white84

Car has been sitting 2 years with just the occasional warm-up short drive. (Fan clutch went out, I bought stuff for conversion to electric fan, didn't get done)

I know it's a crime.

E-bay fan clutch on the way.

Car still runs as good as ever, just won't cold start without a splash prime of gas right into the carb.

What's my problem?

Thanks in advance.

Martin

bstrange99

New gas, fuel filter, and maybe the fuel pump (but I doubt it), and new plugs.

white84

Thanks Strange.

I didn't think it was an old gas problem, but now on second thought I could be wrong. Fuel was new with stabilizer last fall. It always got run nearly dry and new fuel once a year. Real room for thought with that suggestion though.

Why do you say fuel pump? Are you saying that would be the first suspect if it's not an old fuel problem? That makes sense to my very limited mechanical ability.

It does seem like a fuel delivery problem that only occures after the car sits for some hours.

Well You got me started with thinking. That's what I needed after not driving for so long. The car has been inside and kept up just not put on the road other than short warmup runs of 3 to 5 miles.

Martin

1badFB

iTrader: (1)

Try pumping the gas once or twice before u try to start it, and pull the choke out all the way if you dont already. If that doesnt work, the only situations that could cause this are:

#1- You dont have enough vacuum to draw suitable fuel when cranking (could be slow cranking, low compression, or a vacuum leak), in combination with a bad accelerator pump so you cant even squirt a bit of fuel in by pumping the gas.

#2- Your engine makes enough vacuum, but your carb/fuel system arent delivering it properly.(could be fuel, fuel filter, fuel pump, carb, or carb adjustments, etc.)

From the symptoms you describe it sounds like you just need to figure out what works best with the choke and pumping the gas before you crank it.
Personally Ive found with my car I give it 2-3 pumps of the gas pedal and some choke when I start it, and that works best.

Good luck!

white84

Gen 1 thankyou very much. I just started it without priming for the first time this year.

Usual method of starting was full choke, start cranking, one pump, instant ignition.

Tonight first attempt was to open air filter and observe smell in carb, pump gas three times without using starter, see if carb smelled more gassy. It did not.

Then applied full choke and pump the heck hard on the throttle while spinning on starter. After 8-10 pumps (while spinning) the ignition hit for instant start without any stutter.

I have been thinking bad accelerator pump all along but it's been so many years since I worked on a carb car, and not much then, that I'd forgotten the name itself, accelerator pump.

Is the accelerator pump somehow vacume controlled? I also wonder if it is a failing fuel pump somehow that doesn't deliver fuel until the engine is running at high idle speed (3000 rpm)

The starter is performing same as always, it has a good battery, so starter cranking speed is good. I've had the car 10 years, driven it 30,000 miles so I'm pretty familiar with the way the car usually does things. I farm so operating machinery is familiar to me. I'm not a mechanic but I can usually tell by the sound of a machine, or the way it works, when I need one.

I just know so little about the mechanical systems of the 7 I'm real ignorant. With the 7 I've been blessed that MOSTLY all I've had to do was drive it.

Engine compression would seem to be ok. Car runs as strong as ever. pulls strong and hard straight to the over rev alarm.

Maybe time to pull out the old chiltons and see how hard the fuel pump is. Is it mechanical or electric? And there muct be a way to diagnose accelerator pump. Is it open aircleaner, get buddy to pump throttle, look for gas squirting in carb? Would maybe let mechanic rebuild carb. I've had a great one and he needs to make a living too, but that was 2 years ago, he may have moved on. But the MasterCard could get paid down a little too.

Will go now and see if it restarts easily. I shut it off immediately when it started so the engine is still relatively cold, but it has had fuel pressure.

Yes it restarted solidly with full choke, on the second throttle pump, while the engine was spinning on the starter.

Thanks again very much. Any more ideas? Any more specific?

Martin

83rx7boy92

hey where are u located in wisconsin?

white84

bout 45 minutes north of the Dells

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

Look down the carb and operate the throttle. Do you see a squirt going into each barel on the driver's side? If not, check the ap for leaks. If the diaphram is bad, it will show as an external leak.

If it's not leaking, it may be time for a full carb rebuild, mostly due to setting time.

white84

thank you trochoid. No external leaks. And the car seems to be starting better all the time. ???? I don't have anyone to help me except very occasionally so I guess if it goes I'm happy.

BUT this car never seemed to use much oil in the meetering system. Noo one ever proved there was any problem with 6oz of marvel mystery oil per tank of gas have they. Yet be nice if the metering system work better but my mechanic said it's within tolerances.

The ebay fan clutch came today, from a good ebayer that specializes in 7's. This car is going to be on the road again soon.

I have to wire the radiator in place, wire and inner tube pieces is the plan for now. It has completely broken away from its frame, or shell. I sit here with a brand new radiator but it has custom brackets mounted on it for the electric fan.

I'm going to hot rod the old girl with very carefully placed wire holding radiator in place and get some fun before the snowflakes fly. Car actually drives with the radiator held by whatever holds it now but thats too funky for even me.

Registration just expired so guess $160 for a blue plate good for the life of the car is the way to go. Some insurance on it. Down the road.

Good old AAA with enhanced tows 100 miles so I can start making some trips and see if it's ok

white84

Read an old thread and see that 2 cycle oil might be better than MMO for the premix. That sounds good to me.