reach it and it needs a hole through the firewall. But it's pretty faultless if you have problems with the stock choke or you don't have all the original parts to make it work.

Good luck.

 

Ya, it comes down to what your motor is worth...... Once you start having motors that cost over $10k in parts you worry about little things. On real race cars the starting procedure might start an hour before you ever move the car. starting with block heaters and oil heaters