Own a 1983 Cutlass with the 4bbl 307 engine. When cold, won't start without a bit of gasoline primer in carb or a shot of starting fluid in air cleaner. Runs fine after starting and starts fine after engine is warmed up. Time for a carb rebuild or is there some simple fix/adjustment to cure this problem? Thanks very much for your input.

 

Is it sitting over night or days? If its days, your describing normal operation of a carb. If its over night, check to see if there is fuel in the carb by looking down into the carb and operating the throttle to see if there is 2 solid streams of fuel. If it has fuel, look at your tuneup settings and choke.

 

Thx very much for your quick response - much appreciated. It does sit for days. Typically driven one or two days a week for 10-20 miles. I'll certainly try what you suggest.

 

The fuel in the carb bowl will evaporate some sitting for a few days, so it will take some extended cranking to fill it back up. 10-20 min drives is the worst thing for these old cars, needs to be long enough to heat everything up i order to burn off any condensation and moisture that collects in the crankcase, top of the heads, and exhaust system.

 

Great advice about longer drives and I should know better having seen the engine sludge in 30+ year-old cars with "only 17,000 miles on the odometer"!

 

Get it started and take it on a long drive as suggested. See how it starts the next day, if it starts well the problem is probably the mentioned fuel evaporation. If it starts hard then it is likely choke adjustment and tuning.

It is difficult to find a tech that knows how to work on those carbs. Be selective and ask if they have experience on GM CCC (Computer Command Control) carburetors.

Good luck!!!

 

If your choke is set properly it should start without ether whether it sits for 2 days or weeks. Next time you drive it crank the engine for 5-8 seconds, depress the accelerator fully to the floor twice and then see if it starts. If not, you might want to check your choke before breaking down for a full carburetor rebuild.