engine stalls right after starting

[Cambons]

Alright so here is the problem when i start up may 72 chevy inline 6 250, it stalls unless i keep the gas pedal down and i cant think of whats wrong. Any suggestions on what to check and what can be wrong? thank you guys for anything you can share.

[60ratrod]

sounds like your choke isn't opening up. typically it closes all the way when starting then once running they crack open a tad and open more as the engine warms

[stich626]

or chock isn't working at all, mine did this.. the choke was wiretied open..
(great when it was a texas truck, I guess) but even when it's 60-70 out, it still might need the chock of a minute or two..
of it's a fuel issie and the pump shot is covering up the issue when you hit the gas

[Cambons]

ok yeah my choke just seems to keep open

[PanelDeland]

A little more info will help us help you.After it starts will it stay running after a few minutes ?Does it run OK when it warms up?Does it start right up or do you have to crank it some first?HEI or points?Do you have to pump it to get it started?These things may help us pinpoint areas to look at.

[stsalvage]

Well i have a guy that has 5 more sets of the choke cables for these trucks there brand new factory with nob cable and bezels nut that look like your headlight switch and wiper switch bezels everything is brand new last time he was selling the limited number he still had was 55.00 with 5 doller shipped these cables are 3 feet long comes with that factory lack cable I bought 2 of them they work grate i Love choke cables if you think you want one send me a email and i will see if he has a few left

these are the 1967--69 choke cables for the 250 -- 396 engines in 1/2 ton to 4 ton dump trucks and cab overs here is a pictures of what they look like i put one in my 1968 3 door suburban my email is stsalvage@yahoo.com Sam is my name

[Cambons]

no it dies right after it starts and have not got it to run so i dont know if it runs good after it warms up. it is points and no i dont have to pump to start but need to pump to keep it running.

[68gmsee]

First, you need to make a few preliminary things. These sixes are simple to work on but a little persnickity.

Remove the air filter and crank it a few minutes. Look inside the carb with a flashlight and make sure it's not leaking fuel into the intake (flooding). You should notice black smoke coming out the exhaust if it's running too rich. I suspect your problem is actually lack of fuel but you can still check for flooding.

Make sure you don't have any broken hoses, loose carburetor screws and bolts then remove the fuel line and check the filter in the carb.

Then while the fuel line is off, insert it into a plastic container and have someone crank the engine. You should get a strong pulse of fuel and it should put out at least a pint of gas in about 7-10 seconds. If not, you could have a bad fuel pump, clogged or collapsed fuel lines or sock filter inside the tank clogged.

If all of the above checks out, then proceed with the ignition. Check the timing with a timing light. Should be at TDC with original distributor.

If you have points, rotate the engine and make sure they're opening and closing properly and check the adjustment.

If all of that is okay, then take the carburetor off (fairly easy on these sixes) and remove the top to make sure it hasn't got accumulated gunk in the bowl.

Spray clean it and replace the plunger/accelerator pump. Auto parts sells kits and these carbs are fairly easy to work on.

[Cambons]

ok thanks ill try that out

[LMN8UR]

? ? ? What was the last thing you did before the problems started ? ? ?

If you haven't done anything, when and where did you get your last fill-up?

68gmsee has some good ideas, and I'd like to throw in that I've had similar problems with a bad carb gasket. (But they normally don't just go bad unless you mess with them!)

[60ratrod]

i just thought of something else, look for old cracked and rotted hoses in the system. a cracked and rotted hose can cause all sorts of runability problems