My 84 GSL is really hard to start after sitting a few days. I suspect my fuel pump is bad or is wired wrong because when the ignition switch is on, the pump does not seem to be running, can't hear it or feel it pumping at all. Starts and runs fine when warm, or in the same day. What do y'all think?

 

the pump doesn't even have to be on...there is gas in the bowls to be able to star the car.

there has to be something else going on. CHeck the choke and the carb, it's not the pump.

 

Check the battery and the battery cables. A bad charging and starting system is usually the cause for hard starting, I have found.

 

I have changed the battery cables..it does crank faster, but no easier starting. Plugs, cap & rotor are new (wires coming). The choke pulls & stays out, seems to work fine. What else can I check on the carb?

 

84, will run a second or 1/2 a second, and then only runs when your cranking it or when the motor is running. The 84-85 models do this, but I got the fuel pump of my 85, if you want to try another one. I know it worked..

 

Well, if the fuel pump wasn't working, I guess it wouldn't start at all? A mechanic told me it sounded like the fuel pump was allowing the gas to seep back into the tank. Does that make sense to anyone?

 

Makes a litle sense, a fuel pump will allow fuel to flow one direction but not the other... But highly doubt its doing that, also you have enough fuel in the float bowls of the carb to run about a minute or so at idle...

 

When the car is cold, pop open the air cleaner, look down in the carb and have someone pump the gas. Do you see a squirt or mist of gas in the carb? Perhaps your good old-fashioned carb just needs a rebuild.

 

is it safe to assume that the car was running fine before it sat? if you're just having trouble firing it up when it's cold, then i doubt if the problem is the pump. is there anything weird happening when it does fire up? smoke? popping/backfiring? also, why would you suspect wiring?

 

There s a dribble of gas going in the carb when accel is pushed..is that enough?
It also backfires some when decellerating, but that is because the air pump is off, block off plate installed, etc.
No smoke at all, runs like a champ otherwise.

 

it should squirt out, not dribble. Maybe you have some crud in the accelerator pump. Fixing that wont get you to start any better, but I bet it will respond better on the road when you nail the gas pedal.