Holley street avenger issue (won't start)

[jcarr210]

So I'll admit I'm not good with carbs as I grew up with fuel injection. I have a 340 in my valiant and I last started it a month ago and it ran fine. When I went to start it today I did my usual 4 pumps and nothing. I stood over the carb and worked the linkage and saw nothing squirting so a couple sprays of starting fluid and it fired up for a second.

I went back to my electric fuel pump in the back and confirmed it's coming on and had a buddy crank the car and saw 6psi at my gauge at the carb. I then took out a brass fitting on the passenger side front bowl and fuel was about level with the opening so I know it's in the bowl.

My issue is I have 6psi of pressure up to the carb, there's fuel in the bowls but no fuel is squirting into the carb when working the linkage and even if I get it running with starting fluid it won't stay running. Again I apologize for my ignorance when it comes to carbs but I appreciate any and all help. Thanks!

 

[diymirage]

Time to take her apart and clean her
Under you floatbowl is a rubber diaphragm that causes the squirt you were looking for
This could be cracked, deteriorated or simply plugged

However...this is your pumpshot, and without it, the engine should idle fine...so my guess is the idle circuit is also gummed up

It can be a little daunting to rebuild a carb for the first time but I just redid my first 4 barrel a week ago and everything makes perfect sense
Approach it as any other mechanical doodad your going to take apart and put back together and your fine
(Just make sure you get the rebuild kit for your specific carb and you can replace all those little jets, diaphragms and gaskets)

 

[jcarr210]

Yeah I did some nosing around after reading your response and see the diaphragm under the front bowl you're talking about. I'm hoping it's just that and not the idle circuit because my engine is cranky as hell when it's cold. It has a big lumpy cam that doesn't like to idle well until it's a little warm. Thanks for the help. I'll report back after I mess around with it some more.