Little help with carb priming.

I have a 46 Int K-1 with a green diamond 214. Just finished restoration last march (everything all back original) but struggling with starting after sitting. Read all I can and looks to be just fuel is evaporating too quick and bowl is staying empty. Once its running, all is good. Single barrel Zenith (rebuilt). Saw a video on adding a small 6v elec fuel pump near tank and putting it on a momentary switch just to prime. Also running a 8v to help on the start. System is 6v still. Is my gl*** bowl fuel pump a p***-though type, or would the elec pump just pump and pressure stop at gl*** pump and not go to carb? Is this a good idea? If I add fuel through the bowl vent with a syringe and small hose, I'll really wouldn't know how much is in there and risk flooding is my worry there...

I want t o play with this thing and it takes an hour of planing and messing with carb to start...

 

How well is the mechanical fuel pump working? It was all the truck needed "back in the day". Should pump enough gas to fill the bowl and start the engine even when the carburetor is empty. I would also make sure that the fuel tank vent is clear...

 

How long between starts? One pump in a week I'm fine. 2-3 pumps in 2 weeks. A month... I need to crank it at least 20 seconds.

 

Fuel pump and carb were all rebuilt and in new condition when I put them on 2 years ago...
My tank actually does not have a vent. There's just a small breather tube attached inside filler neck, and then the vented cap.
So far my record is two to three days after running that it started pretty quick, with a little dash of starting fluid. My starter is the mash on the floor ****on type.

 

If it were me, I’m familiar with those carbs, I’d run it, shut it off, take the carb top off, measure the fuel in the bowl, place a cover on it, and check the level every few days. I know the fuel evaporates faster today but I think it might be something else. You may need to do it on a bench with some type of absorbing paper.
I use 1 oz of Sta-Bil Marine with every fill up and have for 9 years. No deterioration of rubber, gaskets, or sediment in the bowls of my carbs.

 

This sounds like the thing to do. By the way I have the same truck but not as nice as yours.

 

My Dad taught me how to start engines on the ranch that had been setting for a while, back in the day.
First off, you must understand how a fuel pump works. The camshaft depresses a diaphragm connected to a spring. The cam “ loads” the spring. The spring does the pumping, not the cam. This process takes time.
So, you turn the engine over a couple of times, then stop and wait about ten seconds and repeat, once or twice. Then pump the accelerator pedal to prime the engine and it will usually bust off. The secret is the short time cranking, just to load the spring and then the wait , so the pump can push the fuel through the needle valve and seat. Continuing to crank depresses the spring again, kinda interfering with the pump process.

Try it, it’s free!






Bones