Tempermental starting of my 318

-
65cudalover

65cudalover

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Messages
463
Reaction score
19
Location
Wheeling, Illinois
Newly rebuilt motor with holly carb and electronic ignition/orange box. The car is a 65 cuda formula s. Sometimes the car will not start it seems to flood out carb if I touch gas at all, other times it just cranks over and wont start if I do not touch gas. Other times it cranks and will start if I just barely touch gas? I am pulling my hair out trying to figure out what is the deal. Is it the carb? Is it coil? Is it something else electrical? I am bewildered. If it starts it runs fine, I ran it last week for over an hour just cruising around, went to start yeasterday and no go. I tried again this morning hoping to cruise this evening to car hang out and no go. I tried so much the battery now is being recharged. I am feeling like maybe a different/new carb may be in order, but hate to spend money if I do not have too? Help me if you have some suggestions on what to check. I know carb was fine before just tempermental with gas pedal when starting and no backfire to harm power valve. I now submit to your vast wisdom as I am lost.....
 
Are you having the starting problem when you start it cold (first time of the day) or after you've warmed it up and shut it off. For cold starts, the choke should close fully with a bit of spring tension on the butterfly but you have to step the gas pedal to the floor which sets the choke and gives the engine a squirt of fuel from the accelerator pump. Your carb should have a choke pull-off diaphragm that opens the choke slightly as soon as the engine starts to prevent fllooding then the choke coil opens the butterfly slowly through the warm-up period. The settings for the choke coil and the pull offs can cause hard starting and/or flooding if set incorrectly.
 
cold starts once it runs for awhile it seems to start ok. If I put pedal to floot it just floods, so it seems? How do you make these adjustments? Personally I have never messed much with holly carb, had eldelbrock on last car.
 
Does your Holley have an electric choke? If it does it will have a black can or cover on the passenger side of the carb. There is usually markings on the cover for rich and lean. Three screws attach it. Loosen the screws and adjust the cover towards lean. With a cold engine the choke butterfly should close fully and you should feel some spring tension when you poke it open with your finger, As soon as you start the engine, vacuum should make the pull-off open the butterfly about the thickness of a pencil so the engine won't choke and stall. You usually have to bend or lengthen linkage to adjust the pull off. Make sure the wire from the electric choke is hooked to a "ignition on" source. I wish you were close. I like messin'
with these things.
 
me too, I am getting a new coil on monday and will go fromt there. I appreciate any and all advice as there are many subtleties to carb tuning and adjustment. Especially on a new motor and car that hasnt run much yet.

Thanks to all!
 
what model holley?

2 or 4 screw idle adjustment?

should only need around 3/4 of a turn 'out' each to idle.

make sure you have the right power valve in it, don't want it opening prematurely or too late. look for fuel dripping out of the boosters 'down the venturi of the carb'

and make sure the float is set so that fuel just starts to drip out of the sight plug hole on the bowls.
and yes, is the choke functional?
after that...what initial timing do you have?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top