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Takes forever to start after sitting for a few days...

Cranking it just fills the carb up. Pumping it once set's the choke and gives it a squirt of gas to start it. If the carb is full and the choke adjustment is correct, only one pump is needed.
 
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I think I try it this way:

- Crank for about 5 seconds to get fuel in the bowls
- wait 10 seconds
- pump the Gas 2 Times
- wait 5 seconds
- crank again

I will give you a feedback :)
Thx guys.
 
That doesn't sound right.
Ethanol fuel today is not what gasoline was back in the 60's, and 70's. Ethanol mixed gas tends to evaporate quickly. Fuel injected cars don't have a problem because of high pressure fuel pumps, as opposed to the older mechanical fuel pumps. A carb spacer prevents heat soak in the carb.
 
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Ethanol based fuel gunks up your fuel system and causes rust in the gas tank. Believe me, I know. I just replaced the tanks in both my old Mopars.
 
Or you can do what I do. I have a squirt bottle with a nipple cap like a diner ketchup bottle that I fill with fuel. Prior to a drive I pull the air cleaner top and on Holleys I fill the front bowl through the brass vent tube, watching down the throat until I see fuel start to dribble out on the throttle plate. Replace the air cleaner, pump the throttle twice, turn the key and it hits and runs clean on the first spin. On Carters I’m a little less precise - I squirt a judgmental amount of fuel down one of the left bowl vents since it feeds the accelerator pump. Then I squirt a little down the primary throats, replace the air cleaner top, pump the accelerator twice, turn the key and they fire immediately. I don’t like spinning an engine over for an extended length of time for several reasons, and then half the time I get a ragged start and a stalling or rough running engine until the fuel/air mixture/ choker gets right. Some guys are OK with getting in and spinning the motor w/o touching the throttle for a couple 5 second intervals to fill the bowls, then pump 2 or 3 times, wait a few seconds and the spin the motor to fire. That’s fine, just not my preference.
 
Ethanol fuel today is not what gasoline was back in the 60's, and 70's. Ethanol mixed gas tends to evaporate quickly. Fuel injected cars don't have a problem because of high pressure fuel pumps, as opposed to the older mechanical fuel pumps. A carb spacer prevents heat soak in the carb.

What doesn't sound right ?
I thought you said ethanol will not gum up your fuel system. That is wrong.
 
If you want a permanent fix: buy a Carter P4594 elec fuel pump & install it, bypass the stock pump. Turn key to prime pump, pump pedal 3 times, engine will be running before you let the key go....[ even after sitting for 3 weeks ]
[1] Veeeeeeeery bad for an engine to be cranked to be cranked for a long period without oil circulating.
[2] Carter pump will last forever because of it's design.
 
Where is the best location for Installing the Carter Elec.Pump ? Thanks
 
My old dodge van would crank for a few minutes before it fired up. But I could see the oil pressure slowly climb up. So it wasn't cranking without oil pressure! So I added a ticker fuel pump by the gas tank and I just turned on the pump before cranking and waited till I can hear the pump quiet down then hit the starter and it would fire right up. But if you add the pump to push your fuel up to the carburetor. Be sure to turn the pump off after the engine is running. So if the diaphragm in the fuel pump should fail?you won't be pumping raw fuel into your crankcase.
 
Ethanol based fuel gunks up your fuel system and causes rust in the gas tank. Believe me, I know. I just replaced the tanks in both my old

I thought you said ethanol will not gum up your fuel system. That is wrong.
If it sits for a long time, yes it will. It's not as bad as the old for gas that was produced in the 60's, and 70's. That stuff went bad in a hurry.
 
Veeeeeeeery bad for an engine to be cranked to be cranked for a long period without oil circulating.
I agree. especially if the engine has a flat tappet cam.
 
Post #29.
The Carter is quieter than the Holley equivalent because the fuel circulates throughout the entire pump & acts as a sound deadener. For minimal noise, I have found behind the driver's side rear wheel is best. Not all chassis layouts allow this. Mount to a solid surface if possible, such as a chassis rail.
 

interesting the recommendation to wait 10 sec after 3X pumping the gas pedal before turning the key. I'll need to give that a try.

Back from 1998 to 2010 when my 1967 Chevy Impala stopped being my daily driver and only got a once every month or so drive, I used to be able to pump the gas to the floor 2X, turn the key and it would fire right up. After sitting for 1-2 mo. EVERY time. Those were the days of less ethanol.

Since I finished the Mopar big block 451 with Carter mechanical pump with Quickfuel (Holley style) 735 cfm carb for my '68 Satellite about 7 years ago, if that car sits for more than a week, so far no method of pumping the gas has allowed it to start up. I've gotten into the habit of spraying starting fluid down the carb throat primaries if the car sits more than a few days and when I do that, it fires instantly. If I re-start the car later that same day, I don't even touch the throttle and when I turn the key it fires instantly. I would love to be able to avoid popping the hood, removing the air cleaner and all that after a long period of non-starting. Anxious to try the 10 sec wait to allow fuel to atomize.
 
So, the car was sitting for one week and I tried to start it at 5 Degrees Celsius, and it fired up perfectly.

1. Cranked it for 5 Seconds without touching the gas pedal
2. Pumped the pedal 3 times
3. Fired right up

Trick is to crank it witout touching the pedal first, to fill the bowls I guess.
 
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