Forums

Topic: My Starting Problem  (Read 2104 times)

Offline Bugthug

  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Nov 2008
  • Posts: 164

My Starting Problem

« on: December 27, 2008, 01:42:50 PM »
My '63 has a rebuilt motor, new Solex carb, fuel pump, dist... It really runs smoothly and 90% of the time it starts with just a bump of the starter-especially when it's cold. On rare occasions (mostly when I'm away from home!) it will not even sputter when trying to start. I'm new at this but is there some "known" problem that would cause this? I don't know if it means anything but there's just a small amount of fuel in the filter. Thanks for any enlightenment, Steve.

Offline Zen

  • Show Chairman
  • Club Member
  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Dec 2001
  • Posts: 8842
  • Liked: 2 times

Re: My Starting Problem

« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2008, 08:41:27 PM »
Quote from: "Bugthug"
My '63 has a rebuilt motor, new Solex carb, fuel pump, dist...


The last three new fuel pumps I bought were either bad right out of the box or went bad within a month.  Make sure the pin where the lever pivoits in the lower part of the housing is still in it.

Offline Bugthug

  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Nov 2008
  • Posts: 164

My Starting Problem

« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2008, 11:37:31 PM »
Thanks, Zen. I'll check it in the morning. Is there a particular brand of fuel pump that is dependable?

Offline Zen

  • Show Chairman
  • Club Member
  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Dec 2001
  • Posts: 8842
  • Liked: 2 times

My Starting Problem

« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2008, 09:01:37 AM »
Based on my recent experiances with parts of any brand, the brand doesn't matter near as much as the country of origin.  If it's made in China, India, or Brazil, the odds aren't in your favor.  You'll have the best luck with parts made in Europe or North America (including Canada and Mexico . . . but Mexico can be "iffy" sometimes).

Offline Bugthug

  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Nov 2008
  • Posts: 164

My Starting Problem

« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2008, 11:03:57 AM »
If this pivot pin is out, would the motor run at all? Most of the time the car starts easy and runs fine. It actually acted up yesterday and prompted me to ask this question. When I attempted to start it the first time it would not even "hit a lick". I let the car sit for about 30 minutes and then it started. It didn't fire right up like it normally does but was sort of rough. It was really rich and "gassy" and stunk up the whole house before I could get it out of the garage. The carburator really seems to be tuned well and the automatic choke seems to perform correctly. I'm still not clear about how much fuel should be in the filter. Whether the car is running or not, there's always just a tiny bit in the bottom of the filter. It's been a long time for me and it was always old Chevy's that I was in to but it seems like I remember the filters being almost full of fuel. Is it possible for the pump to be sucking air somewhere in the line? I know I sound like an idiot but I have a good excuse. I am. Thanks again for the help.

Offline ghiadaddy

  • maryville tn
  • Joined: Oct 2008
  • Posts: 57

My Starting Problem

« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2008, 09:54:40 PM »
if the pivot pin is out its not gonna run anymore period.have you checked to see if there is anycrap floating around in the floatbowl ?just pull the top off the carb and see what you have in there without removing the carb.if you don't have anygas in there then you may have a float level issue if you have gas with "floaties" in it then you could have a needle and seat getting clogged/caught open letting raw fuel run into the jugs.all of this is assuming you are running a single carb setup with functioning risers(if they are missing or clogged you could have an icing deal going on-been there done that)

Offline Bugthug

  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Nov 2008
  • Posts: 164

My Starting Problem

« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2008, 11:28:55 PM »
Thanks, Ghiadaddy. I'll try to check that this weekend. It is a single carburator and I'm pretty sure all the components are there and installed properly. I know the car is almost 50 years old but the fuel and filter look pretty clean and the carb has maybe 1,000 miles on it. When you say "icing", are you talking about actual ice from cold weather conditions? The car stays inside and has not really gotten that cold if that's what you're talking about. Thanks again for your help.

Offline ghiadaddy

  • maryville tn
  • Joined: Oct 2008
  • Posts: 57

My Starting Problem

« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2008, 10:14:53 AM »
two things.the icing i refer to can happen on any single carb setup that either doesn't have the heat riser tubes or they are stopped up.here is an example.i had a 40 dcnf on a deano intake on my car.i could run it 20 miles and the carb would get so cold it would freeze up,just from the fuel and air running thru it.let it sit for a while and it would start up and run fine until it would get cold again,and yes this would happen even in july/august.as for the fuel filter do not run a plastic filter they will let trash flow thru them.get a glass filter(empi)and secure it to whatever you can.they filter really well and totally out perform the plastic ones in all conditions.i have mine zip tied to the wiring  so it won't hit anything.good luck

Offline Bugthug

  • LaFayette, GA
  • Joined: Nov 2008
  • Posts: 164

My Starting Problem

« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2008, 12:00:34 PM »
Good stuff! My wife has got me painting  :puke: so I'll have to sneak out while she's not looking to get these more important things done. I'll let you know the results. Thanks again!

There was an error while liking
Liking...

About Us

Chattanooga's oldest and largest club for air-cooled and water-cooled Volkswagens, since 1998. Join Us

Follow Us

© 1998-2025 Scenic City Volks Folks