Or...

Route the fuel line to the windshield washer pump, then to the carb. It's a PITA to hit the washer button every Min or so, but it's better than hoofing it.

I am only 36 but I remember it well.

Dad drove a 50's chevy pickup when I was a kid.

Old Blue we called her.

For nostalgia

Me too (sometimes).  Learned to drive in the 80's in cars that were mainly 70's vintage.

Took my driver's test in one of these in 1986

1972 Plymouth Fury II (the only way it would have handled more like a river boat is if it had a paddle wheel).

That's a beauty!  I have a friend that tried to corner the market on 57 and 58 Plymouths, he had one red 58 driver and at least four complete parts cars.

Here are a few shots of mine...carpet was being replaced is the reason for the mess

One vacuum line to the brake booster.    Ooops.. ETA: I guess two, I have a short one for reference to the pressure regulator.

Changed the timing belt on my Jetta, yesterday.  Pulled out the manual, to refresh my memory on adjusting the injection pump timing after replacing the belt, and one of the first steps was to make sure that the cold start control was fully off.

Cold start...

Cold start...

No wonder the dang thing has been harder to start since the weather turned cold.  


On the 1982 Rabbit, the cold start control was blatantly obvious on the dash.  On the 1985 Jetta, they tried to hide it, and I completely forgot about the dang thing after not needing it over the summer.  

Been a couple decades since I started one, but if my memory isn't off...

Mags off.  Throttle off.  Mixture off.  

Pull the prop through two complete rotations, to make certain a lower cylinder doesn't have a hydraulic lock.

Pump the wobble pump until you have 5 psi of fuel pressure.

Four shots of prime (two if the engine is warm).

Mixture full rich.  Prop full coarse.  Throttle cracked.

Doublecheck the fuel pressure and hit the wobble pump if needed (as I recall, the primer would bleed off some of the pressure).

Hit the starter (kinda wish I had the pleasure of dealing with an inertial starter, but the plane had been upgraded) and count the blades, then turn the mags on (after the fourth blade went by, as I recall).

Wait for oil pressure and for the engine to warm up a bit, then push the prop lever full forward, adjusting the throttle as necessary.

Yep.  Since it was driven last, the choke coil has cooled off.  Hitting the go pedal pops the choke plate back closed and set the idle up again until it runs long enough to turn the choke back off.  Unless carb's choke system was modified.

I understand the nostalgia with carbs--trust me (old cars are my  hobby)--but fuel injection and modern motors are vastly superior, though more difficult to work on.

Wait...what?

You just described my '68 Camaro SS.  Unfortunately, it still has high steal-appeal.

You know, I fixed that problem.  It has a lot to do with today's gasonline, which is designed more towards high-pressure, enclosed fuel-injection systems.  Today's fuel simply boils out of parked, hot carbs or evaporates out of cold ones if it sits too long.

My solution was ugly, but it works freakin' fantastic.  I have an old car that was a bear to start (mostly because I don't drive it every day), and every time I tried to start it, it required a good minute or so of cranking to get the mechanical fuel pump to pump enough gas into the carb and accelerator pump.  Too much wear and tear on the starter and ring gear, and don't like the battery drain.

I bought an electric fuel pump and mounted it in the back of the car, just in front of the fuel tank, and plumbed it in parallel with the regular fuel line, with a check valve on the line coming from the tank that goes to the mechanical (engine) fuel pump.  I wired the pump to a relay and a momentary switch on the dash.  I get in, turn the key to run or acc (which arms the relay), and hit the momentary button.  The electric fuel pump runs, and fills the carb--in fact, you can hear it when the bowls fill and the floats shut off fuel.  Single pump on the gas pedal to give the engine a shot of fresh fuel, and start 'er up.  

It has SERIOUSLY cut down on my start times when she's been sitting for a while.

Of course, this won't work on S&S Super "B" carbs.  No accelerator pump (for a throttle twist).  Gotta use the tickler underneath the carb...
I'm guessing you're running a Super E or G?

Nailed it.

(cough) F.A.S.T. (cough)

30 for me.  I used Demons now...but same design.  Holleys are about as simple as you can get.

Yeah, that was like opposite world.

 

Why not get both?

Have a Super B on my XLCH, but yes, my Shovel has a Super E........

On my '73 K5 with a 454, I have a electric pump back by the tank running to the manual fuel pump on the engine. The electric pump will push fuel through the manual pump and fill the carb....

I kinda liked Predator carbs for performance applications back in the day. They were simple as a rubber mallet.

Are they even in business?

Yup. Or Megasquirt, Holley EFI, MSD Atomic EFI, Edelbrock, Electromotive, Dynatek, AFI... I could keep going, it's a pretty big industry.

I was afraid to go that route, because I wasn't sure how free-flowing the electric pump would be when shut off.  I split my tanks "out" line in two, put a check valve on one side and the electric fuel pump on the other, and then tied them both back into the fuel line.  The check valve keeps fuel coming out of the electric pump from going straight back into the tank, while offering minimal restriction for the mechanical pump to pull through.

Maybe I overthought it...LOL

Just embarassing being a car guy, and having to wait for the carb to fill.

Yep.

The only thing holding me back is cost.  Complete systems cost as much as 6-71 blowers.

