Rage3211

I have found that if I fire my car up every day or two she fires right up. Two or three pumps on the pedal and fires up, no issues, no problems. If she sits more than 2 days she will not start without me dumping some fuel into the carb. Once I do that she fires and runs great. I suspect it is the choke on the carb. Any suggestions?

Hairy Olds

Well plugs are more than likely leaking.

scottv442

by your description I doubt it's your choke settings

well plugs under carb float bowl are likely leaking your fuel away and the accelerator pump is probably not sealing very well either. crank the car for ten seconds and then lightly pump the accelerator 4-5 times and see if it starts.

common problem with Q-jet carbs.

Rage3211

Did some homework and I think you are correct. Looking for fixes now.

RetroRanger

Mine is similar start every day no problem, sit for a week I crank for3-5 seconds, wait 3-5 seconds, repeat 2 more times w a couple pumps of the pedal, I thought it might be the well plugs as well so I took the carb off and let it set on the bench full of fuel, after a day the well plugs were dry. Forum wisdom suggests the fuel today evaporates more easily, so I just live w some extra cranks if it sits a while. This is w a qjet.

joe_padavano

BEFORE you waste a lot of time and money worrying about the well plugs, try a simple test. Pull the carb off the car and prop it up on the bench over a sheet of paper. Fill the float bowl through the vent. Let it sit overnight. If the paper is NOT wet and stained, the well plugs are NOT leaking and your problem is elsewhere.

Ever since Doug Roe wrote about these, the Qjet well plugs have been blamed for every hard start problem. The reality is that this problems primarily affects the 1966-67 Qjets with the sheet metal plugs. By 1968 the design was changed to the spun-in aluminum plugs that RARELY leak. Run the easy test before wasting time and money. Your problem is far more likely due to a weak check valve in the fuel filter and/or fuel pump. You DO have the stock fuel filter with a check valve installed, don't you?

scottv442

My last two 1970 Qjets and this current one must be pretty rare, as they all leaked and got fixed with JB weld.

joe_padavano

And you know this how? If you think they leaked just because there was some dark liquid in the cavity under the plugs, that is fuel puddling from reversion, not proof of a leak. In over four decades of working on Qjets, I've only had one that leaked, and that was a 1967 carb with the sheet metal plugs.

In any case, it costs nothing to test for the leak with the carb off the car. Why wouldn't you do that FIRST?

Fun71

Isn't the black foam gasket supplied in the rebuild kits supposed to take care of any potential seepage in the well plugs? Not saying they ever leak (I've never experienced it) - just an observation about the parts in the rebuild kits.

cougla

You DO have the stock fuel filter with a check valve installed, don't you?

Joe, I should introduce myself first (Jerry), My 66 Toro exhibits the problems of hard starting after sitting overnight and yes I do have the sintered stock fuel filter and a new fuel pump, but what &(where) is this check valve your talking about? The Carb was just completely overhauled by "Carb Rebuilders" in Oshawa Canada. The well plugs were sealed with JB weld and all fixes were applied including a new leather pump. I have not tried to let the carb sit on the bench overnight yet, but I am going to do this tonight because I am at my wits end with this car. Not only is it hard starting after sitting but does not seem to have the power it should have. It has a new rebuild to factory spec and idles very nicely, but when I put pedal to metal it falls flat. I just put a new coil in it (MSD Blaster II 8202) hoping it was weak, but no difference.

Fun71

Are you sure they didn't install a modern rubber one? Leather pump seals are so 1930s.

cougla

I watched him put it in and I was sure he said "leather". It was brownish in color.

joe_padavano

Actually, the paper filters are the ones with a built in check valve. The sintered ones obviously do not have that feature and rely on the outlet valve at the fuel pump. Your 66 DOES have the sheet metal plugs that are prone to leaking.

joe_padavano

That's the intent of that piece of foam, but I've never been convinced of it's effectiveness.

shiftbyear

I agree with Joe about the well plugs. After 2 or more days are you getting a fuel shot from the accelerator pump when you move the throttle with the engine off and cold? Does the choke flap close like it's suppose to? If the accelerator pump cup is not ethanol resistant it may distorted and not giving you a good shot of fuel. Good luck

shiftbyear

article about ethanol fuels and carbs






http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2013...ttle-response/

Fun71

So is leather ethanol resistant?

76olds

I had the same problem with my 76 cutlass years ago. I had the original Q-jet on the car, switched it to an edelbrock 600 just putting a new fuel filter on. Same issue as you mentioned, then installed a new fuel pump.
The fuel pump was the problem!!
I hope this helps
Eric

Tedd Thompson

Yes it is but the down side is anything you find with leather is probably 35 years old and older and drying out and getting more brittle as we speak.... Tedd