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Hard Starting T'all
I have a 1965 Travelall 1100, 4 x 4, with a Holley 2300 (at least I
*think* it's the 2300) double barrel on the 304. The carb was rebuilt
about 600 miles ago. Before that, I replaced the plugs, wires, points,
condensor, rotor, distributor cap, and set the timing (10 deg BTDC, if
I remember right). I did all the ignition work myself, and had the carb
rebuilt locally, by someone with good recommendations. I run at 5,000
to 10,000 feet above sea level; the carb has 51 jets in it. I'm pretty
sure that *something* is right, because the truck runs just fine, as far
as I can tell. In addition, I get right around 14 mpg in mostly highway,
mostly mountain, driving. This is with the 4.09 differential, typically
staying under 65 mph. (The previous owner claims he never got better
than 10-12 mpg, but I didn't ask him about his driving conditions.)
Here's the question: I *never* need the choke to start, (using the
choke makes it *not* start)--even when cold. The truck doesn't start
right up, but it starts pretty easily, and is driveable pretty quickly
(much more quickly than before the carb rebuild)--in 30 sec. or so. It
will die a few times, usually, when I start it; pulling out the choke
usually kills it, rather than saving it, but giving it more gas (gently)
usually will keep it running. (Actually, that was more background.
*Here* is the question:) When it is warm, it can be *very* hard to start.
When it is hot (when I just turn it off, get gas, turn it back on), it
re-starts right away. But when it is off for 15 min, or even a couble
of hours, it can take *lots* of cranking to start. Using the choke
doesn't seem to help. Stepping on the gas *does* squirt gas into each
barrel (I took off the air cleaner, and opened the throttle by hand, and
saw the squirts), but doesn't help right away. I suspect that either
there is too much gas, or too little gas, but don't know how to tell which,
or what to do about it. I really think that the problem is too *little*
gas, because too much should mean that I would have to *wait* (to let the
flooding evaporate), and I find that cranking (with at least occasional
pumping) *does* eventually work.
But--how can I fix this? Even the old cars that I used to drive (mid-
'60s, like the T'all) I found relatively easy to keep in shape so that
they would start easily. Is this a "classic" problem, that someone will
say, "Oh--*this* is what you do to fix this well known problem"? If
no one can tell me just what to do to fix this, can anyone tell me what
to look for? Is it possibly an ignition problem? (I don't see why it
would be, given that the car runs so well, once it starts.) Oh--usually,
after it starts (during one of those hard start episodes) there is a bit
of smoke--I wouldn't call it white, but it's not dark enough to be black,
either--more like gray. It clears up after 10 or 15 sec. of running.
Also, the exhaust still smells like it's running rich.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
PB Schechter
[email protected]
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