I'm honestly very tempted to modify an old Crower BBC FI setup--calliope stacks--to EFI...but man, that cost...

I run the electric all the time, with the mechanical pump. One pushes better, the other pulls better......

Have a separate switch to turn the electric pump off..........

When you do something that cool, you save up and just ignore the cost.

I have two cars that it is still necessary to set the choke, 69 AMX and 74 Javelin.

Believe it or not my first car was a 1935 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe four door sedan with suicide doors front and back.  It also had  a 206 cubic inch inline water cooled six cylinder and one downdraft carburettor with a hand choke, hand throttle and foot throttle.  If the water pump started to leak there was a nut to put your water pump pliers on to tighten the packing around the shaft of the pump.  Tire were 6.500 X17.5' artillery wheels and a turret top.  The body of the car was mounted to a wooden stucture including the doors.  Mohair upholstery and nickel plated everything including fender mounted headlamp that were about a foot in diameter.  Running boards mounted between the large rolling fenders.  Front suspension was knee action shockabsorbers in front and semi-elliptical springs in back that were enclosed and could be greased so they wouldn't squeak.  The brakes were mechanical ... that is right no hydraulics or power booster!  An emergency stop took about a block at 30 mph.  a single taillamp on the left rear.  Three speed floor mounted shifter and a radio that had "H" shaped antennas under each running board.

If the battery was up to par, starting was easy.  Make sure the hand brake is on and the transmission is in neutral.  Pull the choke all the way out, pull the throttle out about 1/2 inch, pump the gas pedal half a dozen times, throw the ignition switch to "ON" and push and hold the "start" button until it starts.  If the battery was to low it got more interesting.  Pull the choke all the way out and leave the throttle closed, insert the crank in the hole under the radiator and engage the crosspin in the crankshaft, turn the engine over 5 or 6 times, now go pump the gas pedal 5 or 6 times, pull the throttle out 1/2", leave the choke as is, turn the ignition to "on", and go turn the engine crank handle clockwise making sure all your fingers and thumb are on the right side of the handle.  If all goes well it will start on the first or second turn of the crank, maybe the third turn.  If it was winter when you were doing this and it is cold and you didn't change to No.10 weight or lighter oil you might net get enougn speed up to maintain compression for the engine to start.

Yes!  I have started it that way with the crank.  That is how it is done.

It had black fenders and maroon body and would hit 75 mph on the flat without overheating.


1935 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe Photo

I think I have a set of Minnesota license plate that reads:  AMX 390

Yup, same here. 1970 Chevy C-10 manual choke. Loved that truck! Consequently it was the last Chevy vehicle I will ever drive.
I happen to see one just like it recently in a movie called "Seems like a good notion" with Paul Newman....

I tried to IM you but your in box is full. Are you interested in getting rid of those plates?

Oh I know, I bought a Holley HP system last year. I was hoarding summit gift cards for a longgggg time though.

I deleted a few messages if you want to try it again.  I will have to look for them, but, I am pretty sure I know where they are.

YOu didn't need an electronics tech on the side of the road to diagnose a carb problem, so I reject your narrowmindedness.







/hotrodder

//electronics tech

///uses carburetors

I'm of two minds about this.  I've repaired carbs on the road, no problem.  Had tools and parts in the trunk.  So, that's good.

I've never had a FI car break down on me for anything related to fuel delivery/ignition.  So...that's awesome.

I play with old cars--and love them to death--on a weekly basis.  
My daily driver is FI.

And while I love the musclecars of yore...Truth be told, they weren't as impressive as today's musclecars.

We have FI V6 engines that put out as much HP as yesterday's big blocks...and get over 25 mpg, and literally never require work.

OP I know exactly what you mean and I'm only 28

some of our older (1984 through 1986) MB-2 aircraft tow vehicles require a couple pumps on the gas pedal to get them going.

They also have the floor switch for the hi beams as well

explaining these things to people roughly under age 24 can be entertaining

Electronics for the FI do not like the cold.

Relays for one.



 

On what kind of vehicle and at what temperature? The manufacturers have been doing extreme temperature torture tests to address such issues for a long time.

They were easier to work on, but, then again, you had to work on them more often.

Cars and trucks were certainly prettier then.... More class and chrome,real steel and iron....and lots of rust.








 

I had separate little cranks for the smoker's window on my 67 Fury III

Beautiful!!

 

The parts I highlighted in bold were ONLY during the 'transition years' where the auto makers were trying to meet emissions standards without the advantage of fully integrated engine control.  This was mostly between 1971 and 1985.  If you look at cars prior to that, none of that stuff (which was junk) existed.

And cars were simple to work on.  Which was a good thing, because they needed it a LOT!

Hes half right.

 

... There is something nostalgic about twin Holley double pumpers top a plenum ram

Carburator nostalgia?  Not just no, but hell no.  Don't miss those tempermental inefficient worthless devices at all.

All of them.

Even FI snogos are having a hard time when the temps get low.



A warm battery helps big time but there are times the electronics just don't like the cold.



 

Back around '82 my brother had a '69 GT500.  I simply unbolted the master cylinder from the booster and swung it to the side without disconnecting the brake lines.

That was to down shift out of overdrive  The starter button was to the right,