Technical Eldelbrock carb issue?

Hope I am posting in the correct place it has been some time sense I have posted. I have just finished swapping a 425 nailhead into my 1964 LaSabre. I have a hard time starting the car when cold without pouring fuel into the carb or either using the choke. It has a Edelbrock 1405 carb on the factory intake manifold, the fuel pump in new as is all the rubber line. Car seems to run fine once started. If it makes a difference the car has only exhaust manifolds and about a foot of pipe on each side at the moment. I have only set the timing by ear, or as best I can with the open exhaust. What should I look into first?Thanks for any help on this matter.

 

Use the choke, thats what it is for. or put a 1406 electric choke on it.

 

How long has the car been sitting between starts? If only a day or two, it should start right up with a little choke. If it's been a week or more, the fuel has likely evaporated out of your float bowl and you have to crank the fuel pump over to refill it. That takes a little while.

 

As stated already, the fuel may be evaporating out of the float bowl if the car sits a few days without starting. To check if this is the case, before attempting to start it, remove the metering rods and then remove the bowl cover and see if there's sufficient fuel in the bowls or not. If needed you could add a small electric fuel pump to the system and use it to pre-fill the carb if the car has set for a few days since last running.

Also as already noted, THE CHOKE CIRCUIT EXISTS AS AN AID TO COLD STARTING. Get a working choke thermostat, get the choke and the fast idle cam and vacuum break adjusted properly and you'll never look back. Unless you just enjoy shortening the life of your battery and starter.

 

If the car sits more than a day, no amount of pumping the gas or spinning the engine over will result in it firing, I own several other older cars and trucks and am use to pumping the gas after long periods of no use, this however does not seem to work with this carb. Thanks for your reply.

 

Thanks for the info I may look into the float bowl this weekend, I guess I need to get a gasket for for that? Just never had one do this, my 67 camaro has no choke and my 84 C10 has it wired open both crank fine when you pump them. They both have factory carbs also. Thanks again

 

Just never had to do this before, and I understand the engine is "cold" when it has been sitting but it has been close to 100 degrees here last week. I would expect to maybe have to do this in the winter. Thanks

 

The Edelbrock AFB type carb has a reputation of boiling over when the hot engine is shut down. After the engine has cooled down, the carb may be starving the cold engine until the bowl fills back up. An insulator between the carb and intake may solve the problem.

 

I don't know why, but some engines are cold natured and others are not. Both of my Sons have to let their cars fast idle for a few minutes before they will settle down and idle right (455 Olds w/ 2 fours and 306 Ford with 2 fours) and yet my 331 Ford with the same 2 four setup needs no warm up at all, and none of us are running chokes (Florida).

My point is, maybe you have a cold natured motor there and it is going to require the choke to be hooked up to get it to the point where it will run well.

Don

 

Chokes make a world of diference for a cold start. My '62 Olds when it dipped below 50 (4GC) was almost impossible to start with no choke. Pump the shit out of it and I'd only flood it. Once the choke was squared away, no more problem.

 

Ding, ding! A likely winner.

 

I will try to locate one today. I guess Speedway will have one.Thanks for the tip.

 

This is my first nailhead you may be correct about it being cold natured.

 

Installed the carb insulator and still have the same problem. Cranks right up with the choke pulled. Will crank for the rest of the day but not if left overnight.

 

Have you looked in the carb to see if you are getting a shot of gas out of the shooter on a cold start ?

 

Try spinning the motor till you have oil pressure. This should pump enough gas to the carb to start. Then try starting the car. I don't run a choke on my Edelbrock and this works for me.

 

Talked to the Edelbrock rep at the NSRA show in Kazoo this weekend. He recommended making sure the float level is set correctly and also mentioned that this carb doesn't like high fuel pump pressures - recommended ~4psi pump pressure. If the pressure is high then a regulator is required.