Just bought a modified '88 with what looks like a small block, mid rise intake and Holley carb without choke. At 60 degrees it will start pretty easy and stay running if I tap dance on the accelerator for 15-30 seconds while it warms up. At 40 it takes 3 or 4 tries to keep it running and a minute to warm up enough that it won't stall if take my foot off the gas. Any tips for colder weather starts, not that I will drive very often when it's so cold. Or is this pretty much what you have to do on a carb without a choke.

 

A good lesson for you in what the ECM is doing for your modern engine with no driver inputs whatsoever. Even with a choke starting an aftermarket Holley carburetor equipped car in cold weather is more than turning the key and no there is nothing you can do to it to make it a foot off the pedal, start it and drive away deal. Single plane or two plane manifold? Single plane plane and cold weather dont play well. If dual plane does the manifold have heat riser passages or are they blocked off? If blocked that makes cold running even more tedious. There was a reason for the heat riser valve in the exhaust manifold and passages in the factory dual plane intakes back in the day. It would work better if you find a Holly with a choke and fast idle cam. If a manual choke cable isn't your thing Hollly used to have electric automatic choke models also but been many years since I have fooled with such. WIthout a choke you are stuck using the carburetor's accelerator pump as your cold starting aid. Pump the throttle pedal 2-3 times, more as it gets colder, start it, feather it to keep it going. If you cant stand to let it warm up you take off, and two foot the pedals if automatic or if manual trans you brake with your heal while keeping it running with your toe on the go pedal. There just is no way around it.

 

I'll post a pic of the carb and intake but that is what I though. Two footing the pedals I remember from the good old days of carburated cars but which had nothing to do with a lack of a choke. How we have been spoiled by modern fuel injection.

 

The last of the carburetor equipped cars were pretty decent at the start and drive away deal but realize that the fuel mixture requirements were controlled not only by the choke but intake passage temperature, intake air temperature and they also had a bit of electronic engine management. You need a choke and you need a fast idle cam on the carburetor. If you can find one the electric choke Holley is easily dialed in and is a one wire hook up. This gets you started and running when cold but to smooth out the transition from cold to hot the heat riser valve in the exhaust and a dual plane intake with the heat riser passages is a must. Warm intake air is not a must but an addition that really helps smooth the engine when in transition. Remember the tin shroud over the exhaust manifold and the hose going to the air cleaner snorkel? There was a vacuum operated valve that allowed intake air to be either heated or cold depending on engine temps. A vacuum operated choke pull off is another real nice addition to smooth transitions.. The best you can do in cold weather with a carburetor and no electronic engine management is what I will call " livable" but it ill take some tinkering to get there. Good luck.

 

Never had issues with my chokeless Holley DPs. I would just pat gas a few times, turn her over then idle it to 1200rpm for a min or two then it was good. Probably helped my Dad is a guru with those things and could tune them blindfolded and we have rather warm weather down here in south Ms.

 

Pics of the carb and manifold. Anyone know what they are?

 

Revisiting the topic and not sure what happened to the photo. It's not going above 40° this week and I'd like to move it to another spot so I can work on another car where it's at now. Cant get it started even after 4 or 5 tries. It probably doesn't help that I changed the oil last week to 15W50. Would putting a heat lamp aimed at the manifold for an hour, help much? I'm guessing the fuel is just condensing on the intake walls. And I don't want to soak the plugs with raw gas.

 

It wont stay running even while feathering the gas pedal? When was the last time you ran it?

 

It won't start. Cranks and gets a few sputters like it's going to start, but nope. Ran it a week ago to change the oil, but it was 65° then.

 

If all you're trying to do is start it once and move it, pour an ounce or 2 of gas into the throttles.

 

If it's about 30 degrees outside you will probably have to pump the crap out of the gas pedal to get it started. And once it's running you will still have to pump the pedal to keep it running until it warms up a little bit. It's a carburetor, you have to pump it when it's cold and with no choke even more so.

 

If you could get someone to crank it for you, or if you have a remote starter button, pump it 7-8 times or so -that's enough to start it....(if the accel pump is working!).... then crank it from under the hood. When it fires, keep it running, one of two ways:
1. lay a hand over the primaries to making a "choke plate" w/your hand. If it starts to die out from lean/cold, smother and release the primaries, it'll pick right back up. Find the balancing point w/your hand to keep it running until it warms enough to run on it's own.
2. put your finger on the accel pump bell crank under the front float bowl. when the engine fires, be ready and as it starts to fade/die, actuate the accel pump by pumping it w/your finger....it'll come right back to life. Find the slow pumping rhythm that the engine likes (that's what she said), to stay running. Keep that going until it gets warm enough to keep running on it's own.

2.5. Yes, pre-heating the intake and carb will help. So much so that you may not need any other tricks to get it started.

 

Finally got it started at 40° after having a 500 watt halogen light up against the intake for a few hours along with some shots of starting fluid.

 

Next time, instead of doing a whole bunch of work, pour an ounce or two of gas down the throttles. Work sucks.

 

How's that different than pumping the gas 5 times? I don't like work either.

 

If the fuel bowl is dry, as often happens, pumping the gas won't ... work.

 

I pour some gas in through the vents.

 

Nope, if it's dry, that won't work. I'd have thunk that it had fuel in the bowls after the seemingly lengthy starting attempts.


I like that'n...and I'll also pressurize the fuel tank for about 15 seconds and fill the bowl(s) that way. Easy Button.

 

I've been going through this cold weather chokeless start for the better part of a decade. And this was at one time, consistently at or below freezing temperatures.
With the newest engine now installed, one thing that concerned a great deal was the effect of all that pedal pumping while trying to start or keeping it running and the effect it has on the cylinder walls getting fuel washed.
I determined that it contributed to the demise of the engine before this. Very worn bores as measured.
My workaround this time is through the use of an oil pan heater in addition to (but not yet incorporated) a engine block heater.
It took overnight with the pan heater to see a discernable rise in oil temps but there was some. Certainly well above the ambient of the day. A block heater would more than double down of that. I also run a 5W20 oil for the cooler months.
FWIW: A couple of shots of the gas pedal, the engine fires off instantly and then held at 1500-1800 RPM. Maybe a minute of that at it idles at 900-1000 RPM without any additional input. It was suggested to me that the higher fast idle will ensure greater oil splash on the bores and help to mitigate some that fuel wash.
I will admit that it helps to have a fresh engine with good compression and a fairly good tune. I've also resigned myself to not starting it from the time it's packed away in the fall until the first reasonable driving weather the following season.