Question: Problem starting cold

[minifridge1138]

Hey everyone,

Here is the issue i'm having:
When the engine is cold, i pump the pedal twice, turn the key, it starts immediately, runs for 2 seconds and then dies.
It does this three times.
Fourth time, it stays alive (with a little help from me gently pumping the pedal).

After this, it runs smoothly.
I'm having no other driving issues. It idles and drives smoothly. Acceleration is instant with no hesitation. Car has never driven so well.

Is this just "normal" or is my setup still not quite right? I'm afraid that fixing the start issue will impact how the car runs when it is started.

Any suggestions are welcome!
Thanks!

 

[magoo]

If you are running a quadrajet, the choke pull off diaphragm is pulling the choke open to far right after start up. This allows too much air in for the cold engine and makes the mixture too lean. Adjust it to open the choke a bit less and you will be fine. Also if it doesn't pull the choke open far enough, the engine will run rough and rich. A happy medium can be found. I always say you can only check this once a day. In the morning, or first start of the day when it is cold.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Hey everyone,

Here is the issue i'm having:
When the engine is cold, i pump the pedal twice, turn the key, it starts immediately, runs for 2 seconds and then dies.
It does this three times.
Fourth time, it stays alive (with a little help from me gently pumping the pedal).

After this, it runs smoothly.
I'm having no other driving issues. It idles and drives smoothly. Acceleration is instant with no hesitation. Car has never driven so well.

Is this just "normal" or is my setup still not quite right? I'm afraid that fixing the start issue will impact how the car runs when it is started.

Any suggestions are welcome!
Thanks!

I'm confused.
Your car is listed as being an 82 which is fuel injected, yet you are discribing how one starts a carbureted car.

Confirm whether your 82 is stock EFI or converted to a carb.

 

[minifridge1138]

I am running a carbureted engine.
The only computer is the ignition module in the HEI and the CD Player.

I got the car as a project. The Crossfire was gone when I bought the car. Previous owner had bubba'd the car up enough to start and drive it home. I spent the first 6 weeks i owned it fixing his mistakes. That got it to the point i could drive it. Spent another year after that fixing miscellaneous things. I've still got a pretty long to-do list, but it is all minor stuff.


Holley Carb, intake, mechanical fuel pump.
Accel HEI distributor (I think. All I know is it isn't stock and it works).
And a fair bit of custom wiring.
My engine has more in common with a pre-1981 Corvette.

 

[minifridge1138]

I'm running a Holley, but the Choke is something i've suspected.
Technically, i know how to adjust the choke, but i don't know how to adjust it correctly.

 

[magoo]

It sure sounds like the choke as I described, only your Holley probably does not have a pull off diaphragm. If your Holley has the choke spring in a round black plastic pot on the pass side you will have to loosen the 3 little screws around the edge and turn the black cap to tighten the spring pressure on the choke plate. Do this with the engine cold before running it that day and without starting it. Push the gas pedal down once first to set the choke. You can make a reference mark before you start so you can always return to where you are now. For now you want to increase spring pressure. If you go too far you will get the rich symptoms I described. Make small adjustments once a day until you are satisfied, you won't hurt it.

Mike

 

[Jim B]

It sure sounds like the choke as I described, only your Holley probably does not have a pull off diaphragm. If your Holley has the choke spring in a round black plastic pot on the pass side you will have to loosen the 3 little screws around the edge and turn the black cap to tighten the spring pressure on the choke plate. Do this with the engine cold before running it that day and without starting it. Push the gas pedal down once first to set the choke. You can make a reference mark before you start so you can always return to where you are now. For now you want to increase spring pressure. If you go too far you will get the rich symptoms I described. Make small adjustments once a day until you are satisfied, you won't hurt it.

Mike

I have the same cold start problem, but I have a Quad!! Any help here?

 

[wishuwerehere82]

The check valve in the fuel pump is leaking.
When the car sits, usually for more than overnight, the fuel will drain back to level off in the fuel line at the same level as in the tank.
You squirt the fuel out of the float bowl to start it, and the car stalls because the fuel in the float bowl is used up.
Meanwhile, the fuel line is still pumping air into the float bowl. So it starts after pumping the last bit out of the accellerator pump, then stalls again.
On the third try, the air is purged out of the line and you're pumping gas now.

Notice this doesn't happen unless the car has been sitting overnight?
Are you using the electric pump in the tank with a return line and pressure regulator from the carb? Or is it a one-way line dead ended at the Carb?

 

[L82 Shark]

I spent 11 years working on cars and trucks with quadrajets and got very good at it. I hated working on any other carbs.

First thing you need to do is take the carb off. Drain all of the fuel and then take the base plate off. Try not to tear the gasket when you seperate them. The middle housing that holds the float has two casting plugs on the bottom when it is turned upside down. These will be silver and there are also two very small plugs common to two protruding castings. Find epoxy that is fuel proof and after cleaning these plugs and the surrounding area coat the plugs and just a little more of the surrounding area with the epoxy so there is a good seal. Be sure to not get on the surface where the gasket will go. Let this set over night and them put it back together. That will keep the carb from leaking down over night.

Then loosen the three screws on the choke housing and back it off so the choke opens and then turn it to where the choke just shuts all of the way. Tighten up those screws and then with the choke shut use a vacumn pump and suck open the choke pull off. Adjust the screw till it opens 1/8 inch to start with. If the choke pull-off will not stay pulled in then it must be replaced. Now reinstall the carb and start up. If it blubbers and dies that you will have to fine tune the pull-off. Usually it needs to open a little more and also make sure that it is running on fast idle around 1500 to 1800 rpm. You may need to use some carb cleaner to free up the fast idle cam.

One last thing is to make sure you have a good heat tube to the air cleaner and that after the car starts the door on the air cleaner snorkel shuts to where it is only getting hot air from the exhause manifold to feed the engine till it warms up. If this system is not there or does not work you can do all of the adjusting on the carb till hell freezes over and it still will not work right when cold.

Unfortunately I do not know anything about Holley carbs. I tried to avoid them. Hope this all helps

 

[minifridge1138]

That helps a lot.
I adjusted the choke and it improved.
Not perfect, but better.
I'll keep adjusting the choke until i'm satisfied.

yes, I do see the problem when it sits overnight. I had thought that it might be fuel evaporating/draining back to the tank.

I am using a mechanical fuel pump, not an electric one.
There is no return line, it is 1-way dead into the carb.

Thanks!