Gotta love reliable trucks...

[Bears63]

Went out this morning in the brisk -9 temp to see how the '71 would do. This is my first winter with this truck so I have had no idea how it would handle the cold. I hopped in, pulled the choke, pumped the gas 3 times and hit the key. A couple more pumps while cranking her over and she roared to life. I really love my ol' '71, she doesn't look like much but I've got her to be a very reliable truck.... just had to share

[LOW DOUGH]

yep, sure make you feel good about the truck

[Tynee]

It wasn't quite -9 here, but I was very pleased with my '70 as well. It was about 18 degrees, I pulled the choke, pumped the gas once, turned the key, pushed in the choke, and settled in to let it warm up for a minute before blast-off.

['72customdeluxe]

Not quite the same but Friday it was 28 and snowing. Pumped it three times and it lit just as soon as I touched the key as always. I was worrying about it in school before that..

[oldblue1968chevy]

20* here i dont have electric choke hooked up, she fired up afeter a few pumps

[russj67]

Funny that this thread came up, I drove my truck today also....just to see how it did in the cold (10 degrees). I was pretty happy that it fired up after pumping it 3 times.

[samwise68]

Press the gas, pull the choke, pump it twice and hit the key. She always starts up, even with all thats wrong with her. It was about 1 this morning, but I drove it for 2 winters already, with temps being in the negative 20's. She hasn't let me down yet.

Same with the old tractor I plowed with today, a '40 Farmall H. Started right up this morning at 1 degree, and afterletting the oil and hydraulics loosen up, we were on our way.

Gotta love 'em.

-Sam.

[Bears63]

That's going to be the real test, the first morning when it's down to -20's. It's got a good battery in it, so that makes a huge difference. My dad has a '41 Farmall H, that thing starts up good in the cold too. If it turns over it's going to start.

[surfacerust]

it was about 22 this morning when i got home.

and i stoped and tried to start my 69 C-10. had to pump the guts out of it. but it finally started, i was starting to have my doubts. but it always complains when it hasnt been run in a couple days.

and the man choke isnt hooked up.

ive got a really nice 67 cst cluster w/choke hole. i know it isnt right for the tuck but id like to put it in.

anyone know where i can get a good factory cable for cheap?

[Bears63]

When I switched my '71 to a manual choke I replaced the bezel with one that had the choke hole drilled out. If you look at the back of your original bezel, it should have the outline for the hole. As for the cable, I got it from Classic Parts along with the knob. Had to shorten the cable as it was waaaaay too long. If I had to do it again, I would just go to the parts store and pick up a generic cable.

[silverstreak]

Originally Posted by Bears63

Went out this morning in the brisk -9 temp to see how the '71 would do. This is my first winter with this truck so I have had no idea how it would handle the cold. I hopped in, pulled the choke, pumped the gas 3 times and hit the key. A couple more pumps while cranking her over and she roared to life. I really love my ol' '71, she doesn't look like much but I've got her to be a very reliable truck.... just had to share

Not only are they reliable, they're usually cheap and easy to fix if something does go wrong.

[silverstreak]

Originally Posted by samwise68

Press the gas, pull the choke, pump it twice and hit the key. She always starts up, even with all thats wrong with her. It was about 1 this morning, but I drove it for 2 winters already, with temps being in the negative 20's. She hasn't let me down yet.

Same with the old tractor I plowed with today, a '40 Farmall H. Started right up this morning at 1 degree, and afterletting the oil and hydraulics loosen up, we were on our way.

Gotta love 'em.

-Sam.

I have a 42 Farmall H myself, but it has a hand crank. If there's any dampness in the air I don't go anywhere near her, she will kick back like a mule. If she's warm and dry, you harldy get a full rotation before she fires up.

[ChevLoRay]

I'm guessing some of you guys never experienced life with a carburetor....meaning back when Fuel Injection was an optional engine on very, very few cars.....much less trucks.

Learned a lot about how to start an engine when the choke would hang closed and flood the engine. Having an automatic choke wasn't always the answer to starting problems. Manual chokes worked for many years. Sounds like they still do.

