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Hello forum. Been here a while, just never started a post before. Found a lot of great and useful information just looking thru the forum that helped solved some issues I was having.
I have a problem that I didn't see addressed yet and I'm hoping someone may have a solution.
I bought this car just over a year ago from someone that had it sitting for 10 years. Lots of little problems that I've taken care of one at a time. Coming down to the last few (I hope), and I need to address them.
Everytime I cold start the car, I have to spray starting fluid into the air cleaner to get it started. Once started, it runs well. Once running, I can shut of and start it up thru the day with no problems. When it sits overnight, I have to use the starting fluid the next day. Earlier on when I first got the car, I was pouring gas into the carb to get it going. It's definitely easier using starting fluid, but I know it's not normal. So the gas is feeding back out of the carb overnight which seems to me to be caused by a seal somewhere letting the gas siphon out. I see no visable leaks in the fuel system. Smell no gas that maybe leaking. I'm guessing it's either in the fuel pump or the carb itself. Could be both maybe. Just wondering if there was anyone else who has experienced this or has any thoughts.
You have to determine if your carb is actually out of fuel. In the morning, operate the throttle and see if there are 2 solid streams of fuel spraying. Is your choke properly engaged?
Check for any cracks in the fuel line or around the fuel pump, just a tiny crack air leak will keep your pump from priming and sucking gas. It may or may not smell of fuel. A quick check can be had by taking the fuel line apart at the carb and see if fuel is at the filter and ready to fill the carb. There is the always the mentioned leak down syndrome but If mine I would check that last. It seems that there is always something beside that that causes that problem..... Tedd
I'll check that. I'm guessing at this point also, I should have been smart enough to to using a new fuel pump and rebuild the carb seeing that the car sat for so long. Any rubber pieces that should be sealing anything would be pretty much crap by now.
I have the same issue in my '71 Cutlass with 350 and QJet. A new fuel pump didn't solve anything, although you can always do a pressure test to confirm yours is pumping enough.
My car was a similar situation as yours - sitting for years without regular starts. It just takes more cranking to get the float bowl level up so the engine will start. Pouring gas/starter fluid into the carb isn't helping overcome the lack of gas, just replaces the manual cranking until the gas is flowing.
Depending on your carb, you may be able to fill the float bowl through the vent tube using a syringe. Worked for me after the car sat for a couple months without starting and cranking didn't seem to be doing anything.
Please share the results of your efforts - I haven't had time to chase it down myself but would sure love to fix the issue!
In the morning, operate the throttle and see if there are 2 solid streams of fuel spraying. Is your choke properly engaged?
Originally Posted by Jimbo120
...I should have been smart enough to (use) a new fuel pump and rebuild the carb...
Changing parts to fix a problem is shooting in the dark. You might get lucky but you will certainly waste time and money.
To avoid that, first troubleshoot the problem as Eric suggested:
1. Remove the top of the air cleaner, use a flashlight to look down the primary barrels, work the throttle by hand, and look for fuel spray.
2. After you release the throttle, has the choke blade closed over the primary barrels?
If you post those results, we can help you further.
Last edited by VC455; March 25th, 2019 at 04:46 PM.
Reason: spelling
I'm taking note of all the suggestions you guys are giving. I'll be out there over the weekend working thru each one to see what I get. I'm definitely on the mind set of you VC455. I get impulsive trying to fix a problem and just replace everything in a system just to solve one problem. Which has cost me a good number of dollars. Last year, I did over everything in the cooling system for an over heat problem just to find out in the end that the spring was missing in the lower hose causing the problem.
Old stale gas? Once you start the engine with starter fluid, most will run ( not well) on old gas. at least that's been my experience and my 2 cents. Over and out.
Most likely the carburetor but you never know. I just went through this with my Wife's Riviera and even though I have probably done a hundred Q-jets in my life I simply could not get hers to work right after sitting for a few days. I ended up finding a matching used one on E-bay, rebuilt it and now it starts with one pump to set the choke and about 5 seconds of cranking.
That being said . . . . please throw the starting fluid in the trash can (or recycling) If you must use something until you get the problem solved use Gumout carburetor cleaner or something similar. That will start it just as easy and will be a lot more gentle on your old engine. Starting fluid is murder on engines.
Old gas isn't the problem. Once the car starts it goes and just like all 400's, has a drinking problem. So, I'm constantly filling her up. Point taken on the starting fluid. I'll get a can of gumout and try that. I'm hoping to get to look into all the suggestions over the weekend. Forecast is rain.
I've had this issue on one my cars. Everything was new, but since the car didn't get driven often it would crank forever before the fuel would get to the carb. Finally I decided to install a small fuel pump to help prime the carb. I bought a small Facet solid state pump (made in USA not a knockoff) and installed it inline on the frame not too far from the tank. I also installed a 100 micron big can filter before pump. Flip the switch for a few seconds, you can hear the ticking, once the ticking quiets down it's ready to start, turn the pump off and start the car. This pump also allows mechanical pump to pull fuel through it when it's not running, without restricting the flow. People use these pumps on their small aircrafts and boats.
OK, so I did some checking before the rain started. Cold motor. I do have a clear in-line gas filter. It was full with gas. No leaks on it or around it. Don't smell gas or found any possible leaks up to the carb. Took the air cleaner off, choke butterfly is closed as it should be. Looking down the throat, pumped the throttle. First couple of pumps, nothing. After 5 or 6 pumps, gas did stream out. Passenger side was a nice strong stream, drivers side was a stream, but not very strong. More like a strong dribble.
So I'm guessing this is a carb rebuild. My next question is the carb itself. The original carb is long gone. Somewhere in it's life, someone put on this carb. Rochester number 17059253, which converts to a 1978 Olds carb. Does it really make that much of a difference? Or should I be looking for the carb that was closer to original, which maybe impossible to find? Can I rebuild this one using a kit from the original series?
March 25th, 2019, 06:37 AM
