1983 Chevy Hard to start when warm

[Prerunner1982]

I called about an 83 longbed today. The owner says it starts and runs fine but when it gets warm it wont restart when you need it to. I didnt know why and for the price I might go ahead and go look at it.

I have 2 ideas as to why it wont start, I didnt ask him what sounds it made if any. I figure the fuel line is getting to warm and vaporlocking or the starting it getting to hot.

Youll have any other ideas? If it is only those 2 those maybe easy to fix. I ran headers on my 82 will no problem with vapor lock or the starter. I would most likely swap the exhaust on there and see if that fixes the problem.

What do you'll think?

Thanks.

[edman87]

I had a smallblock that the starter was getting hot on and would not crank after it was warmed up. You could jump it off or put a different hot battery in it and it would work. Tried 3 new batteries and 2 new alt ,all with same results. Put on new starter and problem gone.
Note, after it colled for 30 min or so, it would crank fine.

[Srubydo1986]

i say starter. it most likely doesnt have a shield so it getting hot and having issues. I dont run with a shield either but thats a risk i take.

[neverfinished]

a couple more to add, bad/loose/corroded battery cables, bad rings and the oil is full of gas.

I wrapped the passenger side header on my truck to try and preserve the starter, but I only did that because the PO had told me that he went through 3 starters in two years and that the one in it now was brand new. I replaced all the battery cables and wrapped the header just for peace of mind. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to look at a car with a bad starter that fires right up after I clean the battery cables.

[SmittySmith]

Jon,

I had the same problem with my 82 GMC Sierra 350, it sure acted like vapor lock but turned out that a new distributer was what it took to fix it.

Smitty

[82c10]

it's the starter, if it is the stock starter, if you buy it have it rebuilt instead of buying a parts store rebuilt one

[knightlife]

I concur, store bought ones don't work properly...trust me, Im on my 4th friggin starter...and yea..I shim them too! sux balls but I have to get by.....right? lol

[benoit454]

I had that problem with the motor in my monte carlo, headers and starter had NOTHING to do with it.

My problem was fuel perculating out of the edelbrock carb, talked to alot of people who had the same problem with their edelbrocks and quadrajets.

I bought a heat insulator gasket for 10 bucks and fixed it.

Also heard of using a phenolic spacer since it won't let heat pass through it like alum. or anything else.

Also had sort of the same problem on the 86 4x4, plugged off the fuel return line on the pump and fixed it, so I did the same on my monte carlo. Other people had done the same, or put in a fuse inside the 3/8 line one of the glass ones, and drilled a small hole in both ends to only let a small amount of gas flow back through it.


Mine would crank when it was hot, or after being warm, but that was the problem, it cranked and cranked and cranked before it would start, a good minute or two before she'd hit. So I bought the 1/4 thick heat insulator gasket from edelbrock and that fixed it. I know they have them for quadrajets also.