Hi everyone, VET here. I have an issue. I stored my 70 Buick GS 462 for the winter and on the same day I picked up my Buick from the shop where I had some engine work and upgrades done on it. I have the Buick in a storage unit. Unfortunately it's not heated and it was about 44 degrees that day. I have the Buick in the storage unit for 2 weeks and I went to start it up. It has a Holley carb (4150) with an electric choke. It took me 6 times to depress the gas petal to get the car started. I ran into something that never occured before. On the 5th startup the engine didn't start but it expelled oil smoke. I shut it off. The smoke came through the ram air nozzles. Really strange. It let it sit for 2 minutes because I was wondering if it back fired but I didn't hear anything unusual. I started it again (#6) and it started up but it would idle at the 750 rpm it's set for. So I had to feather it to 1,000 rpm and when it came up to temperature it ran just find. Now i'am wondering if the electric choke is not functioning or the cold weather had an effect?? I have driven the Buick several times at the shop (test drives) and never experienced any problems, but the temperatures have been the lowest at 80 degrees. I'am wondering if the gas evaporated in the carb, reason why it was hard to start?? Next startup i'am going to depress the gas petal about 5 times to make sure I get enough gas in the carb. Anybody ever experienced this issue?? Also, I haven't had a carburetor engine since 1980. VET (Navy)
The choke is not working correctly. Take the air cleaner off so you can observe the choke blade. Open the throttle by hand once full travel. The choke blade should close completely, and there should be some resistance when you push it open with your finger. There should also be a fast idle cam that rotates with the choke blade. The engine should start immediately, and the choke blade should open about 1/4". The engine should run at a fast idle of around 1500 RPM. Depressing the gas should drop the idle to around 1000-1100 RPM. You should be able to put the car in gear and drive away without issue. Sounds like the choke was never set up, and adjusted correctly. This is the electric choke on my Quadrajet.
I doubt that the gasoline is evaporating out of a Holley carburetor. Quadrajet? Yes, but not a Holley. You are flooding the engine by pumping it 5 times. If the choke is set correctly, one pump should set the choke and fast idle, and the engine should start immediately.
Ok, I'll check it out the video. Again, thank you so much Larry. VET O' by the way, when I bought the Holley and tuned on the A/C, the engine wouldn't idle and stalled all the time. So a solenoid from Holley had to be installed. It only comes on when the A/C is activated. It does work very good and no more engine stalling.
I have the 4150 square carb, 750 cfm, electric choke and manual secondaries. Runs really good has good performance. VET
Choke - joke - Larry's just showing off! But on the other hand - many folks run without a choke and do what you are did - pump it, start it, feather it until it will run on its own. Letting it sit and trying to start it on a cold day is a challenge unless its tuned really well - like Larry's car! Check the choke operation like Larry said and report back. Obviously you need to drive it more! And how did Larry start the car standing by the fender?
If you saw smoke come up through the hood grills, the starter may of kicked back and sneezed through the carb?
Maybe or maybe not. I was so pissed I couldn't get the engine started, I didn't realize I began to started the engine before the starter stopped. Now, I ran the battery down and have to recharge it. Damn stupid of me. VET
I'm with Larry on the "you flooded it" bandwagon. Hope once you get the battery charged, a single pump to the floor, turn the key and it goes... Good luck!
That's what I do. I disable the choke because my aluminum heads have the manifold heat from the exhaust blocked off and, if I use the choke, it takes too long for the intake to heat up enough to disengage the choke. When I start up I merely hold the throttle open so the engine idles at about 1500 RPM until it will idle at 750 with the throttle lifted. Only takes about 30 seconds. As for the car starting after sitting for more than a day or two, the fuel does evaporate and it takes more time to start it than if it's run every day. That's something us Quadrajet guys have to live with. Especially here in the south where the fuel evaporates faster.
Why is the primary choke blade open so much? The vacuum break adjustment is about an 1/8". If it idles at 1500 dead cold with the choke blade basically open, it's way fat.
I adjusted it so that I could it would start and run, and I could drive away on the choke. It works perfectly. Once it is warmed up, AFR gauge says it idles low 13's, but at part throttle cruise, it's high 14's, going to 13.0 with heavy throttle. Runs great, doesn't miss a beat. My idle calibration is pretty fat, I'd say. JW did the Quadrajet. I'm guessing one of Cliff Ruggles' recipes.
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Another day and a good battery. Here's the results, I had a spare battery fully charged and the Big Old Buick started right up. I depress of the gas petal once. I took the air cleaner off so I could see the choke plate and it set itself to about 1/8 inch. I believe this is normal. What bothered me, bluesish smoke came out the tail pipes with a rough idle. That only lasted about 2-3 minutes and the idle smoothed out, bluesish smoke went away and idle ran at 750 rpms. What the heck is that all about??? I only have 10 feet deep by 20-foot-wide storage unit and the smoke quickly filled up the storage unit, was not happy about that. Not sure what to think about that condition. Maybe this is normal??? Now, the Buick is right out of the shop, maybe 40/50 minutes' drive time I did on it. Drove great and performance is the best I've seen from the time I bought it. Burnouts are outstanding too. I'm getting the Interstate battery recharged for free, no kidding, from Advance auto parts. What nice guys in my neighborhood. Have a Diehard in the Buick now. VET (Navy)
No, the choke plate should completely close over the primary bores. Once the engine starts, the choke plate should open and the engine should run smoothly at a fast idle.
