Ok my stock 82 ta 305 with quadrajet is getting hard to start now that cold weather is upon us here in ohio.

What is the most likely problem, I pump the pedal several times but not too much as to cause flooding but it takes awhile for the engine to " hit" and then it fires up after that first act of trying to start.

last year if I sprayed starter fluid in the carb it was easier to start, why is that ?

do I need new spark plugs or is it a choke problem ?

 

Your car has a mechanical fuel pump. Once you pump the gas, that sets the choke to "on". Pumping also the gas pushes whatever fuel is in the bowls into the intake, this helps start the car. It takes a few cranks for the mechanical pump to pull fuel to the carb. Carbs hate cold. 5-10 cranks isn't uncommon for me when it's cold. Once it fires, it should jump right to high idle? Is that doing it? Then once it warms up enough, if you kick the throttle it should drop from high idle. Does it do that? If it does, it's working as it's designed.

 

Built. When you say "pump", do you mean press the accelerator to the floor and then slowly release? For cold engine this is what the manual says. If it doesn't start with turn of the key after that, repeat.

bedbed

 

I don't do it slowly, but it's the same principle. Cold engines sometimes take a while, especially if the fuel has drained back out of the carb.

 

Also make sure the carb is all tight. you'll have to take it off the check the baseplate screws. I had a car that did that when it was cold out or sat more than 1 day. I had 2 pour gas in the carb to start it..

 

There should be a anti-drainback fuel filter on the q-jet.
When the engine is cold, pop off the air cleaner, cycle the throttle once & see if the choke is fully closing. That'll be a good time to make sure the carb is bolted down tight, check vacuum hoses, & blast it w/ carb cleaner.

 

I don't pump the gas pedal slow ,just stomp it a few times. it does have the stock type filter.
I
'll check the choke you was posted and get back to you.

 

Don't stomp it,you are most likely flooding it,push the pedal all the way down once and release,mine will fire right off with that procedure.

When I first got it I thought-old carb-pump it a few times,wrong,it would just flood out and run rough when it did finally fire.

 

Ok I depressed the gas pedal and it did squirt gas into the carb after sitting unstarted for a couple days but the weather is nice and not cold now, the choke did not move at all. I adjusted it richer to the middle setting and tried again, no movement.

car started ok but the choke is not working.

any advice on how to fix the choke ?

 

If the chokes not coming on first make sure that it is hooked up to a 12 v source of power still and the connections are still good

 

yes checked that, connection is good

 

The choke should "set" anytime the engine is cold when you depress the gas pedal prior to starting the car. the only time the choke is not on, is when it's warm enough, either through ambient temp or engine temp. If it's not, it's either out of adjustment, or bad. If you do a search for "choke adjustment" on the site here, you should find what you're looking for. If that still doesn't work, you probably need a new choke/choke assembly.

 

Hi Built;

You’ve got some good advice so far – I’ll only step in since you sent me a PM.

- Just for future readers, you have to disconnect the choke wire, and turn the key to “on” to check for 12V. If you check it while it’s connected it’ll be going through ground and will show ~5V or so.

- You *should* be able to walk up to your car, blip the throttle (tap gas to ~1/3 of the way), and then crank the car over within 1-2 rotations of the engine. If my souped up 350 with a Q-jet can do it in Calgary winters – anything south of the 49th parallel can (at least without blaming the Q-jet or the weather).

- Since you said you can see the two squirts of gas (when check before firing up the car – while it’s cold) that means your carb isn’t draining from well plugs or from the fuel line. It’s not a fuel problem.

- You could always change your plugs/wires (or check them) – ignition problems give WEIRD phantom problems. I doubt that’s your problem if the car runs well when hot though – that’s generally when ignition problems will rear their ugly head.

- If you take the air cleaner off of your car (when cold), and twist the throttle – and DON’T see the choke air blade SNAP shut – your problem lies with the choke thermostat. Loosen the screws, and rotate the choke thermostat until the blade is JUST BARELY closed. Then try starting the car again – when it fires up, the choke… uhh, air pot? Should pull the choke air blades ~1/8->3/16” open. If not - adjust that. As the 12V goes through the choke thermostat, it warms it up (as does the heat of the engine, albeit much more slowly), which will cause more air to come in there, which speeds up your idle. Hence you need to blip the throttle so you’ll come down onto a lower step of the choke arm – and eventually back onto hot idle.

- If you now stay on hot idle FOREVER, that means you had to OVER-ADJUST your thermostat to get it to run. Replace it, and re-set it as above (you’ll notice you have a different, ie more “straight” position of the blade connector).
Technically speaking – your car is getting “too much air” to start in cold weather.

 

I took it apart and it looked new inside, put it back together on the catch and turned it counter clockwise till the carb flap closed mostly and tightened it down, seems to be working good now .
thanks for the help.