I have a 1950 chevy coupe. I have had this car for a year and one year ago I replaced the fuel pump, but from day one if I let the car sit for a few days I would have to crank on it for awhile to get the fuel back up to the filter so it would start. in the last two days I have parked on a hill and it was hard to start again. the first time it was only parked on a hill for about a hour and took a little cranking to get started, last night I was at a cook out and parked it on a hill for about four hours and it took for ever to get started. its lowered it the rear and both times the front end was pointing up the hill. I tried searching but didn't find anything. I was also looking for a check valve to put before the fuel pump so the fuel doesn't run back? do they make one? thanks, rob
Stock engine? There is a check valve in the fuel pump. It could have a bit of dirt in it and not seating properly. If you don't want to tear into the fuel pump there are inline filters with integrated check valves, I've never used one but they're out there. The longer crank sessions after sitting a few days is pretty common on these engines, but the hard starts after just a few hours would seem to point to a bad fuel pump. I see you changed yours a year ago but with "deathanol" in the gas, it could be shot. Also could be boiling fuel out of the float bowl when you shut it off, do you have the bakelite spacer between the intake manifold and carb? Good luck, oh, and in the meantime, try parking nose down, pretty hard for that gas to leak uphill back into the tank!
yes its all stock, this is my first carbed engine, now that I think about it the last two times it did this was after a 45 min drive. what is the purpose of the bakelite spacer?
Well gets getting harder to start every time I take her out. I popped the hood and it seems that the year old fuel pump is having a hard time keeping the inline filter full again. Looks like its time for a new pump.... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The bakelite spacer keeps the carb from getting so hot (especially at shutdown) that the fuel in the bowl boils out. You can check your pump by disconnecting the fuel line at the carb, put a catch can under the open fuel line, and have someone crank the engine. You should see pulses of gas squirting out, about a tables**** full every time. Those see-through inline filters will always show about 1/2 to 3/4 full - that's normal. edit - slow typer here! Also, to check for an obstruction in the tank or line, jack up the rear so that the tank is higher than the fuel pump, and disconnect the line going into the fuel pump, gas should run out freely.
That's good to know about the Bakelite, I'll have to look into that. If there ever was a sock style screen in the tank I blew that off a year ago. Before I replaced the pump the first time I blew compressed air back through the lines and back into the tank. The inline filter was only every 1/2 full but now it's more like a trickle. Which is odd because the car still drives good.... For now. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Start cheap and easy sooo- put in a bottle of heet (small yellow bottle) alchohol fuel dryer as you may have water in the fuel/tank. Water and fuel don't mix but water and alcohol and fuel do. The engine will just run it right trough the engine and out the pipe. Cheap and easy just add the heet right before you fuel up so's it gets mixed well. Contaminated fuel is something to keep up on- a bottle or two a year and the problem is eliminated. I have found GALLONS of water ac***ulation in old fuel tanks! One less thing to worry about. My 2c -freezerburn
There have been several hard start threads. Maybe I missed something, but most were solved by adding the wire from the other connection on the solenoid to + side of coil, which provides full voltage only during cranking. If the car will not start quickly when a little fuel is shot in the carb, try the wire. Good luck. Please keep us posted.
I search for what your talking about but couldn't find anything. the starter feels strong it just feels like I have to crank for awhile to build the fuel back up. I know my gas tank is dirty, I have another inline filter there that tells me that. i need to replace the tank but was waiting till i did some other mods. it does have a bakelite plate on the carb. i have noticed it cranking more and more now, the last two times on a hill were a fluke it has done it several other times now. even today it started right up then i moved it out of my driveway across the street so i could put air in my wife's tire, 10 minutes later went to move it back and had to crank to build fuel pressure back up.im thinking fuel pump but i don't know much about carbs if their could be something wrong with my carb or not.
Two things to check when it won't start. Take air cleaner off and look down venturi with a flashlight. Move throttle linkage wide open a couple of times to see if you see a small stream of fuel from injector pump. If you do, carb is working properly, at least for this part. If not, pour a little fuel down carb. (I like to keep some in a dish soap bottle w/lid.) Quickly try to start. If it does, you have a fuel problem, possibly injector pump, which may be fixed with a carb kit. If it does not start, when you shoot in a little fuel, but does crank, the solenoid has the large lug for battery cable, a small lug where the wire from start switch goes, and another small post on the other side of the battery lug. When the starter is cranking, only, this post gets full current, which is where a wire should be installed to run to the + side of the coil. (If this is a negative ground system/ positive cable runs to starter) I'm not trying to convince you it is not a fuel issue, but I have told you how to check that. I am trying to post a possible solution that has solved similar problems in several previous threads.
Is your system still 6 volts? If it is you won't have the extra terminal that rfraze is talking about (that extra terminal byp***es the ballast resistor during start on a 12 volt system). 6 volt systems don't have a resistor so no need to byp*** anything, the coil always sees 6 volts when the key is on.
Still 6volts, thanks guys ill check my carb after work to see how the fuel flow is. The car has started fine in the past, this is a fairly new problem. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
You probably have a Rochester 'B' carbureator; this is a common problem with them - the fuel leaks out of the bowl and you are trying to start the car with an empty carbureator. I have 3 Rochester 'B's on my 235 - got tired of hand priming the carbs (messy/dangerous) everytime I wanted to start it after it sat for a day or two so I put an electric pump on it which I use just to prime the carbs (similar to some aircraft engines). Turn on the electric pump, when the 'clicking' slows down the carbs are full.......
Woops, Dirty Hat. Sorry for the misinfo. Thanks Waldo53 for clearing that one up. Learn something every day. Hope the fuel check helps. So, what's the latest? Making any progress? Did priming help in starting?
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