wont start without starting fluid

[fordchris47]

I've had this issue for a while now and I'm getting tired of dealing with it. I have a Holley 4160 750cfm and it runs awesome once its started but when I shut it off it won't start. I have to spray starting fluid down the carb and it fires right up and runs great. Does anybody know what could possibly be the problem, any and all suggestions are appreciated

[MadJoe]

That sounds awful.

If I'm understanding correctly, you can't even start it when it's warmed up? It just won't start when turning it over unless you supply it with the initial combustion source? I've never experienced this issue, but I have this need to help other people so let me see if I can't come up with something. At the very least I'll keep it at the top of the forum, right?

Ok, I wish I could offer more than speculation, but it really sounds like a fuel pump issue to me. Like starting RPMs just aren't enough to get the pump pumping, but idle and above RPMs are. How to determine if this is your problem, or even if it is the problem, I don't know, but fuel pump would be my first suspect if it were my truck. If that isn't the issue (I guess you could try pumping the gas peddle a bunch of times and give it a sniff test to see if it's flooded) then oxygen is the next step. Only the lack of one of 3 things (barring catastrophic mechanical failure, but those are really noisy) can stop an engine from running: Fuel, Spark, Oxygen. One (or more) of those things isn't occurring upon turning the key. I lean towards fuel since starting fluid works. But I also don't know the chemical makeup of starting fluid off the top of my head, so maybe it burns without any external oxygen source (highly doubtful).

I know I didn't give you the easy answer you were hoping for, but if I helped you think through it, or I kept it at the top of the forum where someone who can, does, I've done my job.

Best of luck,
Joe

[tsherry]

Not familiar with your carb, but have had similar problems on Ford 2150's and other 1bbl. carbs--the accelerator pump diaphragm was shot due to ethanol. Literally ate the rubber away from the reinforcing mesh.

I may be having a similar issue developing with my Carter Comp series 4bbl--it's getting worse as time goes by. Three rebuilds before I got smart and switched to non-ethanol fuel on my other vehicles. Too late for the 390 in my '67 though.

[fordchris47]

I took off the front fuel bowl to get at the accelerator pump cause theres no fuel coming out of the pump nozzle. The pump looks great and I know it works cause when I had the bowl in my hand I moved the pump lever up and down and fuel came squirting out. I put it back together and the same thing nothing out of the pump nozzle and yes theres fuel in the bowl. I also pulled the pump nozzle to see if it was clogged and it wasn't. I guess I could take the metering block and soak it in carb cleaner and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for your replies

[fordchris47]

Took the accelerator pump nozzle out to remove the check valve and the valve won't come out. I tried curb cleaner, compressed air and it won't budge. Something is jammed in there goodcause it won't let fluid or air up in the pump nozzle. I hate to see the four year old curb go to waste but I just don't know what to do.

[Ohiotinkerer]

Do what I did (seriously)........take the Holley off, smash it with a sledge hammer, and go buy a new Edelbrock - never had any problems after that...........

I have never had a Holley that DIDN'T cause me problems.......

[fordchris47]

No way, after I pulled the 750 I put the 600 that sat for four years on the shelf that I had on it originally, replaced two gaskets and that sob runs like a bat out of hell. No carburetor cleaner, nothing, runs awesome. Dirty but perfection. edelbrock are for bowties!

[Ohiotinkerer]

No way, after I pulled the 750 I put the 600 that sat for four years on the shelf that I had on it originally, replaced two gaskets and that sob runs like a bat out of hell. No carburetor cleaner, nothing, runs awesome. Dirty but perfection. edelbrock are for bowties!

Well that's what they were on........ ......like I tease the young guys that drive their new Chevy's to work and give me crap about driving a Ford - I tell them I used to drive GM products.......then I grew up and got smart.........

Just glad to hear you've got it figured out.......

[fordchris47]

Yeah, GM sucks

[fordchris47]

Just recently my brother bought a 71' GMC while I had my ford and you can see and feel the difference between the two. His hood was barely reinforced his doors were so much thinner than mine. It was like a thin tin can compared to my 72' ford and of course it had and edelbrock carburetor that was a pos. He couldn't get it to run right and eventually sold it. I feel in the 70's ford just had a better product and on most ford were holleys just like what came on my wifes 61' thunderbird. jmho

[Ohiotinkerer]

Its all good anyway you look at it - I know guys that have Holley's and never have a problem with them.........they just tell me that I'm Holley illiterate..... I must be cause I can NEVER get one to work right.........


Have had good luck with Carter's though.....

[1972hiboy]

Its all good anyway you look at it - I know guys that have Holley's and never have a problem with them.........they just tell me that I'm Holley illiterate..... I must be cause I can NEVER get one to work right.........


Have had good luck with Carter's though.....

Holleys are generally completely tune-able, the Edelbrocks like the Rochester quadrajets utilizes air valves that allow them to self-meter their secondaries, this makes them a bit more forgiving when it comes to drivebility out of the box. I'd still like to find a good way to mount a Qjet on my 390 without the use of multiple adapters.

[Maximus]

My 72' K5 Blazer has a Holley on its 350 and runs GREAT, my 72' F100 has a Edelbrock on the 300 I6 and runs GREAT.

GM, Ford - I never understood the hostility. Both companies make great American vehicles.

[fordchris47]

I apologize for not posting my findings. I pulled off the front bowl and determined that the accelerator pump was working so I pulled the accelerator pump nozzle to dump out the pump check valve and nothing came out. I blew compressed air in the accelerator pump passages in the carburetor body while closing the choke so as not to blow it across the shop and still nothing, sprayed PB Blaster in there and let it soak. After two days of soaking I was able to blow out the the pump check valve, cleaned it up and put it back in. now the pump nozzle squirts like its supposed to, reinstalled the carburetor and the truck is hauling ass again. Couldn't have done it without my super tuning and modifying Holley carburetors book, Ha!