When I was still working, my '69 was my daily driver. Didn't matter what the temp was. As long as the roads were driveable, so was the '69.

I sure will be glad to get it back together and back on the road...hopefully, before I die.

[Indyuke]

Oh yea! Well I only had to pump mine TWICE, turn the key and it fired right up after about two or three cranks. That was in 10deg weather and after sitting for a couple of days.

Hah!

[dmartin1]

an old chevy never died haha......it was 28 degrees out(record breaking for here in az) the day i bought my 500$ 1978 k10 4x4.mild 350 had been sitting for like 2 years,little gas in the tank,2 pumps,and like 5 seconds of turning it over it fired right up.
pretty cool eh?

[dmartin1]

wonder if it woulda fired if it was a ford hahahaha

[Bears63]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

Learned a lot about how to start an engine when the choke would hang closed and flood the engine. Having an automatic choke wasn't always the answer to starting problems. Manual chokes worked for many years. Sounds like they still do.

I have a hatred for automatic chokes. I hate them with a passion. Seems like no matter what you do they don't work quite right. They don't always close when they should or they stick shut. That's why I changed my '71 over to a manual choke. Now if the choke is closed wrong it's my own dang fault.

[americanmusc1e]

mid 30's, no choke Holley 600, high rise dual plane intake, is good anti-theft protection from anyone who is not used to starting a carbureted vehicle.

it's amazing how many people know nothing about starting carbereted vehicles. I've done some work in the pits in dirt track racing and I saw a guy trying to start an alcohol-fueled modified that was flooding so badly that fuel was running out of the headers. somebody had to tell him to hold the throttle down and crank the motor.

[C-10 simplex]

Originally Posted by Bears63

Went out this morning in the brisk -9 temp to see how the '71 would do. This is my first winter with this truck so I have had no idea how it would handle the cold. I hopped in, pulled the choke, pumped the gas 3 times and hit the key. A couple more pumps while cranking her over and she roared to life. I really love my ol' '71, she doesn't look like much but I've got her to be a very reliable truck.... just had to share

Please describe your exact setup.

[Robert Bergstrom]

The Quadrajet is really a great carburetor...as long as it is set up correctly. It is very critical to have the choke set right and the fast idle also. People tend to not realize this and bad mouth them. The idle stop solenoid is also an important part. Warm weather tends to minimize problems, cold weather brings them out.

[mr48chev]

I found that the HEI that I put on the truck last spring was the biggest help for cold weather starts if the Battery and wiring connections are good that is. I have a Holley 650 double pumper spread bore with a non working choke and a couple of pumps on that and she hits and goes even in 0 degree weather that we have had this week. Now if I could only get the heater to kick out more air. Time to de-mouse nest it tomorrow.

[Murphy IRE]

Minus 17 and she ('71 K20) fired right up. I've had some problems with the electric choke staying on, but it's been good this week!!!
Murphy

[surfacerust]

UPDATE

got my 8 dollar "accesory cable" at advacne.

went out and put it on the carb but not in the dash, ran the cable over the cowl and in the corner of the open door to see if itd work.

its 17 this morning. pulled the choke out pumped it twice and it fired right up! but then quit before i could get the choke in again.
pulled it again and it took right off. pushed the choke in and featherd the throttle a little to fast idol for a sec or two then it idoled like a champ.

tired 327, HEI, Torquer hi rise single plane, 1 inch spacer and a 1405 Edelbrock.

now im happy to be in the cold start club again

[Bears63]

Originally Posted by C-10 simplex

Please describe your exact setup.

I'm running a stock 350 with HEI and a 600 cfm Edelbrock carb. Oh, and a really good battery

[bikertim]

When I was a kid back in the 80s, my mom had to go to work -- her new Dodge Omni in the garage wouldn't start -- step dads 2 year old ford courier wouldn't start -- but my old 1969 chevy C-10 SW lite right off!! It was so cold out that when you let the clutch out the engine died -- it didn't want to move -- the gear oil in the 3 speed was so thick!!! Not all Chevys are cold blooded! Sure wish I would have kept that old truck I guess I'll have to settle for teh 1970 I have now over the 1969 from back then!