Won't start

[67C10BUB]

I am just trying to pull my truck in the back of the house to do the motor swap and I can't get the old 350 to start. It has been sitting for a couple weeks and there isn't any fuel to the carb (see through filter is empty). Do you need to prime the fuel system in a carb motor (stupid question I bet, but I've never owned one)? How do you do it?

[68gmsee]

No, there's no priming needed. The fuel pump supplies the gas to fill the bowl. The accelerator plunter squirts the gas into the throttle body and so on.

Try pouring some gas into the carb throttle. Be careful not to pour too much. If you have the fuel pump hooked up to a fuel source and the lines are not clogged up and if the pump is working good- then this should be enought to get you started.

If that doesn't do it. Then make sure you have spark. These are all preliminaries.

[67C10BUB]

Thanks, I am going to check the lines tomorrow and I'll try pouring a little gas in the carb. Hopefully it will get me going for the 10 minutes I need it to.

[68gmsee]

Actually pouring gas in the carb throat won't let you run for more than a few seconds before it's gone.

If it does run, you know that ignition is okay and fuel delivery is the issue. Your next step is to disconnect the fuel pump line and see if fuel is coming out. If it isn't then it's either a bad pump or clogged fuel lines or filters. You just have to keep going back down the lines until you find the culprit.

If it helps any, I had a clogged fuel tank line to the fuel pump and temporarily put a rubber fuel line on the intake side of the pump and placed it in a gallon gas container to temporarily run the engine.

[storm9c1]

Originally Posted by 67C10BUB

Thanks, I am going to check the lines tomorrow and I'll try pouring a little gas in the carb. Hopefully it will get me going for the 10 minutes I need it to.

After sitting for a few weeks, it will probably start with a few cranks. The cranking may be a little longer... but should be enough to prime the pump and get the fuel to the bowl, and when you pump the pedal, it will shoot that into the carb.

I like to use Gumout as starting fluid. It's safer, it cleans the carb, and doesn't come with the same dangers as raw gasoline.

If you pour some gas directly in, PUT THE AIR SNORKEL or air cleaner cover back on. A common source for engine fires is a backfire igniting the spilled gas or fumes that build up. The snorkel or cleaner cover will prevent that.

Finally, if the car/truck has been sitting for months and you are sure the bowl is dry, another option is to pre-fill the bowl by using a turkey baster or a squeeze bottle to fill the bowl through the vent pipe/hole in the carb. Same rules apply though, replace the air cleaner to prevent backfire from igniting spilled gas. An engine will run for a short time with a full bowl.

[67C10BUB]

Thanks for the help. I poured a little gas in the carb, started it, and the pump finally started pulling fuel.