cold starting tips after storage
 

Since its been many years from owning a car with a carburetor and my car is put away for a few months, I would like to know the best way to start it in the spring.
I'm assuming gas is going to evaporate from the fuel bowls and carb so until the gas gets flowing again, pumping the gas pedal isnt really going to have an immediate effect?
Would using a starting fluid sprayed in the carb help?
Should I just keep cranking until the motor catches?
Or crank to get the fuel flowing, pump the gas to get it into the carb and crank again?
I'd like to get it started the best way I can and as mentioned I havent been around a car with a carb for a number of years.
Thanks

Do not use any sort of starting fluid! The engine will start immediately and spin like crazy with little on no oil flowing.

Bob

Doesn't hurt to prime the oil system by pulling the dist & turning the pump with a tool. Do you have an electric or mechanical fuel pump?

All you got to do is disconnect your ignition and crank until you see your oil pressure gauge start to blip up a bit (less than 10 seconds). Then reconnect your ignition, pump your accelerator pedal to the floor twice, and it will fire right up. I do it every Spring after it has been sleeping since Thanksgiving. Pulling the distributor to spin the oil pump is overkill -- don't bother.

Its an electric fuel pump. If the gas evaporates, where does it evaporate from and how long does it take to get gas back in the fuel bowls?

If it's an electric pump the bowls will fill when turned on. Fuel evaporation depends on temperature. I leave an offroad vehicle in my garage in Arizona during the summer, and the carb is dry in two weeks. I have to manually fill the bowl because it has a manual pump. I also crank the motor until I get oil pressure before I start it.

If I haven't driven mine in a while I leave the electric fuel pump off and crank
until I get oil pressure. Then I turn on the electric fuel pump and wait until
the system is pressurized then engage the starter and it starts up shortly there
after.

When I know I'm going to leave any of my cars stored for a few months, I always use a fogging oil spray on the final shut down. This keeps the engine lubed and free of any rust or corrision. If you have a electric fuel pump, just go out once a month and turn the key on to fill the carb with fuel. If you have a manual pump, I take a can of WD-40 and spray into the carb vents for about 30 seconds or so. This fills the bowls and prevents any of the seals from drying out. In the spring when you fire 'er up, the time it takes to get her started builds enough oil pressure that you don't have to worry about any pre-lubing. The best thing of course is an accumilator that pre lubes the engine every time you fire it up.

Ray

Don't crank a dry motor
 

STEVE-O Steve I don't know how much mechanicial knowledge you have but here are the things to do,
#1 Make sure you prime the motor before even think about starting it. Cranking a motor that has sat for months even without the ignition on is wrong. 75-80% of wear is caused by cranking because there is no oil pressure to keep the metal from rubbing on the metal. The last 2 bearings to get oil unless you have a side oiler block is 4 and 8 rod. There are the ones that fail in a motor about 70% of the time. Been there, seen that on all different types of motors. It takes about 15-20 second to get FULL pressure to all the moving parts in the motor. Your gauge may read 60 psi but the top of the motor may only have 5-10 to start with. A motor is a controlled oil leak from top to bottom. Fe motors loose about 20-30 psi between the bottom end and the rocker shaft when running. Unless you added a oil suppliment like STP, EOS, or Lucas oil suppliment, ALL the surfaces will be dry except for the bottom of the rod and crank bearings( MAYBE). Mark the distributor at the cap and base of the housing. Get a good drill, 1/2" and turn the oil pump for about 30 -45 seconds. This will give you oil to the top of the motor. Re install the distributor back in the car and tighten. All the marks will line up. You may have to twist the oil pump drive to get the distributor base flat with the intake manifold. Don't force it too much. Should almost drop right in.
Install new spark plugs. I hope the gas got some stablizer added before sitting.
Turn on the electric fuel pump until you hear the fuel stop coming into the float bowls. Takes about 5-10 seconds. Turn off the pump.
Pump the carb 2-3 times to set the choke. Don't play with the gas pedal too much and fire her up. Run on fuel pump when running. If it doesn't start you will not flood out the motor and wash down the cylinders of the block. Fast Idle should be in the 1,100-1,300 rpms. Leave it there until you get some heat in the motor, about 140f on the coolant gauge. Then let the fast idle off and let it idle until you have some temp in the oil, about 3-5 minutes. At this time check for leaks and give a walk around.
You are ready to go for a cruise. After this I would change the oil and filter and cut open the filter and check for any metal particals. Check coolant level too. When you are ready to put her away for the winter, start another thread and will walk you though that too.;):) Rick L. PS fogging the motor is a good idea also but again you may have to change plugs. Marine stuff works the best but not cheap. Sea foam.

I installed an Accusump for two reasons: As a pre-oiler pumping oil into the motor after weeks of just sitting. Two: for use on a road course.

Roscoe

What is the best way to manually fill the bowls?

I remove the fuel line into the carb and use a battery filler to pump fuel into the bowls.

Take a quart bottle like the ones you get rear end oil in or just any quart plastic oil bottle with the cap that you cut the tip off...... fill half full with gas and put the top on and use a length (10 inches or so will do) small clear plasitc tubing attached to t he top and fill the bowls thru the vent tubes,only takes a few seconds and works like a charm.............

David

Thanks for the ideas!

Priming the oil system is not needed,you should have good oil in it from storage prep.Synthetic oil is better insurance.If your car is equipped with a Holley carb pull the float bowl plugs and fill the float bowls.Or crank engine until the pump does it for you.We all have our own methods.Good Luck