Hi all,

I drive a 79 cordoba with a slant 6. This car has always been very cold blooded (needing pumping of the gas pedal), but lately I am really having a hard time to get her started. I have had more no starts recently then I care to discuss, stranded in parking lots ect. I know I have done my fair share of flooding it tyring to get it started (overpumping the pedal), but lately it seems this is the only way I am getting a reaction under the hood when turning the key over. This car is drivin daily by me, just trying to make ends meet.

Any suggestions are helpful!

Thanks

Brenda

Brenda,


First thing to do....
Check to see if the choke is actually closing on cold start ups. Remove the air cleaner lid and look down the carb throat. You should push on the gas pedal once for the choke to engage. It should nearly seal the carb throat shut......look for about a 3/16" gap.

Then report back on your findings.

If it isn't engaging it may be stuck. The linkage may need to be adjusted or freed up with penetrating oil if stuck. I find that I have to spray mine a couple of times a year.....

Hope that helps...

_________________
Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Looked down the carb throat....the choke seems to engage fine.

Another tuff day yesterday of a no start, I don't get it. Now today I made it in to work as I was able to get her started this morning. Charged the battery all night. By the way, the battery was strong trying to turn her over yesterday, at least until I wore it down trying late in the game.

At a loss at this point. Help is most appreciated.

-are you sure you are getting fuel?
-is it the original fuel pump?
-has the carb. ever been rebuilt?

_________________
1964 Dart GT

Another thing to look at is wedge the choke open looking down the throat and check the accelerator pump shot.....take a flash light looking down the throat and pump the the throttle a few times by hand to see if your getting a healthy squirt of fuel.
If all is good and the choke when engaged has a bout a 3/16" about 1/4" slot left...not slammed shut, then it is a spark issue. Be sure your getting a full 9 volts or more to the coil.
What do the plugs look like? are they clean and lean or black and wet?

_________________
Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

I appreciate both of your suggestions- and once I have the cash saved will have my mechanic look into some of this.

Had a tuff start at lunch, but seemed the more I pumped the pedal, the better reaction I got to it turning over, does that make any sense at all?

1) When the car finally fires and runs, does it run OK?

2) When the car does start, does it start or try to run at anytime while it is being cranked over (when you are holding the key in the START position)? Or does it only want to fire when you have cranked it over some and then it starts or tries to fire at the moment that your release the key to let it rest? If you don't know, next time pay attention to where you have the key and when the car actually tries to fire. This can be an important clue about a condtion in the key switch that can cause your car's problem.

3) If I may ask, are you the lady in MD who has had this issue before, or for a while?

Regards, Mark B.

See my answers below:

OK, sorry this is still plaguing you. The reason that I aksed about the key is that the key switch sends voltage to the spark system (ignition system) 2 different ways: one way is when you are cranking and the other way when the car is running. If it 'teases you like it wants start, then this is not likley the problem.

Do you have anyone who can help you do a few basic tests with a few simple tools?

Does this car do this at every attempt to start or does it only do this when cold, and does it start better when the engine is warm like if you stop into the store for a bit after driving and come back out within and hour and try to re-start it? In other words, is there a pattern of when it will start and when it will not?

Also, when you look down the throat of the carb see if you can identify the throttle cable to the otuside of the carb and see if you can pull on the same spot to make the throllte blade at the bottom of the throat open up. You will have to open the flat plate at the top of the throat (the choke plate) to see down into the throat and see the throttle plate at the bottom. When you can see down into the throat while oenign the throttle, oy should see a small stream of clear ligquid which is gasoline shooting into the throat. If you can do this, we will have some idea if the carb is getting gas.

The picture of a carburetor halfway down this web page ought to be very similar to your carburetor; the moving plate in the top is the choke plate (also called the choke butterfly).

Your a big help to me- see my answers under your questions

The next time you have problems starting it after it's hot, think vapor lock, try putting gas pedal to the floor and see if it starts better.
It worked for mine.

Dave

_________________
86 Miser 170,000+
2 1/4" exhaust
Holley 1920 #55
HEI MSD BLaster 2
17.8 mpg

I know what you are saying but it wont turn over for some reason that way with mine. That is usually standard from what i hear around. Mine does better pumping for some reason....any idea why that could be?

Brenda 65,

I suspect you have two problems with carburetor. Please give us a clue as to your location that would help with figuring you problem. It is not normal for these engines not to start if in good tune. By tune think electrical and air/fuel delivery; I address air/fuel.

First is choke adjustment; Choke has to snap fully shut before turning over engine with one push of accelerator. To determine if choke snaps shut, check it before a cold start (sits overnight) by removing air cleaner, rotating throttle open about half way and observing choke plate’s response.
What to look for:
As throttle is rotated open, choke should snap closed positively and not able to flop open even the slightest bit. At the same time the high idle cam should come in contact with a stop screw and hold the throttle plates open a crack. If these two actions don’t happen adjustment of choke as needed by extending slightly by bending its push rod from bimetal spring in choke stove pocket in manifold, and or the bi metal spring is broken, unable to close choke needing replacement. Another reason for choke hanging up when closing is its linkage rods have worn grooves in them where they attach to a pivot point. The fix is to lightly file the groove smooth enough to allow fee movement. Cold start condition can be reset by holding open choke plate, pushing high idle cam out of the way while rotating throttle just enough for all that stuff to return as if engine was still warm, and then releasing throttle.

If above is good to go, hold choke open, look down carburetor and rotate throttle open about ¼ open looking for a good squirt of fuel to be ejected; this is the accelerator pump discharge. If little or no fuel shows, suspect bad accelerator pump; fix is to rebuild carburetor.

With air cleaner still off, start engine and see if choke plate pull open ¼â€￾ to 3/8â€￾ as soon as vacuum is developed by engine. If it won’t pull off, there may be a vacuum leak at the diaphragm that retracts choke; fix is to replace the device.

If the above is good, the problem in many cases will be internal, and or electrical (that’s is another topic).

Other problems can be low float level where not enough fuel is available to operate accelerator pump, or high float level, sunken float causing a lot of raw fuel draining into manifold at shut-down flooding engine.

It is common for cars that have spent years in a hot climate to have maladjusted, gummed-up, or slow lazy acting chokes. This is because the choke has not been used enough to keep all its rigging freely moving. A good cleaning of all rods and pull off devices along with moving them a number of times to free them up will often fix lazy southern choke.

Just operate the cold carburetor a number of times until you eye catches all that moves when choke closes, and you grasp how all that stuff works.

[quote]Mine does better pumping for some reason....[/quote]


Having to pump can be caused by poor or no accelerator pump shot when warmed up during a restarting, and a slightly open choke when cold and or poor pump shot.

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

So can I get by for now pumping do you think?

Friend of mine had 81 ram with 360 that had same starting issue.
What worked for him was to replace 3 inlet and outlet fuel filter like this http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinf ... cc=1062795
to filter with 2 inlet and outlet like this http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinf ... cc=1062795
Which filter do you have?

Dave

_________________
86 Miser 170,000+
2 1/4" exhaust
Holley 1920 #55
HEI MSD BLaster 2
17.8 mpg