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Best Way to Start After No Driving

Ed Martin

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My Roadrunner sits for 3-4 weeks without driving. Is there any better way to start other than starting fluid (spray) into the carburetor? I don't know if this is harmful, but it is a headache. I've noticed that after switching to Sunoco ethanol-free the carburetor is dry after 2 weeks (maybe less), where, with using non-ethanol-free, I could go 3 weeks or longer on any brand.
 
Nope, just going to have to deal with it. I do the same with a squirt bottle of gas to get her going. That or install a auxiliary electric pump to prime the system. Thank these newer blends of gas for the problem.
 
Why not start it once a week for 2-3 minutes? Would probably help the bowls from drying out....which isn't good on any carb regardless of the gas...its still going to leave a deposit and possibly start clogging things up.
Two stroke lawn mowers chainsaws and I run them dry on purpose for that very reason...
 
Why doesn't it start fine after that time? I let my truck sit for a month here or there (82 ram w/ a 318) and it fires right up. Maybe the electric fuel pump is why.
 
What does three times to the floor do?
 
starting fluid is very harmful to engines, drys out cylinder walls, and pre-ignition/detonation. sounds like fuel is evaporating from the bowls.
 
This is kinda weird as I live in Florida where I would think evaporation is more of a problem and my engine starts on the first crank even after sitting for a few weeks. It might be that there's a Holley on there now as I used to have problems starting when I had an Edelbroke on there.
 
This is kinda weird as I live in Florida where I would think evaporation is more of a problem and my engine starts on the first crank even after sitting for a few weeks. It might be that there's a Holley on there now as I used to have problems starting when I had an Edelbroke on there.
I just turn the key let the fuel pump run till it quits, then a few more for the 02 sensor to warm up, and hit it !---I know, one in every crowd!
 
My procedure after anything over a few days: hit the 6AL kill switch so it won't start, and crank for maybe 30 seconds. Then unkill the kill switch and 3-4 pumps and she fires right off on Sunoco 93 with 15% ethanol.

I do that primarily to get some oil flow but another benefit is ot refills the bowls.

Same can be done by pulling the coil wire.
 
What does three times to the floor do?
Thanks. Nothing ... that's what I have learned to do if there is any chance of getting any fuel that might be in the carb. I don't know if it is normal for a carb (Holley aftermarket) to be dry after 2-3 weeks, but this is how it has been for years. I even tried plugging the two bowl vents between starts, but that didn't help.
 
I figure it must be evaporating from the bowls. I guess there's no way to stop that.

69a100: I have thought about the squirt bottle of gas idea as it's less harmful to the engine ... isn't there something like that off-the-shelf?

HT413: When you say "hit the 6AL kill switch so it won't start, and crank for maybe 30 seconds", what's the difference between using a kill switch and just cranking and pumping until it starts?
 
HT413: When you say "hit the 6AL kill switch so it won't start, and crank for maybe 30 seconds", what's the difference between using a kill switch and just cranking and pumping until it starts?

I kill it so I know it won't start up until I see it has some oil pressure. Most guys just pull the cool wire, but since I have my kill switch, it's just way easier.

Mostly, i don't want a dry start, and this gets oil where it needs to be before it fires. But it also fills the fuel bowls as well. Then once it has a bit of pressure, I unkill the kill switch, pump 3x and it fires right off every time.
 
Go to the dollar sore and get a ketchup squirt bottle. Fill with gas then insert tip into bowl vent. Fill bowl.
Put bottle away. Start car.
 
Cranking an engine for thirty seconds for ANY reason sounds like a bad idea to me. Shortens the life of the starter and probably doesn't do the cam any favors either. If you have issues with the bowls going dry, install an electric fuel pump. It will start immediately, oil pressure will come up immediately and lots of life giving oil will be slung onto the cam and lifters.
 
Cranking an engine for thirty seconds for ANY reason sounds like a bad idea to me. Shortens the life of the starter and probably doesn't do the cam any favors either. If you have issues with the bowls going dry, install an electric fuel pump. It will start immediately, oil pressure will come up immediately and lots of life giving oil will be slung onto the cam and lifters.

Yeah I guess I shoulda been more specific, I generally do it in bursts of 10 sec or so. Dry start after 6 months does no favor to a cam, turning it over to get oil flow to the bearings, heads and maybe a bit of splash on the cam, I'll take that at the risk of having to replace a starter prematurely.
 
If setting for a week, I spin mine a few times with no throttle to prime too. Then twice to the floor and it lites.
 
If setting for a week, I spin mine a few times with no throttle to prime too. Then twice to the floor and it lites.
Dennis: This sounds about like what I have to do if it hasn't set for more than 2 weeks or so and I try to start normally, without starting fluid, by pumping to the floor 2 or 3 times to see if it will start. If the carb has gone dry, I just keep cranking and pumping the pedal until the bowl gets fuel (maybe 20 seconds). But I figure this is hard on the cylinder walls etc. without oil and that it would be better to have it fire right up to get the oil flowing faster. Is it any more damaging to do this than a normal quick start?
 
Dennis: This sounds about like what I have to do if it hasn't set for more than 2 weeks or so and I try to start normally, without starting fluid, by pumping to the floor 2 or 3 times to see if it will start. If the carb has gone dry, I just keep cranking and pumping the pedal until the bowl gets fuel (maybe 20 seconds). But I figure this is hard on the cylinder walls etc. without oil and that it would be better to have it fire right up to get the oil flowing faster. Is it any more damaging to do this than a normal quick start?

Oil's getting there while you crank, That's the point, really. What's harder on the cylinders is startup / running at say a 1000 rpm for that half second / second while the oil pressure builds. Combine that with the super rich condition at start up which washes the cylinder of any oil that's left and your you can see why startup is the toughest part of an engine's day, outside of racing.
 
Go to the dollar sore and get a ketchup squirt bottle. Fill with gas then insert tip into bowl vent. Fill bowl.
Put bottle away. Start car.
Slap Stick: I like this idea. How much gas do you think it takes to fill a 4 barrel bowl without overfilling? Will the gas then get to the accelerator pump when filling?
 
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